Best Basketball Nations of All Time
Who are the greatest basketball nations of all time? Explore the leading countries in Sport Ranking’s historical Basketball ranking, based on results from major international competitions across different eras.
Greatest Men’s Basketball Nations
Basketball Men
| # | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 593 |
| 2 | Russia | 355 |
| 3 | Yugoslavia | 275 |
| 4 | Brazil | 242 |
| 5 | Spain | 173 |
| 6 | Argentina | 161 |
| 7 | France | 119 |
| 8 | Italy | 109 |
| 9 | Puerto Rico | 106 |
| 10 | Australia | 102 |
Greatest Women’s Basketball Nations
Basketball Women
| # | Country | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | 497 |
| 2 | Russia | 403 |
| 3 | China | 204 |
| 4 | Brazil | 190 |
| 5 | Australia | 180 |
| 6 | South Korea | 173 |
| 7 | Czech Republic | 135 |
| 8 | Japan | 128 |
| 9 | France | 125 |
| 10 | Spain | 113 |
How the All-Time Ranking Works
The ranking is based primarily on the Olympic Games and the World Cup, which represent the two most important global competitions. The system also includes continental championships and other major regional events, weighted according to their importance and success on the international stage.
Olympic qualification tournaments are also included, with their scoring adapted to the format and significance of the qualification system in each historical period.
The ranking can be filtered to display only global competitions.
Learn more about Basketball scoring →