Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics

4th Olympic Basketball Tournament
Melbourne 1956
Tournament details
Olympics	1956 Summer Olympics
Host nation	Australia
City	Melbourne
Duration	November 22 – December 1
Men's tournament
Teams	15
Medals Gold medalists  United States Silver medalists  Soviet Union Bronze medalists  Uruguay
Tournaments
← Helsinki 1952  Rome 1960 →

Basketball at the 1956 Summer Olympics was the fourth appearance of the sport in Olympic competition. Fifteen nations, an unusually low number for the basketball tournament, competed in the event, with 174 participants. A total number of 56 games of basketball were played.

The teams were divided into four pools, with four teams in three of the pools and only three in the fourth. Every team played against each other team in its pool once. The top two teams from each pool advanced to the quarterfinals, where again they were split into pools of four. Teams again played every other team in their pool, with the top two in each advancing to the semifinal and the bottom two entering a pool for 5th through 8th places. Eliminated teams also played in consolation matches with the same structure as the quarterfinals and finals, but for 9th through 15th places. The games were held at the Royal Exhibition Building.

Medalists

Gold:	Silver:	Bronze:
United States (USA) Carl Cain Bill Hougland K.C. Jones Bill Russell James Walsh William Evans Burdette Haldorsson Ronald Tomsic Dick Boushka Gilbert Ford Robert Jeangerard Charles Darling	Soviet Union (URS) Valdis Muižnieks Maigonis Valdmanis Vladimir Torban Stasys Stonkus Kazys Petkevičius Arkadi Bochkarev Jānis Krūmiņš Mikhail Semyonov Algirdas Lauritenas Yuri Ozerov Viktor Zubkov Mikhail Studenetsky	Uruguay (URU) Carlos Blixen Ramiro Cortes Héctor Costa Nelson Chelle Nelson Demarco Héctor García Otero Carlos Gonzáles Sergio Matto Oscar Moglia Raúl Mera Ariel Olascoaga Milton Scaron

Results

Preliminary round

Group A

TEAM	PTS	P	W	L	PF	PA
United States	6	3	3	0	320	122
Philippines	5	3	2	1	184	226
Japan	4	3	1	2	171	224
Thailand	3	3	0	3	123	226

Philippines 55,  Thailand 44

Scoring by half: 34–24, 21–20

United States 98,  Japan 40

Scoring by half: 33–20, 65–20

United States 101,  Thailand 29

Scoring by half: 54–12, 47–17

Japan 61,  Philippines 76

Scoring by half: 29–37, 32–39

Thailand 50,  Japan 70

Scoring by half: 20–35, 30–35

United States 121,  Philippines 53

Scoring by half: 66–23, 55–30

Group B

TEAM	PTS	P	W	L	PF	PA
France	6	3	3	0	236	183
Soviet Union	5	3	2	1	255	177
Canada	4	3	1	2	206	234
Singapore	3	3	0	3	154	257

Soviet Union 97,  Canada 59

Scoring by half: 46–20, 51–39

Singapore 54,  France 81

Scoring by half: 22–44, 32–37

Soviet Union 67,  France 76

Scoring by half: 18–24, 49–52

Canada 85,  Singapore 58

Scoring by half: 51–30, 34–28

Soviet Union 91,  Singapore 42

Scoring by half: 40–21, 51–21

France 79,  Canada 62

Scoring by half: 43–35, 36–27

Group C

TEAM	PTS	P	W	L	PF	PA
Uruguay	6	3	3	0	238	187
Bulgaria	5	3	2	1	242	199
Formosa	4	3	1	2	216	249
South Korea	3	3	0	3	194	255

Korea 76,  Formosa 83

Scoring by half: 28–42, 48–41

Uruguay 70,  Bulgaria 65

Scoring by half: 38–35, 32–30

Uruguay 85,  Formosa 62

Scoring by half: 39–36, 46–26

Bulgaria 89,  South Korea 58

Scoring by half: 47–33, 42–25

Formosa 71,  Bulgaria 88

Scoring by half: 35–47, 36–41

Uruguay 83,  South Korea 60

Scoring by half: 35–25, 48–35

Group D

TEAM	PTS	P	W	L	PF	PA
Brazil	4	2	2	0	167	125
Chile	3	2	1	1	137	134
Australia	2	2	0	2	122	167

Chile 59,  Brazil 78

Scoring by half: 34–39, 25–39

Brazil 89,  Australia 66

Scoring by half: 50–35, 39–31

Chile 78,  Australia 56

Scoring by half: 37–27, 41–29

9th-15th place classification games

Group 1 (9–15)

TEAM	PTS	P	W	L	PF	PA
Formosa	6	3	3	0	218	189
Australia	5	3	2	1	258	208
Singapore	4	3	1	2	200	215
Thailand	3	3	0	3	150	214

