Colombia men's national basketball team

History

The development of organized basketball in Colombia began in the mid-20th century, with the national team slowly establishing itself within the South American basketball scene.

Colombia made its first appearance at the FIBA AmeriCup (then known as the Tournament of the Americas) in 1981, marking its entry into continental competition. While the team struggled to advance beyond the early rounds, the participation helped lay the foundation for the country’s basketball program.

In the 1990s and 2000s, Colombia remained a modest competitor in the region, often overshadowed by the traditional South American powers such as Argentina, Brazil, and Venezuela. The team primarily competed in the South American Basketball Championship, where it regularly finished in the middle tier of the standings.

A new generation of Colombian players emerged during the 2010s, many of whom competed professionally in the Baloncesto Profesional Colombiano (the Colombian professional league) and in international leagues. This generation helped Colombia qualify again for the FIBA AmeriCup in 2017, hosted in Medellín. This was Colombia's first appearance at the Americas' prime basketball event. Colombia's standout player, Juan Palacios, power forward in the Basketball Champions League returned to the national team for the first time since 2009. The home-court appearance brought increased visibility to Colombian basketball, although the team was eliminated in the group stage.

In recent years, Colombia has participated in the Basketball World Cup qualification, showing steady improvement and competing against top-ranked teams in the hemisphere. While the team has yet to qualify for a FIBA Basketball World Cup or the Olympic Games, Colombia continues to build its program and develop players capable of competing at a higher international level.

Competitive record

FIBA World Cup

FIBA AmeriCup

• 2017: Group stage - 11th
• 2022: Group stage - 9th
• 2025: Quarterfinals - 8th

Pan American Games

• 1951: 10th
• 1967: 10th
• 1971: 10th
• 2019: To Be Determined

South American Championship

Team

Current roster

Roster for the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup.

• Club – last club before the tournament

• Age – as of tournament start (22 August 2025)

Depth chart

Head coach position

• COL Guillermo Moreno: 2001–2006
• COL Hernán Darío Giraldo: 2008–2012
• COL Tomás Díaz: 2014
• COL Guillermo Moreno: 2016–present

Past rosters

2008 South American Championship: finished 5th among 6 teams

Coach: Hernán Darío Giraldo

• Hernan Dario Giraldo

• Oscar Useche

• Club – describes last club before the tournament

• Age – describes age on 30 April 2012 At the 2016 South American Basketball Championship:

• Club – describes last club before the tournament

• Age – describes age on 26 June 2016

Roster for the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup

• COL Guillermo Moreno
• COL Tomas Díaz
• COL Raul Pabón Porras
• (C) Team captain
• Club – describes last club before the tournament
• Age – describes age on 2 September 2022

References

References

1. (April 2025)
2. [https://www.fiba.basketball/americup/1981/team/Colombia Colombia – 1981 FIBA AmeriCup team profile] [[FIBA]]. Accessed 20 August 2025. {{in lang. en
3. Latinbasket.com. (3 Apr 2012). "Juan Palacios selected the top Colombian playing abroad in last week's games". Victor Garcia.
4. [https://www.fiba.basketball/americup/2017/team/Colombia Colombia – 2017 FIBA AmeriCup team profile] [[FIBA]]. Accessed 20 August 2025. {{in lang. en
5. (22 August 2025). "Final rosters ahead of FIBA AmeriCup 2025 tip-off". [[FIBA]].
6. [http://www.colombiasports.net/polideportivo/baloncesto/lista-la-seleccion-colombia-masculina-de-baloncesto-para-los-juegos-sudamericanos Lista la selección Colombia masculina de baloncesto para los Juegos Sudamericanos] Andrés Castro (Colombia.Sports.net), 25 May 2018, retrieved 22 September 2018.{{in lang. es
7. [https://web.archive.org/web/20160717150455/http://archive.fiba.com/pages/eng/fa/team/p/sid/12095/tid/263/_/2016_South_American_Championship_for_Men/index.html Colombia. 2016 South American Championship for Men], ARCHIVE.FIBA.COM. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
8. (1 September 2022). "Nómina de la Selección Colombia de baloncesto para la FIBA AmeriCup". alertasantanderes.com.
9. (2 September 2022). "Team Roster: Colombia". fiba.basketball.