The top 50 stars to play at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup; Places 10-1

 

MIES (Switzerland) - The FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup has seen some of the best talent on the globe in the last 40-plus years since it began in 1979. But who are the biggest 50 names to play in the first 15 editions?

It was not easy but we have put together a list of 50 great names and are breaking it down into five articles. Here is the final installment with places 10-1.

Part I with Places 50-41
Part II with Places 40-31
Part III with Places 30-21
Part IV with Places 20-11

 

10. Dino Radja, Yugoslavia, Croatia (1987)

Radja was part of the great Yugoslavia 1987 U19 title winning team and he averaged 14.9 points, including 20 points in the Final over USA. The Croatian helped Yugoslavia to the silver medal at the 1988 Olympics as well as back-to-back titles at the 1989 and 1991 FIBA EuroBaskets. Radja played for Croatia at the 1992 Olympics and won another silver medal.

He also took third place at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 1994 as well as the 1993 and 1995 EuroBaskets. Radja won two FIBA European Champions Cup championships before playing four seasons in the NBA with Boston. In 1991 he was included in FIBA's 50 Greatest Players.  

 

9. Jayson Tatum, USA (2015)

A summer after helping USA win the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2014, Tatum poured in 13.9 points per game in winning the U19 World Cup crown in 2015. He played at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and then helped USA win the gold medal at the 2020 Olympics, averaging 15.2 points. Tatum has played with Boston in the NBA since 2017 and reached the NBA Finals in 2022 - losing to Golden State - to go with three more exits in the Eastern Conference Finals. He is also a two-time All-NBA First Team member.

  

8. Klay Thompson, USA (2009)

Thompson collected 7.8 points per game as he helped USA win the title at the 2009 U19 World Cup. The sharpshooter also played a big role in USA claiming the crown at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2014 - averaging 12.7 points - as well as the 2016 Olympics - with 9.9 points per game. Thompson has played 10 seasons for Golden States in the NBA, missing more than two full seasons with injuries. He owns four NBA championship rings with Golden State.

 

 

7. Vlade Divac, Yugoslavia (1987)

Divac starred for Yugoslavia in the magical 1987 U19 World Cup championship winning team as he collected 12.6 points per game, including 21 points in the Final over USA. Divac had already played for Yugoslavia at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 1986 - the first of three World Cups for the center.

After taking third place in 1986, Divac became a world champion in 1990 and then won a second title in 2002. Divac also owns silver medals from the 1988 and 1996 Olympics and won FIBA EuroBasket trophies in 1989, 1991 and 1995. Divac played 16 seasons in the NBA and reached the NBA Finals in 1991 and lost to Chicago. Divac was named among FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991 and was inducted to the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010.

 

6. Arvydas Sabonis, Soviet Union/Lithuania (1983)

Sabonis was a major force for the Soviet Union at the 1983 junior competition and helped the country take second place, averaging 18.5 points including tallying 29 points in a Final loss to USA. Sabonis a summer earlier debuted in Soviet Union's senior team, playing at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 1982 and winning the title. He took second place at the 1986 World Cup and then won gold at the 1988 Olympics to go with the crown at the FIBA EuroBasket 1985 - winning the Most Valuable Player award.

Sabonis played for his now independent home nation of Lithuania at the 1992 Olympics and took bronze and added a second Olympic bronze in 1996. Sabonis also helped Lithuania to second place at the 1995 EuroBasket. Among the highlights of Sabonis' club career were a European continental championship as well as seven seasons in the NBA - entering the league in 1995 after having been drafted in 1986. Sabonis was listed in FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991 and was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2010.

  

5. Toni Kukoc, Yugoslavia/Croatia (1987)

Kukoc was a driving force of the famous Yugoslavia team that won the 1987 junior world title, averaging 14.7 points, including 37 points in the first game against USA. Kukoc was named Most Valuable Player of the tournament. After contributing to Yugoslavia taking third place at the FIBA EuroBasket 1987, Kukoc grabbed a silver medal at the 1988 Olympics and the title at EuroBasket 1989. Kukoc took home MVP honors for carrying Yugoslavia to the titles at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 1990 and 1991 EuroBasket.

Kukoc switched to his native Croatia for the 1992 Olympics and won a second silver medal. He also helped Croatia to second place at the 1994 World Cup. Kukoc was also wildly successful at the club level, winning three straight FIBA European Champions Cups with Jugoplastika from 1989 to 1991 as well as three consecutive NBA crowns with Chicago from 1996 to 1998. Kukoc was named among FIBA's 50 Greatest Players in 1991 and was inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame in 2017.

 

4. Luis Scola, Argentina (1995)

Scola was four years younger than the rest of the competition at the 1995 junior world championship at just 15 years old and he collected 3 points in 10 minutes over 3 games. He joined the Argentina senior team in 2002 for the first of five FIBA Basketball World Cups - taking second place in 2002 and 2019 and scoring the second-most points (716) in World Cup history and is tied for the most World Cup games played (41).

Scola also appeared in five Olympics, grabbing gold in 2004 and bronze in 2008. He is also a two-time FIBA AmeriCup champion among his nine podium finishes. Scola played 10 seasons in the NBA.

 

3. Nikola Jokic, Serbia (2013)

Jokic was more of a role player at the U19 World Cup in 2013, contributing 7.1 points per game for a Serbia team that finished second to USA, scoring a tournament high 10 points in both games against USA. Jokic joined the NBA in 2015 with Denver and the following summer guided Serbia to the silver medal at the 2016 Olympics. Jokic could not keep Serbia from getting bounced by Argentina in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Quarter-Finals, and the Serbs crashed out of the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 in the Round of 16. Jokic has become one of the biggest superstars in the NBA, winning back-to-back Most Valuable Player awards in 2021 and 2022. He is now competing for an NBA title in the Finals.

 

2. Pau Gasol, Spain (1999)

Gasol played a minor role in Spain winning the 1999 junior world championship with 5.3 points per game. But the center would soon become the rock of the Spanish senior team for nearly two decades. Gasol starred at three FIBA Basketball World Cups, winning the title and Most Valuable Player in 2006. He carried Spain to medals in three of his five Olympics - silver in 2008 and 2012 and bronze in 2016. Gasol also guided the country to three FIBA EuroBasket trophies - 2009, 2011 and 2015, claiming MVP honors in 2009 and 2015.

Gasol was also a superstar in the NBA, playing 18 seasons and winning back-to-back NBA rings with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He was also the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2002, the first non-American to win the award.

 

1. Stephen Curry, USA (2007)

Curry played a solid role on the USA team that placed second at the 2007 U19 World Cup, averaging 9.4 points. Curry made his debut with the senior team at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2010 and helped win the country reclaim the crown for the first time since 1994. Curry returned to the World Cup four years later and won the title again, averaging 10.7 points per game.

The guard has become a legend in the NBA, carrying Golden State to four NBA trophies (2015, 2017, 2018, 2022) and winning the NBA Most Valuable Player award in 2015 and 2016. Curry was also named to the NBA 75th Anniversary Team.

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