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EuroBasket 2011 was the 37th men's
European Basketball Championship EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the E ...
, held by
FIBA Europe FIBA Europe is the administrative body for basketball in Europe, within the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), which includes all 50 national European basketball federations. In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIBA Euro ...
. The competition was hosted by
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
. This was the second time EuroBasket had been held in Lithuania, the country having also hosted the 1939 championship.
FIBA Europe FIBA Europe is the administrative body for basketball in Europe, within the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), which includes all 50 national European basketball federations. In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIBA Euro ...
asserted that Lithuania managed to organize the best European championship in its history. The top two teams are guaranteed spots at the
2012 Summer Olympics The 2012 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXX Olympiad and also known as London 2012) was an international multi-sport event held from 27 July to 12 August 2012 in London, England, United Kingdom. The first event, th ...
. EuroBasket 2011 was the largest sporting event in the history of the
Baltic states The Baltic states, et, Balti riigid or the Baltic countries is a geopolitical term, which currently is used to group three countries: Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania. All three countries are members of NATO, the European Union, the Eurozone ...
, both in terms of the number of national teams (24), games (90), and that of spectators (158,000 tickets sold, with most tickets valid for three separate games.)
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...
won the title for the second consecutive tournament, after defeating
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, by a score of 98–85 in the final. Spain's Juan Carlos Navarro was the tournament's MVP.


Venues and attendances

The group matches were played in four arenas, namely
Alytus Arena The Alytus Arena is a universal indoor arena in Alytus, Lithuania. It was opened in 1977. Its reconstruction began in 2009 and was completed by the end of 2010. The arena was officially opened on 12 February 2011. The arena hosted the Group C gam ...
,
Šiauliai Arena Šiauliai Arena is the largest arena in Šiauliai, Lithuania. It generally hosts basketball games as well as concerts. The basketball club BC Šiauliai, which currently competes in the domestic LKL and ULEB Cup, uses the facility for all of its ...
,
Cido Arena Kalnapilio Arena, formerly Cido Arena, is the largest multifunctional arena in Panevėžys, Lithuania. It generally hosts track cycling events, as well as basketball games and concerts. The basketball club BC Lietkabelis, which currently competes ...
in
Panevėžys Panevėžys (; Latin: ''Panevezen''; pl, Poniewież; yi, פּאָנעװעזש, ''Ponevezh''; see also other names) is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2011, it occupied with 113,653 inhabitants. As defined by Eurostat, the population ...
and an arena in
Klaipėda Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuania ...
. The second stage matches were played at the
Siemens Arena Avia Solutions Group Arena, located in southern part of Verkiai elderate of Vilnius, is the second largest arena in Lithuania. It generally hosts basketball games as well as concerts. The arena opened on October 30, 2004. The basketball club ...
in the capital
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...
and the playoffs at the new
Žalgiris Arena Žalgiris Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New Town of Kaunas, Lithuania. The arena is located on an island of the Nemunas River. It is the largest indoor arena in the Baltics. The arena's maximum possible seating capacity for basketba ...
in
Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Traka ...
. All tickets were sold for matches in which Lithuania played in a matter of several hours after the start of sale. Other tickets were also sold out in advance for all venues except for Alytus (75% of available tickets sold in total). However the Organizing Committee's policy of selling tickets as a 3-game package meant that in some cases the sold-out arenas were not full as some fans would choose to go to only some of the games their ticket entitled them to. This policy was altered in Panevėžys where there were separate tickets for the games Lithuania played. 20,000 foreign visitors went to Lithuania for the championship. 135,000 local fans visited the arenas. 120,000 people (both local and foreign) watched EuroBasket 2011 matches in special fan zones that were constructed beside every arena with a large screen and outdoor seating available. Among the foreign teams the Georgian, Slovenian, Russian and Latvian national teams had the most fans traveling from their home countries. Georgians had certain city squares decorated in their flags in both Klaipėda and Vilnius. Several famous people and heads of states went to championship. This included the president of
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
Mikheil Saakashvili, Foreign Minister of
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
Sergey Lavrov Sergey Viktorovich Lavrov (russian: Сергей Викторович Лавров, ; born 21 March 1950) is a Russian diplomat and politician who has served as the Foreign Minister of Russia since 2004. Lavrov served as the Permanent Represe ...
and prince of
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...
Felipe.


Teams

It was first decided that 16 teams would participate in EuroBasket 2011, however
FIBA Europe FIBA Europe is the administrative body for basketball in Europe, within the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), which includes all 50 national European basketball federations. In reaction to the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, FIBA Euro ...
decided on 5 September 2010, in a meeting in Istanbul, that there would be 24 teams in the tournament, after the Qualifying Round was concluded. Lithuania automatically received a place as the hosts, nine other countries that competed in the
2010 FIBA World Championship The 2010 FIBA World Championship was the 16th FIBA World Championship, the international basketball world championship contested by the men's national teams. The tournament ran from 28 August to 12 September 2010. It was co-organised by the Inte ...
also received a place, 12 Countries were determined through qualifying matches played in August 2010 (five had initially qualified, and seven were added after the decision to expand the tournament to 24 teams), and two more qualifiers were decided in an additional qualifying tournament that took place in August 2011. All but one of the 15 countries that participated in the Qualifying Round qualified for the final tournament.


