The Colombia national basketball team () represents Colombia in men's international basketball competitions and organized and run by the Colombia Basketball Federation (Federación Colombiana de Baloncesto).FIBA National Federations – Colombia, fiba.com, accessed 27 March 2012.
In South America, Team Colombia made some considerable improvements in the last decade but still stands in the shadow of the Big Four Basketball Powers (Team Argentina, Team Brazil, Team Venezuela and Team Uruguay). Its best result to date remains the 7th place at the 1982 FIBA World Championship where Colombia was host.
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.Colombia – 1981 FIBA AmeriCup team profile FIBA. Accessed 20 August 2025. 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.Colombia – 2017 FIBA AmeriCup team profile FIBA. Accessed 20 August 2025.
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 YearPositionTournamentHost 1982 7 1982 FIBA World Championship Colombia 2019 Did not qualify 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup China 2023 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Philippines, Japan and Indonesia 2027 To be determined 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Qatar
FIBA AmeriCup 2017 – 11th 2022 – 9th 2025 – 8th
Pan American Games
1951 – 10th 1967 – 10th 1971 – 10th
South American Championship
YearPositionTournamentHost 1945 6th place 1945 South American Championship for Men Guayaquil, Ecuador 1953 7th place 1953 South American Championship for Men Rio de Janeiro, Brazil 1958 6th place 1958 South American Championship for Men Santiago, Chile 1960 6th place 1960 South American Championship for Men Córdoba, Argentina 1963 8th place 1963 South American Championship for Men Lima, Peru 1966 7th place 1966 South American Championship for Men Mendoza, Argentina 1968 7th place 1968 South American Championship for Men Asunción, Paraguay 1969 6th place 1969 South American Championship for Men Montevideo, Uruguay 1971 5th place 1971 South American Championship for Men Montevideo, Uruguay 1973 6th place 1973 South American Championship for Men Bogotá, Colombia 1976 5th place 1976 South American Championship for Men Medellín, Colombia 1977 7th place 1977 South American Championship for Men Valdivia, Chile 1983 6th place 1983 South American Championship for Men São José dos Campos 1985 5th place 1985 South American Championship for Men Medellín, Colombia 1989 7th place 1989 South American Championship for Men Guayaquil, Ecuador 1991 5th place 1991 South American Championship for Men Valencia, Venezuela 1997 5th place 1997 South American Championship for Men Maracaibo, Venezuela 1999 9th place 1999 South American Championship for Men Bahía Blanca, Argentina 2001 7th place 2001 South American Championship for Men Valdivia, Chile 2006 5th place 2006 South American Championship for Men Caracas, Venezuela 2008 5th place 2008 South American Championship for Men Puerto Montt, Chile 2010 6th place 2010 South American Championship for Men Neiva, Colombia 2012 7th place 2012 South American Championship for Men Resistencia, Chaco, Argentina 2016 5th place 2016 South American Basketball Championship Caracas, Venezuela 2018 To Be Determined 2018 South American Basketball Championship To Be Determined
Team Current roster Roster for the 2025 FIBA AmeriCup.
Head coach position Guillermo Moreno: 2001–2006 Hernán Darío Giraldo: 2008–2012 Tomás Díaz: 2014 Guillermo Moreno: 2016–presentLista la selección Colombia masculina de baloncesto para los Juegos Sudamericanos Andrés Castro (Colombia.Sports.net), 25 May 2018, retrieved 22 September 2018.
Past rosters 2008 South American Championship: finished 5th among 6 teams Position Player Current club Guard Edgar Moreno Indios de Mayagüez Guard Álvaro Contreras Arrieros de Medellín Guard Andrés Arcila Arrieros de Medellín Guard Camilo Londoño Newman University Guard Juan Felipe Montoya Arrieros de Medellín Guard & Forward Felipe Barrios Cocodrilos de Caracas Guard & Forward Norbey Aragón Guaiqueries de Margarita Forward & Center Enielsen Guevara Gaiteros de Zulia Forward & Center Divier Pérez Arrieros de Medellín Forward & Center Adinson Mosquera Lon Morris JC Center Jorge Canedo Colby County CC Coach: Hernán Darío Giraldo
At the 2016 South American Basketball Championship:Colombia | 2016 South American Championship for Men, ARCHIVE.FIBA.COM. Retrieved 20 July 2016.
Roster for the 2022 FIBA AmeriCup
See also Colombia men's national under-17 and under-18 basketball team Colombia men's national under-15 basketball team Colombia women's national basketball team
References
External links
FIBA Profile Latinbasket – Colombia Men National Team Colombian Basketball News