The 1957 FIBA European Championship, commonly called FIBA EuroBasket 1957, was the tenth FIBA EuroBasket regional basketball championship, held by FIBA Europe. Sixteen national teams affiliated with the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) entered the competition. The competition was hosted by Bulgaria. Vasil Levski National Stadium in Sofia was the location of the event.

EuroBasket 1957
Tournament details
Host countryBulgaria
CitySofia
Dates20–30 June
Teams16
Venue(s)1 (in 1 host city)
Final positions
Champions Soviet Union (4th title)
Runners-up Bulgaria
Third place Czechoslovakia
Fourth place Hungary
Tournament statistics
MVPCzechoslovakia Jiří Baumruk
Top scorerBelgium Eddy Terrace
(23.3 points per game)
1955
1959

Results

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Preliminary round

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In the preliminary round, the 16 teams were split up into four groups of four teams each. The top two teams in each group advanced to the final round to play for the first 8 places, while the bottom two were sent to the classification round to play for 9th through 16th.

Group A

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Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1.   Czechoslovakia 6 3 0 273 142 +131
2.   Yugoslavia 5 2 1 244 175 +69
3.   Scotland 4 1 2 148 259 −111
4.   Albania 3 0 3 136 225 −89
Czechoslovakia 123 – 44 Scotland
Albania 57 – 89 Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia 94 – 39 Scotland
Czechoslovakia 71 – 37 Albania
Scotland 65 – 42 Albania
Czechoslovakia 79 – 61 Yugoslavia

Group B

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Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1.   Soviet Union 6 3 0 270 158 +112
2.   Poland 5 2 1 188 171 +17
3.   Turkey 4 1 2 179 192 −13
4.   Austria 3 0 3 133 249 −116
Soviet Union 107 – 38 Austria
Poland 55 – 50 Turkey
Turkey 80 – 57 Austria
Soviet Union 83 – 71 Poland
Austria 38 – 62 Poland
Soviet Union 80 – 49 Turkey

Group C

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Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1.   Bulgaria 6 3 0 239 155 +84
2.   France 5 2 1 196 165 +31
3.   Italy 4 1 2 177 185 −8
4.   West Germany 3 0 3 149 256 −107
Bulgaria 67 – 52 France
West Germany 52 – 73 Italy
Bulgaria 72 – 45 Italy
France 83 – 39 West Germany
Italy 59 – 61 France
Bulgaria 100 – 58 West Germany

Group D

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Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1.   Hungary 6 3 0 200 154 +46
2.   Romania 5 2 1 205 183 +22
3.   Finland 4 1 2 187 207 −20
4.   Belgium 3 0 3 169 217 −48
Hungary 66 – 65 Romania
Finland 76 – 74 Belgium
Hungary 50 – 39 Finland
Belgium 45 – 57 Romania
Romania 83 – 72 Finland
Hungary 84 – 50 Belgium

Classification round

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For the first time, the classification round, like the final round, was played as an 8-team round robin, with no further playoffs.

Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
9.   Turkey 14 7 0 525 364 +161
10.   Italy 13 6 1 500 350 +150
11.   Finland 12 5 2 499 435 +64
12.   Belgium 11 4 3 473 461 +12
13.   West Germany 10 3 4 342 364 −22
14.   Austria 9 2 5 342 364 −22
15.   Scotland 8 1 6 368 492 −124
16.   Albania 7 0 7 340 559 −219
Italy 91 – 50 Belgium
Finland 61 – 47 West Germany
Scotland 69 – 56 Albania
Turkey 59 – 42 Austria
Turkey 83 – 70 Belgium
Finland 53 – 51 Austria
West Germany 72 – 43 Albania
Scotland 47 – 91 Italy
West Germany 37 – 57 Italy
Turkey 100 – 54 Scotland
Austria 58 – 70 Belgium
Finland 91 – 42 Albania
Finland 84 – 67 Belgium
Austria 48 – 47 Scotland
Albania 42 – 82 Italy
West Germany 33 – 54 Turkey
Finland 87 – 97 Italy
Albania 64 – 97 Turkey
Austria 55 – 58 West Germany
Belgium 76 – 51 Scotland
Turkey 57 – 50 Italy
Belgium 50 – 46 West Germany
Finland 72 – 56 Scotland
Albania 45 – 58 Austria
Finland 51 – 75 Turkey
Belgium 90 – 48 Albania
Italy 32 – 30 Austria
Scotland 44 – 49 West Germany

Final round

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The final round was played as an 8-team round robin, with no further playoffs.

Rank Team Pts W L PF PA Diff
1.   Soviet Union 14 7 0 537 409 +128
2.   Bulgaria 13 6 1 510 456 +54
3.   Czechoslovakia 12 5 2 505 458 +47
4.   Hungary 11 4 3 480 433 +47
5.   Romania 10 3 4 440 462 −22
6.   Yugoslavia 9 2 5 476 584 −108
7.   Poland 8 1 6 456 518 −62
8.   France 7 0 7 417 501 −84
France 53 – 83 Soviet Union
Czechoslovakia 65 – 62 Hungary
Poland 66 – 70 Romania
Bulgaria 99 – 76 Yugoslavia

Yugoslavia was the first of the pool leaders to take a loss in the final round, playing against Bulgaria, who had won their division.