Qualification


Qualified teams


Squads

Each team consisted of 12 players. Only 1 among the 12 could be a naturalised foreign player, who could not have been in the national team of another nation. Some of the teams had players that traced their ancestry to the teams they represent and were allowed to play for that team, such as
Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...
(US-born
Chris Kaman Christopher Zane Kaman (born April 28, 1982) is a German-American former professional basketball player. Kaman stands 7'0" (2.13 m) and played the center position. He was selected sixth overall in the first round of the 2003 NBA draft by the Los ...
) and
Israel Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
(US-born
David Blu David Blu (born David Bluthenthal; July 18, 1980) is an American–Israeli former professional basketball player, who spent 10 seasons playing in the EuroLeague. Standing at , he played at the small forward and power forward positions. He is c ...
, who as Jewish was entitled to Israeli citizenship from birth). Other teams naturalised players participating in their country's league system, among them
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...
(Congolese-born
Serge Ibaka Serge Jonás Ibaka Ngobila (; born 18 September 1989) is a Congolese-Spanish professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ibaka was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 24th over ...
),
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
(US-born
Dontaye Draper Dontaye Dominic Draper (born August 10, 1984) is an American-Croatian former professional basketball player who last played for Real Betis Energía Plus of the Liga ACB. Standing at , he played at the point guard position. High school Draped pla ...
),
Bulgaria Bulgaria (; bg, България, Bǎlgariya), officially the Republic of Bulgaria,, ) is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern flank of the Balkans, and is bordered by Romania to the north, Serbia and North Macedo ...
(US-born
E. J. Rowland Earl Jerrod "E. J." Rowland (born May 18, 1983) is an American-born Bulgarian professional basketball player for GTK Gliwice of the Polish Basketball League (PLK). Standing at , he plays the point guard position. College career Rowland began his ...
),
Belgium Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to ...
(US-born
Marcus Faison Marcus Vondell Faison (born February 18, 1978) is a Belgian-American former professional basketball player. He played Division I basketball for Siena College prior to his professional career.http://sienasaints.cstv.com/sports/m-baskbl/spec-rel/01 ...
), and
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
(US-born
Thomas Kelati Thomas Kelati (born September 27, 1982) is an American professional basketball player of Eritrean heritage. In 2010, he gained Polish citizenship through his wife and is eligible to play on the Poland national basketball team in international com ...
, who qualified for Polish citizenship through marriage to a Pole).
Montenegro ) , image_map = Europe-Montenegro.svg , map_caption = , image_map2 = , capital = Podgorica , coordinates = , largest_city = capital , official_languages = ...
and Macedonia each naturalised US-born players who had never played in their league system, but had played in neighbouring
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
, respectively
Omar Cook Omar-Sharif Cook ( sr, Omar-Šarif Kuk / Омар-Шариф Кук; born January 28, 1982) is an American-Montenegrin professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. He re ...
and
Bo McCalebb Lester "Bo" McCalebb ( mk, Лестер „Бо“ МекКејлеб; born May 4, 1985) is an American-Macedonian former professional basketball player. He represented the senior Macedonian national team internationally. Standing at , he played ...
. Other naturalised players moved to their current countries in their youth, with a notable example being Great Britain's
Luol Deng Luol Ajou Deng (born 16 April 1985) is a British former professional basketball player. He was a two-time NBA All-Star and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2012. Born in what is now South Sudan, Deng fled the country with his ...
, who fled the
Sudanese Civil War The term Sudanese Civil War refers to at least three separate conflicts: *First Sudanese Civil War (1955–1972) *Second Sudanese Civil War (1983–2005) *South Sudanese Civil War (2013–2020) It could also refer to other internal conflicts in Suda ...
with his family as a child.
Lithuania Lithuania (; lt, Lietuva ), officially the Republic of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos Respublika, links=no ), is a country in the Baltic region of Europe. It is one of three Baltic states and lies on the eastern shore of the Baltic Sea. Lithuania ...
,
Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia ( Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hu ...
,
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
(Cape Verde was a Portuguese colony) and Finland are notable exceptions, with all of their players having been born in Lithuania, Portugal, Serbia and Finland respectively. Another exception was
Latvia Latvia ( or ; lv, Latvija ; ltg, Latveja; liv, Leţmō), officially the Republic of Latvia ( lv, Latvijas Republika, links=no, ltg, Latvejas Republika, links=no, liv, Leţmō Vabāmō, links=no), is a country in the Baltic region of ...
playing without foreign players.
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
had
Enes Kanter Enes Kanter Freedom (; born Enes Kanter; May 20, 1992) is a professional basketball player who last played for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Switzerland to Turkish parents, he was raised in Turkey and m ...
, who was born to Turkish parents in
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
as well as Emir Preldzic, who was born in Zenica, Bosnia and Herzegovina and had already played on the national team of Slovenia in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in 2008 and Slovenian youth national teams. Some of the
Eastern Europe Eastern Europe is a subregion of the European continent. As a largely ambiguous term, it has a wide range of geopolitical, geographical, ethnic, cultural, and socio-economic connotations. The vast majority of the region is covered by Russia, whi ...
an national teams, such as
Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina ( sh, / , ), abbreviated BiH () or B&H, sometimes called Bosnia–Herzegovina and often known informally as Bosnia, is a country at the crossroads of south and southeast Europe, located in the Balkans. Bosnia and ...
, were composed mainly or entirely from players playing abroad. This was primarily true for countries that have good basketball players but no powerful clubs or leagues to match that. On the other hand, for countries with strong leagues, such as
Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...
, the National teams were primarily composed of players playing in the local league. The same was true for countries weak in basketball (i.e. with both weak national team and local league) as their players are unable to get into strong foreign leagues.
Portugal Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic ( pt, República Portuguesa, links=yes ), is a country whose mainland is located on the Iberian Peninsula of Southwestern Europe, and whose territory also includes the Atlantic archipelagos of th ...
could be an example here. Many NBA players represented their national teams, with the Spanish team having 6 NBA stars, the French team having 5, the Turkish team having 4, and so on. It was one of the strongest European basketball competition ever organized as a lot of European stars helped their nations.


