Who won the MVP award at the 2002 FIBA World Championship?
Dirk Nowitzki won the Most Valuable Player award at the 2002 FIBA World Championship. He led all scorers in the tournament, averaging 24.0 points per game.
Questions about 2002 FIBA World Championship
Short answers, pulled from the story.
Where was the 2002 FIBA World Championship held?
The 2002 FIBA World Championship was held in Indianapolis, Indiana, United States, from the 29th of August to the 8th of September, 2002. Games were played at two venues: the RCA Dome, with a capacity of 57,980, and Conseco Fieldhouse, with 18,345 seats.
How did teams qualify for the 2002 FIBA World Championship?
Fifteen of the 16 teams qualified through five regional tournaments. FIBA Americas sent 5 teams from a qualifier in Neuquén, FIBA Europe sent 5 from EuroBasket 2001 in Ankara, Antalya, and Istanbul, FIBA Asia sent 2 from the 2001 ABC Championship in Shanghai, FIBA Africa sent 2 from a qualifier in Rabat and Casablanca, and FIBA Oceania sent 1 team from a competition across Auckland, Wellington, and Hamilton. The United States entered automatically as both host nation and 2000 Olympic champion.
Who were the top scorers at the 2002 FIBA World Championship?
Dirk Nowitzki led all scorers with 24.0 points per game. Victor Díaz ranked second at 22.0 points per game, and Yao Ming was third at 21.0 points per game.
Which players were named to the all-tournament team at the 2002 FIBA World Championship?
The all-tournament team consisted of five players: Manu Ginóbili and Pero Cameron as guards, Yao Ming as center, and Peja Stojaković and Dirk Nowitzki as forwards. Nowitzki was also named the tournament's Most Valuable Player.
Why did the United States not need to qualify for the 2002 FIBA World Championship?
The United States received automatic entry because the country was both the host nation and the 2000 Olympic champion. In place of the Olympic qualifying berth the Americans would have occupied, FIBA assigned an extra spot to the FIBA Americas region.