International basketball tournament
Basketball at the 1948 Summer Olympics was the second appearance of the sport of basketball as an official Olympic medal event. A total number of 23 nations entered the competition.
Olympic basketball returned to indoor competition in Harringay Arena, after the disastrous weather conditions of the final game in the 1936 Summer Olympics.
Results
Preliminary round
Group A
| Pos
|
Team
|
Pld
|
W
|
L
|
PF
|
PA
|
PD
|
Pts
|
Qualification
|
| 1
|
 Brazil
|
5
|
5
|
0
|
261
|
150
|
+111
|
10
|
Advance to the quarterfinals
|
| 2
|
 Uruguay
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
246
|
170
|
+76
|
8
|
| 3
|
 Hungary
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
201
|
172
|
+29
|
8
|
Qualified for 9–16th Classification
|
| 4
|
 Canada
|
5
|
3
|
2
|
222
|
205
|
+17
|
8
|
| 5
|
 Italy
|
5
|
1
|
4
|
170
|
208
|
−38
|
6
|
Qualified for 17th–21st Classification
|
| 6
|
 Great Britain
|
5
|
0
|
5
|
103
|
298
|
−195
|
5
|
- Uruguay def. Great Britain, 69–17
- Brazil def. Hungary, 45–41
- Canada def. Italy, 55–37
- Brazil def. Uruguay, 36–32
- Canada def. Great Britain, 44–24
- Hungary def. Italy, 32–19
- Brazil def. Great Britain, 76–11
- Hungary def. Canada, 37–36
- Uruguay def. Italy, 46–34
- Italy def. Great Britain, 49–28
- Uruguay def. Hungary, 49–31
- Brazil def. Canada, 57–35
- Hungary def. Great Britain, 60–23
- Brazil def. Italy, 47–31
- Canada def. Uruguay, 52–50
Group B
- Philippines def. Iraq, 102–30
- Korea def. Belgium, 29–27
- Chile def. China, 44–39
- Chile def. Iraq, 100–18
- Philippines def. Korea, 35–33
- China def. Belgium, 36–34
- Chile def. Philippines, 68–39
- Belgium def. Iraq, 98–20
- China def. Korea, 49–48
- Belgium def. Chile, 38–36
- Korea def. Iraq, 120–20
- Philippines def. China, 51–32
- Belgium def. Philippines, 35–34
- China def. Iraq, 125–25
- Korea def. Chile, 28–21
Group C
Scene of the USA v Argentina match
- United States def. Switzerland, 86–21
- Czechoslovakia def. Peru, 38–30
- Argentina def. Egypt, 57–38
- Peru def. Egypt, 52–27
- Argentina def. Switzerland, 49–23
- United States def. Czechoslovakia, 53–28
- Peru def. Switzerland, 49–19
- United States def. Argentina, 59–57
- Czechoslovakia def. Egypt, 52–38
- United States def. Egypt, 66–28
- Czechoslovakia def. Switzerland, 54–28
- Argentina def. Peru, 42–34
- Egypt def. Switzerland, 31–29
- United States def. Peru, 61–33
- Czechoslovakia def. Argentina, 45–41
Group D
| Team
|
Pld
|
W
|
L
|
PF
|
PA
|
PD
|
Pts
|
 Mexico
|
4
|
4
|
0
|
234
|
109 |
+125
|
8
|
 France
|
4
|
3
|
1
|
214
|
131 |
+83
|
7
|
 Cuba
|
4
|
2
|
2
|
213
|
131 |
+82
|
6
|
 Iran
|
4
|
1
|
3
|
136
|
215 |
−79
|
5
|
 Ireland
|
4
|
0
|
4
|
70
|
281 |
−211
|
4
|
- France def. Iran, 62–30
- Mexico def. Cuba, 39–31
- Mexico def. Ireland, 71–9
- France def. Cuba, 37–31
- Mexico def. France, 56–42
- Iran def. Ireland, 49–22
- Mexico def. Iran, 68–27
- Cuba def. Ireland, 88–25
- Cuba def. Iran, 63–30
- France def. Ireland, 73–14
17th-23rd place classification playoffs
Classification 21st-23rd
- Since the total number of competitors of the tournament was not a power of 2, a bye was given to Egypt, meaning they advanced to the classification semifinals. Also, Ireland was deemed to have finished last, due to the loss to Switzerland and a bye they earned from Iraq.
9th-16th place classification playoffs
Classification 13th-16th
- Hungary forfeited all of the matches in this round as indicated above.
Final round
Classification 5th-8th
Participating nations
For the team rosters see: Basketball at the 1948 Summer Olympics – Men's team squads.
Each country was allowed to enter one team of up to 14 players and they all were eligible for participation (with a maximum of five on the court at any given moment). A total of 298(*) basketball players from 23 nations competed at the London Games:
(*) NOTE: There are only players counted, which participated in one game at least, according to the official report, because the rosters for the matches are unknown. It is also unknown up to now, if there were more reserve players.
(*) and (**) It is uncertain if P. Benedek and J. Verbenyi played for Hungary in this tournament. The official report shows them, but Hungarian sources did not, however they are counted.
Gold medalists 
Silver medalists
Bronze medalists