Notable players and coaches

* Spain: **
Pau Gasol Pau Gasol Sáez (, ; born July 6, 1980) is a Spanish former professional basketball player. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, twice on the second team and twice on the third team. Gasol won two NBA champion ...
**
Marc Gasol Marc Gasol Sáez (, ; born January 29, 1985) is a Spanish professional basketball player for Bàsquet Girona of the Liga ACB. The center is a two-time All-NBA Team member and a three-time NBA All-Star. He was named the NBA Defensive Player of ...
** Rudy Fernández **
Ricky Rubio Ricard Rubio Vives (born 21 October 1990) is a Spanish professional basketball player for the Cleveland Cavaliers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Rubio became the youngest player ever to play in the Spanish ACB League on 15 Octobe ...
** Juan Carlos Navarro ** José Calderón **
Serge Ibaka Serge Jonás Ibaka Ngobila (; born 18 September 1989) is a Congolese-Spanish professional basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Ibaka was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics with the 24th over ...
**
Sergio Scariolo Sergio Scariolo (born 1 April 1961) is an Italian professional basketball coach who is head coach of Virtus Bologna of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the head coach of the senior Spain national team. Having won four EuroBasket champ ...
''(coach)'' * France: **
Tony Parker William Anthony Parker Jr. (born 17 May 1982) is a French-American former professional basketball player and majority owner of ASVEL Basket in LNB Pro A. Himself the son of a basketball pro, Parker started his career at Paris Basket Racing in ...
**
Joakim Noah Joakim Simon Noah ( ; born February 25, 1985) is an American-born French-Swedish former professional basketball player. He played college basketball for the Florida Gators, winning back-to-back NCAA championships in 2006 and 2007. The Chicago B ...
**
Nicolas Batum Nicolas Batum (; born December 14, 1988)
is a French professional
< ...
**
Boris Diaw Boris Babacar Diaw-Riffiod (born April 16, 1982), better known as Boris Diaw, is a French basketball executive and former player who is the president of Metropolitans 92 of LNB Pro A. Diaw began his playing career in Pro A and returned to that l ...
**
Mickaël Gelabale Mickaël Gelabale (born May 22, 1983) is a French professional basketball player for Élan Chalon of the Pro B. He also represents the France national basketball team internationally. Standing at , he plays either at the small forward position ...
**
Nando de Colo Nando Bruno Alfred Andre de Colo (born 23 June 1987) is a French professional basketball player for ASVEL of the French LNB Pro A and the EuroLeague. Standing at a height of , he plays at the point guard and shooting guard positions. A six-time ...
* Russia: **
Andrei Kirilenko Andrei Gennadyevich Kirilenko (russian: Андрей Геннадьевич Кириленко; born February 18, 1981) is a Russian-American basketball executive and former professional basketball player, currently the commissioner of the Russ ...
**
Victor Khryapa Victor Vladimirovich Khryapa (also trans. Viktor; russian: Виктор Владимирович Хряпа; born August 3, 1982) is a Russian former professional basketball player who spent the majority of his career playing for CSKA Moscow of t ...
**
Timofey Mozgov Timofey Pavlovich Mozgov ( rus, Тимофей Павлович Мозгов, p=tʲɪmɐˈfʲej mɐˈzɡof, born July 16, 1986) is a Russian former professional basketball player. Mozgov won an NBA championship with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 20 ...
**
Andrey Vorontsevich Andrey Konstantinovich Vorontsevich (russian: Андрей Константинович Воронцевич, born July 17, 1987) is a Russian professional basketball player for the Russian team UNICS Kazan of the VTB United League. He plays at th ...
**
Vitaly Fridzon Vitaly Valeryevich Fridzon (russian: Виталий Валерьевич Фридзон, born October 14, 1985) is a Russian professional basketball player for Zenit Saint Petersburg of the VTB United League. He also represents the senior Russian ...
** Alexey Shved **
Sergei Monia Sergei Alexandrovich Monia (russian: Сергей Александрович Моня; born 15 April 1983) is a Russian professional basketball player. He was selected by the NBA club the Portland Trail Blazers, in the first round (23rd overall) ...
**
David Blatt David Michael Blatt ( he, דוד מיכאל בלאט; born May 22, 1959), is an Israeli-American professional basketball executive. He is also a former coach and player. Blatt played point guard at Princeton University from 1977 to 1981 and p ...
''(coach)'' * Macedonia: **
Bo McCalebb Lester "Bo" McCalebb ( mk, Лестер „Бо“ МекКејлеб; born May 4, 1985) is an American-Macedonian former professional basketball player. He represented the senior Macedonian national team internationally. Standing at , he played ...
**
Vlado Ilievski Vlado Ilievski ( mk, Владо Илиевски; born 19 January 1980) is a former Macedonian professional basketball. Standing at , he played at the point guard position. Professional career During his career, Ilievski played for KK Nemetali Og ...
**
Pero Antić Pero Antić ( mk, Перо Антиќ, ; born July 29, 1982), is a North Macedonian basketball executive and former professional player. He currently serves as a president of the Basketball Federation of North Macedonia. Antić was a member an ...
* Lithuania: **
Šarūnas Jasikevičius Šarūnas "Šaras" Jasikevičius (; born 5 March 1976) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player. He currently serves as a head coach for FC Barcelona of the Liga ACB and the EuroLeague. During his playing career, standing ...
**
Jonas Valančiūnas Jonas Valančiūnas ( ; ; born 6 May 1992) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for the New Orleans Pelicans of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected by the Toronto Raptors with the fifth overall pick in the 2011 ...
**
Darius Songaila Darius Songaila (born February 14, 1978) is a Lithuanian professional basketball coach and former player. He serves as an assistant coach for the San Antonio Spurs of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has represented the Lithuania na ...
**
Rimantas Kaukėnas Rimantas "Rimas" Kaukėnas (born 11 April 1977) is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player. His long career has taken him to a number of countries, finding the most success in Italy. He has also been a member of the senior men's Lithu ...
**
Kšyštof Lavrinovič Kšyštof Lavrinovič ( pl, Krzysztof Ławrynowicz; born November 1, 1979) is a Lithuanian professional basketball player for the BC Vytis of the National Basketball League. He plays at the power forward and center positions. Professional caree ...
* Greece: ** Ioannis Bourousis **
Nikos Zisis Nikolaos "Nikos" Zisis (alternate spelling: Zissis; el, Νικόλαος "Νίκος" Ζήσης; born August 16, 1983) is a Greek basketball executive and former professional basketball player. During his pro club playing career, at a height of ...
**
Nick Calathes Nicholas William Calathes (Greek: Νικόλαος Γουίλιαμ "Νικ" Καλάθης, born February 7, 1989) is a Greek-American professional basketball player for Fenerbahçe Beko of the Turkish Basketball Super League (BSL) and the Eu ...
**
Kostas Papanikolaou Konstantinos "Kostas" Papanikolaou ( gr, Κωνσταντίνος "Κώστας" Παπανικολάου; born 31 July 1990) is a Greek professional basketball player and the team captain for Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League and the EuroL ...
**
Kosta Koufos Konstantine Demetrios "Kosta" Koufos ( Greek: ; born February 24, 1989) is a Greek-American professional basketball player who plays for the London Lions of the British Basketball League (BBL). He played one season at Ohio State before being sel ...
* Slovenia: **
Jaka Lakovič Jaka Lakovič (born 9 July 1978) is a Slovenian professional basketball coach and former player. He currently serves as a head coach for Gran Canaria of the Liga ACB, as well as an assistant coach of the Slovenia national team. Standing at , ...
**
Goran Dragić Goran Dragić (born 6 May 1986) is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Dragon", he had played professional basketball in Slovenia and Spain before entering ...
**
Erazem Lorbek Erazem Lorbek (born February 21, 1984) is a Slovenian former professional basketball player. At a height of tall, he primarily played at the power forward position, but he was also capable of playing at the center position. A three-time All-Eur ...
