Sleeping basketball nations...

[Levenspiel]

I was checking the history page of Eurobasket, and noticed some nations who had had successful teams for quite a long time have in time completely stayed out of main stage for years.

Czechoslovakia, for example, collected 12 medals(!) until 1985. The following 28 years, neither Czech Republic nor Slovakia could get anywhere near.

Hungary has 3 medals; 1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze, all between 1945-1955. It's like their football. Near complete disappearance.

Bulgaria is another nation with medals (just 2) collected in those days (1957-61).

Other than these, all other medal-winning countries are still around somehow... will they also wake up one day? Czech Republic seems to have started hanging around again, in youth and senior levels.

[UMUT_FB_LAL]

Still waiting for Turkey to wake up

[Mindozas]

They might wake up of course, but these days it'd be much harder to get into medals race f.e., as lot of bball nations couldn't play in 1940-1990 period due to political reasons

[Nemanja]

Crucial problem of the basketball in Europe is high number of countries in which basketball is on amateur level or half-amateur level .In countries whith hugh number of citizens ,problems is popularity of basketball,like Russia,Italy,Germany ,in some measure also in Spain and France .Two of third countries in Europe,dont play basketball seriously .So, basketball in Europe has reduced o Lithuania,Serbia,Greece,France,Spain,Turkey,partia lly Germany,Italy,Russia,Slovenia and some countries which is in raise like Latvia,Finland,Czechia,Israel.

[Serbian_Layup]

What's going on with basketball in Russia? Such a wealthy basketball tradition but it's been years and years since they had a successful campaign or managed to produce high level players. Kids in Russia don't play basketball anymore or is it just a bad system, coaching, lack of vision...

[Amy_Franklin]