MUNICH (Germany) - The three FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers windows spanned from February 2024 to February 2025, with most teams going through better and worse stretches in between.
However, three teams stand perfect at the finish line: Latvia, France and Serbia.
They were the first three national teams to go the entire length of the EuroBasket Qualifiers without defeat since the new format was introduced for the 2022 edition.
How did they do it? Let's have a look at all three!
Latvia
The fact that Latvia are hosting the FIBA EuroBasket 2025 did not stop them from proving a point in February and November 2024, and again in February 2025.
Coach Luca Banchi built a culture there since taking over the helm, and his team went 6-0 with a pair of impressive wins over the defending EuroBasket winners Spain.
Different players stepped up in different games, a total of 23 of them seeing floor during the Qualifiers, but Rodions Kurucs deserves a special mention. His ability to take over the game both defensively and offensively, with his unique lovable character in the locker room, makes him Banchi's go-to guy.
The scary part is that Latvia could and should be even better come August and September, when a certain Kristaps Porzingis joins the fun.
France
The silver medalists from the last two Olympics have been a force in every single competition they enter, and a perennial medal contender, hoping to become the gold medal favorites with Victor Wembanyama leading the new crew.
They went 6-0 in a group with Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Cyprus, all while switching from Vincent Collet to Frederic Fauthoux, getting a new head coach for the first time since 2009.
The last time they went on a perfect run in FIBA EuroBasket Qualifiers was back before the 1997 event, storming to a 10-0 finish to reach the Final Round in Spain.
They were on the podium in four of the last five EuroBaskets, that's why nobody would be surprised if they made it five of six in September this year.
Serbia
Coach Svetislav Pesic usually has worrying messages about the future of the national team at the end of different events, where his men usually win a medal. But he's here making sure the culture of the team stays strong.
Serbia cruised through the Qualifiers, leaving Georgia, Denmark and Finland in their rear-view mirror, winning games on defense, offense, or both ways.
The heroes of the Olympics did not hesitate one bit upon receiving coach Pesic's calls, Aleksa Avramovic shined the brightest, but Marko Guduric, Filip Petrusev, Dejan Davidovac, Ognjen Dobric and Vanja Marinkovic all played their part, with Borisa Simanic making a remarkable comeback, too.
FIBA