**
Mirza Begić Mirza Begić (born 9 July 1985) is a retired Bosnian-born Slovenian professional basketball player. The center, he represented the Slovenian national team in the international competitions. Professional career Early years Begić began his care ...
**
Božidar Maljković Božidar "Boža" Maljković ( sr-cyr, Божидар Божа Маљковић; born 20 April 1952) is a Serbian former professional basketball coach and current president of the Olympic Committee of Serbia. He is one of the most successful bas ...
''(coach)'' * Serbia: **
Miloš Teodosić Miloš Teodosić ( sr-cyr, Милош Теодосић, born March 19, 1987) is a Serbian professional basketball player for Virtus Bologna of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He also represents the National Basketball ...
** Nemanja Bjelica **
Nenad Krstić Nenad Krstić ( sr-cyr, Ненад Крстић, born July 25, 1983) is a Serbian basketball executive and former professional player. He currently serves as the vice president of the Basketball Federation of Serbia, in charge of the men's basket ...
**
Duško Savanović Duško Savanović ( sr-cyr, Душко Савановић, born September 5, 1983) is a Serbian former professional basketball player. A power forward, he represented the Serbian national basketball team internationally and was an All-Euroleague ...
**
Dušan Ivković Dušan "Duda" Ivković ( sr-cyrl, Душан "Дуда" Ивковић; 29 October 1943 – 16 September 2021) was a Serbian professional basketball player and coach. He served as head coach of the senior Serbian national basketball team from 2 ...
''(coach)'' * Germany: **
Dirk Nowitzki Dirk Werner Nowitzki (, ; born June 19, 1978) is a German former professional basketball player who is a special advisor for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Listed at , he is widely regarded as one of the gre ...
**
Chris Kaman Christopher Zane Kaman (born April 28, 1982) is a German-American former professional basketball player. Kaman stands 7'0" (2.13 m) and played the center position. He was selected sixth overall in the first round of the 2003 NBA draft by the Los ...
* Turkey: **
Ersan İlyasova Ersan İlyasova (born 15 May 1987) is a Turkish professional basketball player who last played for the Utah Jazz of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has previously played in Turkey, Spain and the NBA Development League. Professional ...
**
Ömer Aşık Ömer Faruk Aşık (; born July 4, 1986) is a Turkish former professional basketball player who last played for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Aşık, standing at 7'2", was sought after by many of the top Eurolea ...
**
Enes Kanter Enes Kanter Freedom (; born Enes Kanter; May 20, 1992) is a professional basketball player who last played for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Born in Switzerland to Turkish parents, he was raised in Turkey and m ...
** Hedo Türkoğlu * Georgia: ** Zaza Pachulia **
Giorgi Shermadini Giorgi Shermadini ( ka, გიორგი შერმადინი) is a Georgian professional basketball player for Lenovo Tenerife of the Spanish Liga ACB. He was born in the village of Natakhtari, Georgia on April 2, 1989. He is tall, a ...
**
Tornike Shengelia Tornike "Toko" Shengelia ( ka, თორნიკე შენგელია; born October 5, 1991) is a Georgian professional basketball player for Virtus Bologna. At a height of 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) tall, he plays at the power forward posi ...
* Croatia: ** Ante Tomić ** Marko Popović **
Bojan Bogdanović Bojan Bogdanović (; born 18 April 1989) is a Croatian professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Croatian national team internationally. Standing at , he plays t ...
**
Dontaye Draper Dontaye Dominic Draper (born August 10, 1984) is an American-Croatian former professional basketball player who last played for Real Betis Energía Plus of the Liga ACB. Standing at , he played at the point guard position. High school Draped pla ...
* Great Britain: **
Luol Deng Luol Ajou Deng (born 16 April 1985) is a British former professional basketball player. He was a two-time NBA All-Star and was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2012. Born in what is now South Sudan, Deng fled the country with his ...
**
Joel Freeland Joel Daniel Freeland (born 7 February 1987) is a British former professional basketball player who last played for CSKA Moscow of the VTB United League. Standing at , he played at the power forward and center positions. He also represented the ...
* Israeli: **
Omri Casspi Omri Moshe Casspi ( he, עומרי משה כספי, born June 22, 1988) is an Israeli former professional basketball player. He mainly played at the small forward position, but could play also at the power forward position. Casspi was drafted 2 ...
* Poland: **
Thomas Kelati Thomas Kelati (born September 27, 1982) is an American professional basketball player of Eritrean heritage. In 2010, he gained Polish citizenship through his wife and is eligible to play on the Poland national basketball team in international com ...
**
Dardan Berisha Dardan Berisha (born 15 November 1988) is a Kosovan professional basketball player for Prishtina. He became a naturalised Polish citizen and has since represented Poland in international basketball due to Kosovo not having FIBA status until 2015 ...
* Bosnia and Herzegovina **
Mirza Teletović Mirza Teletović (born September 18, 1985) is a Bosnian former professional basketball player who was the president of the Basketball Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina from 2018 to 2022. As a player, he spent six seasons in the National Baske ...
* Italy: **
Andrea Bargnani Andrea Bargnani (; born 26 October 1985) is an Italian former professional basketball player. The 7 ft 0 in (213 cm) power forward- center played for Benetton Treviso in the Italian LBA and the EuroLeague before being selected firs ...
**
Marco Belinelli Marco Stefano Belinelli (; born 25 March 1986) is an Italian professional basketball player and the team captain for Virtus Bologna of the Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. He was selected 18th overall in the 2007 NBA draft by the ...
**
Danilo Gallinari Danilo Gallinari (; born 8 August 1988) is an Italian professional basketball player for the Boston Celtics of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After spending his first four years as a professional in his native Italy, Gallinari was dra ...
**
Simone Pianigiani Simone Pianigiani (born 31 May 1969) is an Italian professional basketball coach currently acting as a team consultant for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association. Coaching career Pro clubs Pianigiani was appointed the head coa ...
''(coach)'' * Montenegro: **
Omar Cook Omar-Sharif Cook ( sr, Omar-Šarif Kuk / Омар-Шариф Кук; born January 28, 1982) is an American-Montenegrin professional basketball coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Cleveland Charge of the NBA G League. He re ...
** Nikola Peković **
Nikola Vučević Nikola Vučević ( Serbian Cyrillic: Никола Вучевић, ; born 24 October 1990) is a Montenegrin professional basketball player for the Chicago Bulls of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the U ...
* Latvia: **
Dāvis Bertāns Dāvis Bertāns (born 12 November 1992) is a Latvian professional basketball player for the Dallas Mavericks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed the "Latvian Laser", he also represents the Latvian national team. He was the 42 ...
**
Dairis Bertāns Dairis Bertāns (born September 9, 1989) is a Latvian professional basketball player for Real Betis of the Spanish Liga ACB. Bertāns also plays for the Latvia national basketball team. He is the older brother of Dāvis Bertāns. Professional ca ...
* Belgium: **
Tomas Van Den Spiegel Tomas Van Den Spiegel (born 10 July 1978 in Ghent, Belgium) is a Belgian former professional basketball player and the current president of ULEB. At a height of 2.14 m (7 ft ) tall, he played at the center position. Basketball playing care ...
**
D. J. Mbenga Didier "D. J." Ilunga-Mbenga (pronounced Benga; born December 30, 1980) is a Belgian-Congolese former professional basketball player. He has also played for the Belgian national basketball team as he is a dual citizen of both his native countries. ...
* Portugal: ** Mário Palma ''(coach)''


