The Norway men's national basketball team ( no, Norge herrelandslag i basketball) represents Norway in international basketball tournaments. The national team is administered by the Norwegian Basketball Federation. Norway has never had great success on the international stage in the past. They are one of the few European countries to date to have never qualified for one of the top international basketball competitions, such as the

EuroBasket EuroBasket, also commonly referred to as the European Basketball Championship, is the main international basketball competition that is contested quadrennially, by the senior men's national teams that are governed by FIBA Europe, which is the E ...

or the

FIBA World Cup The FIBA Basketball World Cup, also known as the FIBA World Cup of Basketball or simply the FIBA World Cup, between 1950 and 2010 known as the FIBA World Championship, is an international basketball competition contested by the senior men's nat ...

History

Norway's first international match was played on 11 February 1967 in Oslo, where the team lost 50–63 to Denmark. The most capped player is

Torgeir Bryn Torgeir Bryn (pronounced ; born 19 August 1964) is a Norwegian former professional basketball player. A 6'9" (2.06 m) and 250 lb (113 kg) center born in Oslo, Bryn is notable for being the only Norwegian who has played in the NBA thus f ...

, with 111 caps. In the past, Norway has attempted to qualify for the

several times, but have yet to reach the tournament. They have only entered the Olympic basketball qualification twice, for the

1980 Events January * January 4 – U.S. President Jimmy Carter proclaims a grain embargo against the USSR with the support of the European Commission. * January 6 – Global Positioning System time epoch begins at 00:00 UTC. * January 9 – ...

, and

1988 File:1988 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The oil platform Piper Alpha explodes and collapses in the North Sea, killing 165 workers; The USS Vincennes (CG-49) mistakenly shoots down Iran Air Flight 655; Australia celebrates its Australian ...

Olympic Games. Norway is one of Europe's most populous nations to have never qualified for a major international basketball competition. However, they have competed at smaller events such as the

European Championship for Small Countries The FIBA European Championship for Small Countries is the lowest-ranked tier of the biennial FIBA EuroBasket competition, organized by FIBA Europe FIBA Europe is the administrative body for basketball in Europe, within the International Basketba ...

The Road to Revival (2012–2017)

In 2012, financial troubles led the Norwegian Basketball Federation to shut down both the men's and women's national teams. The federation simply did not have the funds to keep either the men's or women's teams afloat. Since then, however, the federation has come to realize just how many people from the athletes and teams, to individuals and companies care about the Norwegian basketball community and are willing to provide financial support. The federation also worked to raise money through sponsorships, and eventually signed a major sponsorship agreement with Circle K, in addition to a few smaller sponsors.

Norway's return (2018–present)

In 2018, Norway made its return to FIBA competition by playing at the

. The national team finished as the runners-up after losing 75–59 in the final against Malta. In 2021, Norway joined the EuroBasket 2025 qualification.

Competitive record

FIBA World Cup

Olympic Games

Championship for Small Countries

EuroBasket

Results and fixtures

2021

2022

2023

Team

Current roster

Roster for the EuroBasket 2025 Pre-Qualifiers matches in July/August 2023 against Bulgaria and Austria.

Depth chart

Head coach position

Matthias Eckhoff Matthias is a name derived from the Greek Ματθαίος, in origin similar to Matthew. People Notable people named Matthias include the following: In religion: * Saint Matthias, chosen as an apostle in Acts 1:21–26 to replace Judas Iscariot ...

– (2018–present)

Notable players

– the first Scandinavian, and the only Norwegian who has played in the

NBA The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

; and the most capped player for the Norway national basketball team with 111 matches.

Past rosters

2018 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries The 2018 FIBA European Championship for Small Countries was the 16th edition of this tournament. It was hosted by San Marino. Teams Seven teams played in the competition, with the return of Norway, 17 years after their last appearance in a FIBA c ...

: finished 2nd among 7 teams

References

External links

Official website

Norway FIBA profileNorway National Team – Men
at Eurobasket.com {{BLNO Men's national basketball teams Basketball in Norway Basket 1968 establishments in Norway