EuroBasket 2007
The 2007 FIBA European Championship opened its doors in Spain between the 3rd of September and the 16th of September 2007. Sixteen national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe, the sport's regional governing body. The cities of Alicante, Granada, Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, and Seville hosted the tournament across five distinct venues. The Centro de Tecnificación de Alicante held 5,425 spectators when it opened in 1993. The Palacio Municipal de Deportes de Granada seated 7,500 fans after opening in 1991. Madrid Arena accommodated 10,500 people since its construction in 2002. The Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid reopened in 2005 to hold 15,500 attendees for the knockout stages. This massive logistical effort served as a crucial qualifier for the 2008 Summer Olympics. The champion and runner-up teams earned berths into the global games. A third-placed team could also qualify if Spain reached the final.
Hosts Spain plus eight European teams from the 2006 FIBA World Championship qualified directly for the tournament. The other seven teams earned their spots via a qualifying tournament that ran from August to September 2006. The draw for the FIBA EuroBasket 2007 took place in Madrid on the 19th of October 2006. Teams competed through three different qualification rounds between August 19th and the 16th of September 2006. Sixteen national teams entered the event under the auspices of FIBA Europe. The top three teams from each group advanced to the qualifying round. They separated into two groups labeled E and F with six teams each. Results among teams within the same group carried over to the next phase. The top four teams at the qualifying round advanced to the knockout quarterfinals. Winners in the knockout semifinals advanced to the Final. Losers figured in a third-place playoff before the tournament began.
Russia won its first EuroBasket title since the dissolution of the Soviet Union by defeating hosts Spain. The final score reached 60, 59 in a game played inside the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid. Andrei Kirilenko scored 17 points while playing 30 minutes during the match. Victor Khryapa grabbed 12 rebounds and added 4 assists in 35 minutes of play. Spain's Pau Gasol contributed 14 points and 14 rebounds but could not secure the win. José Calderón led the Spanish team with 15 points and 4 rebounds in 28 minutes. David Blatt coached the Russian squad that secured this narrow margin victory. Pepu Hernández managed the Spanish team that lost by a single point. This result guaranteed Russia and Spain berths in the 2008 Olympics. Lithuania received a direct Olympic berth as the third-placed team instead.
Dirk Nowitzki averaged 24.0 points per game across all matches for Germany. Tony Parker followed closely with 20.1 points per game for France. Hedo Türkoğlu averaged 19.2 points per game for Turkey throughout the tournament. Yaniv Green led rebounding with 9.3 boards per game from Israel. Šarūnas Jasikevičius distributed 5.6 assists per game for Lithuania. Andrei Kirilenko topped steals charts with 2.2 per game while playing 32.4 minutes. Radoslav Nesterović blocked shots at a rate of 1.9 per game for Slovenia. Jon Robert Holden played 35.3 minutes per game on average for Russia. Tony Parker scored 36 points in a single game against an unnamed opponent. Andris Biedriņš grabbed 18 rebounds in one specific match during the tournament. Łukasz Koszarek recorded 11 assists in a single game for Poland. These individual performances highlighted the depth of talent across sixteen nations.
Andrei Kirilenko received the 2007 FIBA EuroBasket MVP award as the tournament's best player. He became the first Russian to win this honor since the Soviet Union dissolved. The official All-Tournament Team included José Calderón, Ramūnas Šiškauskas, Dirk Nowitzki, and Pau Gasol alongside Kirilenko. Calderón averaged 2.6 assists per game while playing for Spain throughout the competition. Šiškauskas contributed 13.8 points per game and 2.6 assists for Lithuania. Nowitzki led scoring with 24.0 points per game for Germany. Gasol added 18.8 points and 7.0 rebounds per game for the host nation. These five players represented the highest level of play across all participating countries. Their selection reflected both statistical dominance and team success in Madrid.
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Common questions
When did the 2007 FIBA European Championship take place in Spain?
The 2007 FIBA European Championship took place between the 3rd of September and the 16th of September 2007. Sixteen national teams competed across five distinct venues during this period.
Which cities hosted matches for the 2007 FIBA European Championship?
Alicante, Granada, Madrid, Palma de Mallorca, and Seville served as host cities for the tournament. These locations featured five distinct venues including the Centro de Tecnificación de Alicante and the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid.
Who won the 2007 FIBA European Championship final match against Spain?
Russia defeated hosts Spain to win the 2007 FIBA European Championship with a score of 60 to 59. David Blatt coached the Russian squad that secured this victory inside the Palacio de Deportes de la Comunidad de Madrid.
What were the individual statistics for Dirk Nowitzki during the 2007 FIBA European Championship?
Dirk Nowitzki averaged 24.0 points per game across all matches for Germany throughout the tournament. He led scoring among all participants while playing for his national team in Madrid.
Who received the MVP award at the 2007 FIBA European Championship?
Andrei Kirilenko received the 2007 FIBA EuroBasket MVP award as the tournament's best player. He became the first Russian to win this honor since the dissolution of the Soviet Union.