Group draw and championship system

The draw ceremony held on 30 January 2011 in the
Lithuanian National Drama Theatre Lithuanian National Drama Theatre ( lt, Lietuvos nacionalinis dramos teatras), located on Gediminas Avenue in Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also #Etymology and other names, other names) is the capital and List of cities in Lithuania#Cities, lar ...
,
Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urba ...
, divided the qualified teams into four groups of six, groups A, B, C, and D. The hosts of the evening were Jurgita Jurkutė and Vytautas Rumšas. The balls were drawn by retired basketball players European champions and Olympic medalists
Stasys Stonkus Stanislovas "Stasys" Stonkus (29 December 1931 – 19 February 2012) was a Soviet and Lithuanian basketball player who competed for the Soviet Union in the 1952 Summer Olympics and in the 1956 Summer Olympics. He was born in Telšiai. In 195 ...
, Modestas Paulauskas,
Dino Meneghin Dino Meneghin (, ; born 18 January 1950) is an Italian former professional basketball player. He is widely considered to be the best Italian player ever, as well as one of Europe's all-time greats. A 2.06 m (6 ft 9 in) tall center, Meneghi ...
,
Sergejus Jovaiša Sergejus Jovaiša (born 17 December 1954 in Anykščiai) is a former basketball player from Soviet Union and Lithuania. He played at the shooting guard position and won the bronze medal with the Lithuania national basketball team at the 1992 Su ...
,
Alexander Anatolyevich Volkov Alexander Anatolevich Volkov (, russian: Александр Анатольевич Волков; born 29 March 1964), commonly known as Sasha Volkov, is a retired Soviet and Ukrainian professional basketball player. He was born in Omsk, RSFSR, S ...
and
Arvydas Sabonis Arvydas Romas Sabonis (; born December 19, 1964) is a Lithuanian former professional basketball player and businessman. Recognized as one of the best European players of all time, he won the Euroscar six times and the Mr. Europa Award twice. He p ...
. A special concert followed the draw where a song was dedicated for each of the participating nations. It was decided that Group A games would take place in
Panevėžys Panevėžys (; Latin: ''Panevezen''; pl, Poniewież; yi, פּאָנעװעזש, ''Ponevezh''; see also other names) is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2011, it occupied with 113,653 inhabitants. As defined by Eurostat, the population ...
, Group B in
Šiauliai Šiauliai (; bat-smg, Šiaulē; german: Schaulen, ) is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 107,086. From 1994 to 2010 it was the capital of Šiauliai County. Names Šiauliai is referred to by various names in different la ...
, Group C in
Alytus Alytus is a city with municipal rights in southern Lithuania. It is the capital of Alytus County. Its population in 2022 was 53,925. Alytus is the historical centre of the Dzūkija region. The city lies on the banks of the Nemunas River. The m ...
and Group D in
Klaipėda Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuania ...
. In the first stage every team had to play against every other team of their group ( round robin). This meant five matches per team. From every group the 3 best teams advanced to the second stage and the 3 worst teams were eliminated. In the second stage 2 new groups were formed. The 3 best teams from groups A and B were united to form group E whereas the 3 best teams from groups C and D were united to form group F. In these two new groups of the second stage only matches by teams that had not yet played each other had to be played. As for the matches that had already happened in the first stage their results would also count in the second stage. Therefore, every team played 3 matches and there were 12 teams in the second stage. Out of the second stage the 4 best teams from each of the two groups advanced to the quarterfinals (8 teams in total) whereas the 2 worst teams were eliminated from championship (4 teams in total).