Singapore 64,  Formosa 67

Scoring by half: 23–26, 41–41

Australia 87,  Thailand 48

Scoring by half: 48–23, 39–25

Thailand 50,  Singapore 62

Scoring by half: 26–29, 24–33

Australia 73,  Formosa 86

Scoring by half: 40–39, 33–47

Formosa 65,  Thailand 52

Scoring by half: 35–31, 30–21

Australia 98,  Singapore 74

Scoring by half: 48–36, 50–38

Group 2 (9–15)

TEAM	PTS	P	W	L	PF	PA
Canada	4	2	2	0	147	123
Japan	3	2	1	1	143	140
South Korea	0	2	0	2	130	157

Korea 63,  Canada 74 (OT)

Scoring by half: 31–32, 31–30 Overtime: 1–12

Japan 83,  South Korea 67

Scoring by half: 36–23, 47–44

Canada 73,  Japan 60

Scoring by half: 40–26, 33–34

13th-15th place classification playoffs

	13th-15th place semifinals				13th place game
	December 1, 1956
	Thailand	47
	South Korea	61
					December 1, 1956
					South Korea	79
					Singapore	92
					15th place game
	Singapore			Thailand
	BYE				BYE

• Thailand was named as the final placers of the games because of their loss to the Koreans.

9th-12th place classification playoffs

	9th-12th place semifinals				9th place game
	December 1, 1956
	Formosa	61
	Japan	82
					December 1, 1956
					Japan	60
					Canada	75
					11th place game
	December 1, 1956			December 1, 1956
	Australia	38		Formosa	87
	Canada	83			Australia	70

Quarterfinals

Quarterfinal Group A

TEAM	PTS	P	W	L	PF	PA
France	5	3	2	1	195	187
Uruguay	5	3	2	1	221	209
Chile	4	3	1	2	221	220
Philippines	4	3	1	2	204	225

France 71,  Chile 60

Scoring by half: 37–23, 34–37

Uruguay 79,  Philippines 70 (OT)

Scoring by half: 42–39, 26–29 Overtime: 11–2

Uruguay 80,  Chile 73

Scoring by half: 40–25, 40–48

Philippines 65, France 58 (OT)

'Scoring by half: 30–26, 25–29 Overtime: 10–3

Chile 88,  Philippines 69

Scoring by half: 42–32, 46–37

Uruguay 62,  France 66

Scoring by half: 31–38, 31–28

Quarterfinal Group B

TEAM	PTS	P	W	L	PF	PA
United States	6	3	3	0	283	150
Soviet Union	5	3	2	1	208	209
Bulgaria	4	3	1	2	182	224
Brazil	3	3	0	3	192	282

Bulgaria 44,  United States 85

Scoring by half: 19–48, 25–37

Brazil 68,  Soviet Union 87

Scoring by half: 28–37, 40–50

Bulgaria 56,  Soviet Union 66

Scoring by half: 32–37, 24–29

United States 113,  Brazil 51

Scoring by half: 50–22, 63–29

Soviet Union 55,  United States 85

Scoring by half: 32–39, 23–46

Bulgaria 82,  Brazil 73

Scoring by half: 38–36, 44–37

5th-8th place classification playoffs

	5th-8th place semifinals				5th place game
	Chile	64
	Brazil	89
					Brazil	52
					Bulgaria	64
					7th place game
	Philippines	70		Chile	68
	Bulgaria	80			Philippines	75

Championship playoffs

Semifinals

A1

France

49

B2

Soviet Union

56

Final (Gold medal match)

B2

Soviet Union

55

Semifinals

B1

United States

89

A2

Uruguay

38

B1

United States

101

Bronze medal match

A1

France

62

A2

Uruguay

71

Awards

1956 Olympic Basketball Champions
United States Fourth title

Final Rankings

Pos	Team	Record
01 !	United States	8-0
02 !	Soviet Union	5-3
03 !	Uruguay	6-2
4th	France	5-3
5th	Bulgaria	5-3
6th	Brazil	3-4
7th	Philippines	4-4
8th	Chile	2-5
9th	Canada	5-2
10th	Japan	3-4
11th	Republic of China (Formosa)	5-3
12th	Australia	2-5
13th	Singapore	2-5
14th	South Korea	1-6
15th	Thailand	0-7

References

• Official Olympic Report

Basketball at the Summer Olympics
Tournaments	1896 1900 1904 (demonstration) 1908 1912 1920 1924 1928 1932 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Men 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Women 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Qualifications	Men 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Women 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
Squads	Men 1936 1948 1952 1956 1960 1964 1968 1972 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 Women 1976 1980 1984 1988 1992 1996 2000 2004 2008 2012 2016
List of medalists List of venues

Summer Olympics basketball men's tournament winners
1936:  United States (USA) 1948:  United States (USA) 1952:  United States (USA) 1956:  United States (USA) 1960:  United States (USA) 1964:  United States (USA) 1968:  United States (USA) 1972:  Soviet Union (URS) 1976:  United States (USA) 1980:  Yugoslavia (YUG) 1984:  United States (USA) 1988:  Soviet Union (URS) 1992:  United States (USA) 1996:  United States (USA) 2000:  United States (USA) 2004:  Argentina (ARG) 2008:  United States (USA) 2012:  United States (USA) 2016:  United States (USA)