Poland 63 – 77 Hungary
France 45 – 65 Romania
Soviet Union 97 – 61 Yugoslavia
Bulgaria 82 – 80 Czechoslovakia

Bulgaria continued to oust division leaders, knocking Czechoslovakia out of the undefeated group. Romania and the Soviet Union each defeated their second opponents, joining Bulgaria at the top of the pool.

Poland 69 – 74 Bulgaria
Romania 61 – 76 Hungary
France 72 – 75 Yugoslavia
Soviet Union 62 – 60 Czechoslovakia

The Soviet team pulled off a close win over the Czechoslovakian team that had broken the Soviets' lossless European championship start at 32 games. Romania lost a rematch with preliminary round opponent Hungary, as those two teams went to 2–1 behind the Soviets and Bulgarians, who had each maintained perfect records in their first three games.

Yugoslavia 74 – 95 Czechoslovakia
France 58 – 81 Hungary
Soviet Union 86 – 64 Poland
Romania 54 – 67 Bulgaria

Bulgaria and the Soviet Union each won their 7th game of the tournament and 4th of the final round, improving to 4–0. Hungary stayed close behind, at 3–1, with Romania and Czechoslovakia staying in contention at 2–2.

Yugoslavia 69 – 68 Poland
Romania 63 – 87 Soviet Union
France 62 – 64 Czechoslovakia
Hungary 52 – 63 Bulgaria

The Soviets and Bulgarians remained undefeated as Hungary, falling to Bulgaria, dropped to 2 games behind them at 3–2 along with Czechoslovakia.

France 65 – 68 Bulgaria
Czechoslovakia 80 – 61 Poland
Yugoslavia 60 – 72 Romania
Hungary 51 – 62 Soviet Union

Improving to 6–0 each, the Soviet Union and Bulgaria set up a match between the two of them that would determine the championship in the seventh and final game of the round.

Hungary 81 – 61 Yugoslavia
Czechoslovakia 61 – 55 Romania
France 62 – 65 Poland
Bulgaria 57 – 60 Soviet Union

The Soviet Union trailed by 4 points at halftime in their decisive game against Bulgaria. The second half saw an explosion of scoring, with the Soviets adding 41 points in the frame to the 19 they had in the first half. Bulgaria wasn't able to maintain the pace, scoring only 34 in the second half to fall to the Soviets 60–57. Poland picked up their first win of the final round, defeating France, who fell to 0–7.


 1957 FIBA EuroBasket champions 
 
Soviet Union
4th title

Final standings

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  1.   Soviet Union
  2.   Bulgaria
  3.   Czechoslovakia
  4.   Hungary
  5.   Romania
  6.   Yugoslavia
  7.   Poland
  8.   France
  9.   Turkey
  10.   Italy
  11.   Finland
  12.   Belgium
  13.   West Germany
  14.   Austria
  15.   Scotland
  16.   Albania

Team rosters

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1. Soviet Union: Viktor Zubkov, Valdis Muižnieks, Maigonis Valdmanis, Guram Minashvili, Yuri Ozerov, Mikhail Semyonov, Arkady Bochkarov, Stasys Stonkus, Vladimir Torban, Algirdas Lauritėnas, Mart Laga, Mikhail Studenetski (Coach: Stepan Spandaryan)

2. Bulgaria: Viktor Radev, Georgi Panov, Ilija Mirchev, Ljubomir Panov, Cvjatko Barchovski, Petko Lazarov, Mikhail Semov, Georgi Kanev, Vladimir Ganchev, Metodi Tomovski, Konstantin Totev, Atanas Pejchinski (Coach: Ljudmil Katerinski)

3. Czechoslovakia: Jiří Baumruk, Zdeněk Bobrovský, Miroslav Škeřík, Jaroslav Šíp, Dušan Lukášik, Zdeněk Rylich, Jaroslav Tetiva, Luboš Kolář, Milan Merkl, Jiří Tetiva, Jaroslav Chocholáč, Nikolaj Ordnung (Coach: Gustáv Herrmann)

4. Hungary: János Greminger, László Tóth, Tibor Zsíros, László Bánhegyi, János Bencze, János Simon, László Gabányi, Tibor Czinkán, István Sahin-Tóth, Ervin Keszey, Zoltán Judik, Pál Borbély, István Liptai (Coach: Zoltán Csányi)

6. Yugoslavia: Miodrag Nikolić, Marjan Kandus, Branko Radović, Lajos Engler, Ljubomir Katić, Milutin Minja, Ivo Daneu, Branko Miletić, Bogdan Müller, Vilmos Lóczi, Boris Kristančič, Matija Dermastia (Coach: Aleksandar Nikolić)

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