Logo, official song and mascot of the championship

A public contest was introduced to create the logo for the competition. 49 designs were presented initially to the organizers and the best three were sent to FIBA Europe, which selected the winning design. The author of it was designer Kęstutis Koira. The EuroBasket 2011 logo was unveiled on 24 January 2009 in
Cido Arena Kalnapilio Arena, formerly Cido Arena, is the largest multifunctional arena in Panevėžys, Lithuania. It generally hosts track cycling events, as well as basketball games and concerts. The basketball club BC Lietkabelis, which currently competes ...
,
Panevėžys Panevėžys (; Latin: ''Panevezen''; pl, Poniewież; yi, פּאָנעװעזש, ''Ponevezh''; see also other names) is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2011, it occupied with 113,653 inhabitants. As defined by Eurostat, the population ...
, during the final game of the Lithuanian Basketball Federation Cup. It displays the
Columns of Gediminas The Columns of Gediminas or Pillars of Gediminas ( lt, Gediminaičių stulpai, ; be, Калюмны, translit=Kaliumny, 'Columns') are one of the earliest symbols of Lithuania and its historical coats of arms. They were used in the Grand Duchy of ...
overlaid on a backboard. Lithuania is the first host country of
EuroBasket EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the ...
to have an official EuroBasket song. The song "Celebrate basketball", written by
Marijonas Mikutavičius Marijus Mikutavičius (born 19 April 1971), known better as Marijonas Mikutavičius, is a Lithuanian singer, musician and songwriter, a television journalist, a comedian and a talk show host from Vilnius. He is best known for his sports anthem ...
and performed by
Mia Mia, MIA, or M.I.A. may refer to: Music Artists * M.I.A. (rapper) (born 1975), English rapper and singer * M.I.A. (band), 1980s punk rock band from Orange County, California * MIA., a German rock/pop band formed in 1997 * Mia (singer) (born 1983) ...
, Mantas Jankavičius and
Marijonas Mikutavičius Marijus Mikutavičius (born 19 April 1971), known better as Marijonas Mikutavičius, is a Lithuanian singer, musician and songwriter, a television journalist, a comedian and a talk show host from Vilnius. He is best known for his sports anthem ...
, was chosen by a
televoting Televoting, telephone voting or phone voting is a method of decision making and opinion polling conducted by telephone. Televoting can also extend to voting by SMS text message via a mobile cell phone. Broadcast contest televoting Televoting ...
in Lithuania. There are two versions of the song – in Lithuanian and English. Later, another version was added – "Nebetyli sirgaliai" (lit. The Fans are no Longer Quiet). The mascot of the championship was Amberis. Its head was in the form and color of a piece of
amber Amber is fossilized tree resin that has been appreciated for its color and natural beauty since Neolithic times. Much valued from antiquity to the present as a gemstone, amber is made into a variety of decorative objects."Amber" (2004). In M ...
. The name "Amberis" is a portmanteau of the English word ''amber'' and the Lithuanian nominative case masculine gender ending "is". The real word for ''amber'' in Lithuanian is ''Gintaras''. There was an Amberis in every arena and quite frequently there were more than a single Amberis at a time interacting with each other as well as spectators. On the screens in the arenas a "legend" was shown where a piece of amber was given by a coach to a young basketball player to bring him luck and this piece turned into Amberis.


