MONTEVIDEO (Uruguay) - Basketball arrived in Uruguay in 1912, introduced by American YMCA professor Jess F. Hopkins. Just a year later, the clubs ACJ Uruguay and ACJ Argentina were already playing international matches.
In 1915, the first national tournament was organized with four teams. In 1919, the Uruguayan national team played its first international match in Montevideo, defeating Argentina. In 1921, both nations began competing for the Capitán Raúl Mariné and Dr. Juan Antonio Buero Cups, alternating the venue each year between Montevideo and Buenos Aires.
In 1922, the FUBB spearheaded the project that led to the creation of the Federación Sudamericana de Basketball (South American Basketball Federation), laying the groundwork for continental organization, establishing unified rules, and promoting the sport’s growth in the region.
In 1930, Montevideo hosted the first edition of the South American Championship, the oldest international competition recognized by FIBA, which was held until 2016.
Recently, the FUBB donated to the FIBA Museum the “Copa América” used since 1938—a trophy it had won outright and preserved for over eight decades. In 47 editions, Uruguay earned 12 gold, 12 silver, and 12 bronze medals.
The men’s national team has participated in seven Olympic Games, seven FIBA World Cups, and eighteen AmeriCups, with notable highlights including their presence in basketball’s Olympic debut in 1936, bronze medals at the 1952 Helsinki and 1956 Melbourne Olympics, and a silver medal at the 1984 AmeriCup.
The FUBB continues to honor its pioneering legacy, reminding the world that from the shores of the Río de la Plata, some of the first lines of global basketball history were drawn; a centennial story that continues to inspire the present and shape the future.
###
About the FIBA Foundation The FIBA Foundation is the social and legacy arm of FIBA that addresses the role of sports, particularly basketball, in society, preserving and promoting basketball’s values and its cultural heritage.
FIBA’s cultural heritage is the heart of the FIBA Foundation’s cultural and historical activities. It is one of the driving forces behind the promotion and dissemination of FIBA’s values.