United States men's national wheelchair basketball team

United States
IWBF zone Americas
Paralympic Games
Appearances 15
Medals Gold: 1960(2), 1964(2), 1972, 1976, 1988, 2016
Silver: 1968
Bronze: 1980, 1996, 2000, 2012
World Championships
Appearances 11
Medals Gold: 1979, 1983, 1986, 1994, 1998, 2002
Silver: 1975, 1990, 2006, 2014
Bronze: 2010
Uniforms
Home
Away

The United States men's national wheelchair basketball team's origins began in 1955 when the Pam Am Jets brought wheelchair basketball to Europe at the International Stoke Mandville Games albeit in the form of netball. Shortly following the Pan Am Jets’ dominating performance at the International Stoke Mandville Games, wheelchair netball was switched to wheelchair basketball for all future Games. In 1960 the inaugural Rome Paralympic Games included wheelchair basketball as one of its initial events.[1] During this inaugural 1960 Paralympic Games the wheelchair basketball competition was divided into two constructs; Class A for athletes with complete lesions, and Class B for those with incomplete lesions. With the 1960 Paralympic Games, the United States Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team competed in both classifications resulting in two gold medals. The same end result occurred in the following 1964 Tokyo Paralympic Games as the United Stated Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team claimed both gold medals.[2]

The success of the United States Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team has continued since those initial Paralympic Games as they have accomplished the feat of being the only team which has won more than 3 gold medals in the event. Overall, they have won a total of eight gold medals with the most recent occurring in 2016.[3]

The United States Men’s Wheelchair Basketball Team also competes internationally in the International Wheelchair Basketball Federation’s (IWBF) World Wheelchair Basketball Championships, the Parapan American Games, and in the IWBF’s U23 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships. The United States Men’s National Wheelchair Basketball Team has enjoyed great success in each of the above mentioned tournaments in addition to the Paralympic Games as they are the only team to have won the IWBF World Wheelchair Basketball Championships in three successive tournaments (accomplishing that feat twice; 1979-1986 & 1994-2002) and medaling in yearly every tournament held of the Parapan American Games, as well as, with the IWBF’s U23 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships.

History

Paralympic Games[4]

IWBF World Championships

Year Host Place
1975[5] Bruges (Belgium) Silver
1979[6]Tampa (United States) Gold
1983[7]Halifax (Canada) Gold
1986[8]Melbourne (Australia) Gold
1990[9]Bruges (Belgium) Silver
1994[10]Edmonton (Canada) Gold
1998[10]Sydney (Australia) Gold
2002[10]Kitakyushu (Japan) Gold
2006[10]Amsterdam (Netherlands) Silver
2010[10]Birmingham (United Kingdom) Bronze
2014[10]Incheon (South Korea) Silver

Other International Tournaments

Parapan American Games

Year Host Place
1999  Mexico, Mexico City[11] Gold
2003  Argentina, Mar del Plata[11] Silver
2007  Brazil, Rio de Janeiro[11] Gold[12]
2011  Mexico, Guadalajara[11] Gold[12]
2015  Canada, Toronto[11] Gold[12]

Men's U23 World Wheelchair Basketball Championships [13]

Year Host Place
1997  Canada, Toronto Gold
2001  Brazil, Blumenau, Santa Catarina Bronze
2005  United Kingdom, Birmingham Gold
2009  France, Paris Gold

References

  1. ↑ "Our Game". International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  2. ↑ Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 9.
  3. ↑ National Wheelchair Basketball Association. "U.S. Men's Wheelchair Basketball Team Wins Historic Paralympic Gold Over Spain". United States Olympic Committee. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  4. ↑ "IPC Historical Results Archive". Official Website of the Paralympic Movement. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  5. ↑ Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 8.
  6. ↑ Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 13.
  7. ↑ Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 17.
  8. ↑ Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 23.
  9. ↑ Labanowich, Stan (2011). Wheelchairs Can Jump!: A History of Wheelchair Basketball (PDF). Acanthus Publishing. p. 28.
  10. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "World Championships". International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 5 "Parapan Am Games: News & Information". Disabled World. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  12. 1 2 3 "NWBA Athlete of the Week - Michael Paye". National Wheelchair Basketball Association. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Men's U23 World Championship". International Wheelchair Basketball Federation. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
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