Special events

Basketball enjoys extraordinary popularity in Lithuania. As such, many events were organized to mark the championship, including: * In summer 2011 a dribble marathon around the whole of Lithuania was organized. Groups of people would dribble from one town to the next one, where they would give the balls to another set of people who would then dribble to the next town and so on. Every town of Lithuania was visited with TV documenting the events every day. Among the people who took part in the event were the president of Lithuania, several ministers, mayors, sportsmen, opera and ballet stars and so on. In the end the 13 balls were given to the Lithuanian National Basketball team on 29 August 2011. * On 29 August 2011, Lithuania set a new record for simultaneous dribbling, previously held by
Poland Poland, officially the Republic of Poland, is a country in Central Europe. It is divided into 16 administrative provinces called voivodeships, covering an area of . Poland has a population of over 38 million and is the fifth-most populou ...
. 60,000 Lithuanians from Vilnius, Kaunas, Panevėžys, Klaipėda, Šiauliai and Alytus dribbled
Molten Melting, or fusion, is a physical process that results in the phase transition of a substance from a solid to a liquid. This occurs when the internal energy of the solid increases, typically by the application of heat or pressure, which ...
balls simultaneously, beating Poland's record of 30,000 people. * The Vilnius TV Tower observation deck was turned into a large basketball basket. It was made of lights that shone in the dark. The "basket" was 160 meters tall, higher than any other building in Lithuania. * Composer
Vidmantas Bartulis Vidmantas Bartulis (3 April 1954 – 30 January 2020) was a Lithuanian composer, and a recipient of the Lithuanian National Prize (1998). Bartulis's works include ''Missa brevis'' and the oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical compositio ...
and poet Gintaras Patackas wrote an
oratorio An oratorio () is a large musical composition for orchestra, choir, and soloists. Like most operas, an oratorio includes the use of a choir, soloists, an instrumental ensemble, various distinguishable characters, and arias. However, opera is ...
for basketball called "That Space-like Feeling of Basketball" ("Tas kosminis krepšinio jausmas"). This oratorio, praising basketball and Kauno Žalgiris team, was performed during the opening of Kaunas Arena on 16 August 2011. Additionally, from Spring 2011, many of the TV and newspaper advertisements became basketball-oriented. Each of the cities where EuroBasket 2011 would take place received many minor details marking the championship: for example, the trash bins in Panevėžys were repainted to look like basketballs, an abandoned building in Vilnius had its windows covered by flags of the participant nations while balls were drawn on the pavement in some places. Many ordinary Lithuanians decorated their cars with small Lithuanian flags flying above side windows (like during every other basketball championship). Flags covering the opposite side of the car mirrors are also popular. Some foreign fans who visited Lithuania during the championship adopted this practice as well. A major Lithuanian news company adopted the practice of predicting each Lithuania national basketball team match in the EuroBasket.
Lazdeika the Crab Lazdeika the Crab ( lt, Krabas Lazdeika) is a rainbow crab from Lithuania. The crab was used by Delfi.lt web portal as an oracle to predict the outcomes of each of the Lithuania national basketball team matches in the EuroBasket 2011. The crab ha ...
served as the oracle. The crab selected one of the two coconut shells to hide in when light was shone on it. Each of the two coconut shells has a country's flag – Lithuania's flag and opponent flag. At the beginning the crab's guesses would prove to be correct yet in the end they went wrong. Some people believe that the predictions were
fixed Fixed may refer to: * ''Fixed'' (EP), EP by Nine Inch Nails * ''Fixed'', an upcoming 2D adult animated film directed by Genndy Tartakovsky * Fixed (typeface), a collection of monospace bitmap fonts that is distributed with the X Window System * F ...
- that is, the crab would be filmed many times and only when its "prediction" would match that of
bookmakers A bookmaker, bookie, or turf accountant is an organization or a person that accepts and pays off bets on sporting and other events at agreed-upon odds. History The first bookmaker, Ogden, stood at Newmarket in 1795. Range of events Bookm ...
would the "prediction" be aired on TV.


FIBA broadcasting rights

At least some matches were broadcast in 150 countries and territories all over the world.


Financial details

According to the Lithuanian Basketball Association the championship expenses were 32 million Litas and the income was 34.8 million Litas, which means the profit of the event was 2.8 million Litas. Out of the 32 million Litas expenses some 9.8 million were funded by the Lithuanian state institutions whereas the remaining 22.2 million were amassed from sponsors or other sources. It is assumed that the state earned 11.9 million Litas due to VAT taxes paid by 20 000 foreign visitors therefore earning a 2.1 million Litas profit. Out of the 34.8 million litas income 24.7 million Litas were amassed by selling tickets (TV rights and certain other rights are owned by FIBA rather than the local basketball association and therefore are not included in the revenues). During the championship there were 3,984 people responsible for safety and 1,500 volunteers responsible for various duties such as helping spectators or giving the balls for play. The 1,500 volunteers were chosen out of 6,000 persons who wanted to volunteer. 1,300 journalists worked in the championships, out of them 200 were TV and radio commentators. 1,300 media accreditation licenses were issued.


Preliminary round

Teams played each other once. The top three placed teams move on to the next round. In the event of a tie on points, direct matches between (points and
goal average A goal is an idea of the future or desired result that a person or a group of people envision, plan and commit to achieve. People endeavour to reach goals within a finite time by setting deadlines. A goal is roughly similar to a purpose or ai ...
, i.e. points for/points against) were taken into account, if still tied, goal average in all matches was used as tiebreaker and not points difference. ''All times are local (
UTC+3 UTC+03:00 is an identifier for a time offset from UTC of +03:00. In areas using this time offset, the time is three hours later than the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Following the ISO 8601 standard, a time with this offset would be wr ...
)''


Group A

Venue:
Cido Arena Kalnapilio Arena, formerly Cido Arena, is the largest multifunctional arena in Panevėžys, Lithuania. It generally hosts track cycling events, as well as basketball games and concerts. The basketball club BC Lietkabelis, which currently competes ...
,
Panevėžys Panevėžys (; Latin: ''Panevezen''; pl, Poniewież; yi, פּאָנעװעזש, ''Ponevezh''; see also other names) is the fifth largest city in Lithuania. As of 2011, it occupied with 113,653 inhabitants. As defined by Eurostat, the population ...


Group B

Venue:
Šiauliai Arena Šiauliai Arena is the largest arena in Šiauliai, Lithuania. It generally hosts basketball games as well as concerts. The basketball club BC Šiauliai, which currently competes in the domestic LKL and ULEB Cup, uses the facility for all of its ...
,
Šiauliai Šiauliai (; bat-smg, Šiaulē; german: Schaulen, ) is the fourth largest city in Lithuania, with a population of 107,086. From 1994 to 2010 it was the capital of Šiauliai County. Names Šiauliai is referred to by various names in different la ...


Group C

Venue:
Alytus Arena The Alytus Arena is a universal indoor arena in Alytus, Lithuania. It was opened in 1977. Its reconstruction began in 2009 and was completed by the end of 2010. The arena was officially opened on 12 February 2011. The arena hosted the Group C gam ...
,
Alytus Alytus is a city with municipal rights in southern Lithuania. It is the capital of Alytus County. Its population in 2022 was 53,925. Alytus is the historical centre of the Dzūkija region. The city lies on the banks of the Nemunas River. The m ...


Group D

Venue:
Klaipėda Arena Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuania ...
,
Klaipėda Klaipėda (; ; german: Memel; pl, Kłajpeda; russian: Клайпеда; sgs, Klaipieda) is a city in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea coast. The capital of the eponymous county, it is the third largest city and the only major seaport in Lithuania ...


Second round


Group E

The group composed of the three best ranked teams from Groups A and B. Teams coming from the same initial group didn't play again vs. each other, but "carried" the results of the matches played between them for the first round. Four teams with the best records advanced to the quarter finals.


Group F

The group composed of the three best ranked teams from groups C and D. Teams coming from the same initial group didn't play again vs. each other, but "carried" the results of the matches played between them for the first round. The four teams with the best records advanced to the quarter finals.


Knockout stage

: All matches were played in:
Žalgiris Arena Žalgiris Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New Town of Kaunas, Lithuania. The arena is located on an island of the Nemunas River. It is the largest indoor arena in the Baltics. The arena's maximum possible seating capacity for basketba ...
,
Kaunas Kaunas (; ; also see other names) is the second-largest city in Lithuania after Vilnius and an important centre of Lithuanian economic, academic, and cultural life. Kaunas was the largest city and the centre of a county in the Duchy of Traka ...
; 5th place bracket


Quarterfinals


Classification 5–8


Semifinals


Seventh place game


Fifth place game


Third place game


Final


Final standings

The results of the championship included some surprises.
Finland Finland ( fi, Suomi ; sv, Finland ), officially the Republic of Finland (; ), is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It shares land borders with Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bot ...
and
Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...
, the latter supported by some 1,500 fans who had traveled to Lithuania, managed to reach the second stage despite being allowed to take part in the championship only after FIBA Europe decision. In fact Finland had the possibility of advancing to the quarterfinals until the very last game against
Slovenia Slovenia ( ; sl, Slovenija ), officially the Republic of Slovenia (Slovene: , abbr.: ''RS''), is a country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the southeast, and ...
.
Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = " Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capi ...
on the other hand was a powerful team that failed to reach even the second stage.
Turkey Turkey ( tr, Türkiye ), officially the Republic of Türkiye ( tr, Türkiye Cumhuriyeti, links=no ), is a transcontinental country located mainly on the Anatolian Peninsula in Western Asia, with a small portion on the Balkan Peninsula ...
with 5 NBA players failed to reach the quarterfinals. The biggest surprise was probably Macedonia, a country that had had no major basketball victories prior to this championship. Having lost only two games in the first and second stages and these two by just a single point each (one of them after overtime) Macedonia easily advanced to the quarterfinals. In the quarterfinals the Macedonians defeated the hosts
Lithuanians Lithuanians ( lt, lietuviai) are a Baltic ethnic group. They are native to Lithuania, where they number around 2,378,118 people. Another million or two make up the Lithuanian diaspora, largely found in countries such as the United States, Unite ...
, and went to the semifinals. A match between Georgia and
Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-ei ...
in Klaipėda was regarded to have political significance due to these countries having recently fought a war (the South Ossetia War). There were more than 1,000 Georgians and under 1,000 Russians in the arena during the game and large police forces were amassed to prevent possible riots. Despite the tight battle the Russians defeated the Georgians and prevented any surprise result. No riots happened. These are the final standings. Two countries,
Spain , image_flag = Bandera de España.svg , image_coat = Escudo de España (mazonado).svg , national_motto = '' Plus ultra'' (Latin)(English: "Further Beyond") , national_anthem = (English: "Royal March") , ...
and
France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...
, qualified for the 2012 Summer Olympics basketball tournament outright. Four more qualified for the 2012 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, with Russia and Lithuania obtaining qualification through the tournament. In addition,
Great Britain Great Britain is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean off the northwest coast of continental Europe. With an area of , it is the largest of the British Isles, the largest European island and the ninth-largest island in the world. It ...
qualified as host.


Statistical leaders


Individual Tournament Highs

Points Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks Minutes


Individual Game Highs


Team Tournament Highs

Offensive PPG Defensive PPG Rebounds Assists Steals Blocks 2-point field goal percentage 3-point field goal percentage Free throw percentage


Team Game highs


All-Tournament Team

The following players were named to the All-Tournament Team: PG
Tony Parker William Anthony Parker Jr. (born 17 May 1982) is a French-American former professional basketball player and majority owner of ASVEL Basket in LNB Pro A. Himself the son of a basketball pro, Parker started his career at Paris Basket Racing in ...
SG
Bo McCalebb Lester "Bo" McCalebb ( mk, Лестер „Бо“ МекКејлеб; born May 4, 1985) is an American-Macedonian former professional basketball player. He represented the senior Macedonian national team internationally. Standing at , he played ...
SFJuan Carlos Navarro (
MVP In team sports, a most valuable player award, abbreviated 'MVP award', is an honor typically bestowed upon an individual (or individuals, in the instance of a tie) whose individual performance is the greatest in an entire league, for a particu ...
) PF
Andrei Kirilenko Andrei Gennadyevich Kirilenko (russian: Андрей Геннадьевич Кириленко; born February 18, 1981) is a Russian-American basketball executive and former professional basketball player, currently the commissioner of the Russ ...
C
Pau Gasol Pau Gasol Sáez (, ; born July 6, 1980) is a Spanish former professional basketball player. He was a six-time NBA All-Star and a four-time All-NBA team selection, twice on the second team and twice on the third team. Gasol won two NBA champion ...


References


External links


Official website on FIBAEurope.com
{{DEFAULTSORT:FIBA EuroBasket 2011
2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...
EuroBasket EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the ...
EuroBasket EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the ...
International basketball competitions hosted by Lithuania August 2011 sports events in Europe September 2011 sports events in Europe Sports competitions in Vilnius Sports competitions in Kaunas Sports competitions in Klaipėda Sports competitions in Panevėžys 21st century in Vilnius 21st century in Kaunas 21st century in Panevėžys Sport in Šiauliai Sport in Alytus