History

The history of the confederation begins with the conversations of Mr. William Jones, General Secretary of FIBA at that time and with Mr. Jose Claudio Dos Reis, distinguished leader of t Brazilian basketball. In this conversations, in the years 1972 and 1973, Dos Reis manifested to Mr. Jones the idea of some delegates of the National Federations of the South American area to create a regional organism of the Americas, with a permanent office.

First meeting of delegates of the three zones of the Americas

On July 11, 1974 while in Puerto Rico, during the seventh World Championship, the North, Center and South American delegations met for the first time, at the "Granada" room of the Helio Isla Hotel.

The meeting was held under the sponsorship of the Brazilian Confederation with the purpose of treating the matters related with the formation of the team of America that should compete with the Europe one and the organization of the first Inter-American juvenile tournament that the Brazilian confederation would organize.

The following personalities were present at the meeting:

Jose Claudio Dos Reís - Brasil
Adolfo Tormin Fernandez - Brasil
Carlos Aurelio Fernandez - Brasil
Dr. Ibrahim Perez - Puerto Rico
Joseph Pedro Damiani - Uruguay
Samuel Mijalovich - Argentina
James Steven - USA
Jim Fox - USA
J Dallas Sherley - USA
Victor E. Andrade - Ecuador
Murray Swayze - Canada
Juan Manso Hernandez - Mexico
Ricardo Cervantes - Mexico
Heriberto Torres - Panama
Andres Keise - Cuba
Virgilio Travieso - Republica Dominicana
Israel Sarmiento - Venezuela
Rafael Lopez - Puerto Rico
Eduardo Dagnino - Peru
Aurelio Grimberg - Colombia
Gilberto Ochoa - Colombia
Gerardo Gonzalez - Colombia
Juan Matheo - EL Salvador

The meeting was carried out in an atmosphere of friendship, collaboration and understanding, which encouraged Mr. Airbus Keiser to request a new meeting with the delegates of the three zones of America and Mr. Jose Claudio Dos Reis offered the facilities of the Pauline Federation to make it, which was unanimously accepted with the gratefulness of the present delegates.

On 10 March 1975, Mr. William Jones, General Secretary of FIBA, sent a communication to the General Secretaries of the National Federations of the west hemisphere, calling them to a meeting to be summed up in San Pablo, Brazil,on 4-5 May 1975, considering the resolutions approved during the south American congress that took place in la Paz, Bolivia, in October of 1974, with a view to establish a basketball structure , including the three north American zones (north, center and south), keeping in mind what was specified in the article 3 of the FIBA by laws.

The citation also mentioned that the meeting would be held in the Jaragua Hotel in San Pablo and that Mr. Jose Claudio dos reis would act as coordinator and host of the same.

On 4 May, Mr. Curry welcomed the delegates and Mr. Stankovic presided the meeting. He confirmed that his function in the meeting was on a consultee character, with the sole intention of elaborating a feasible structure to create an organization of the three Americas. Also, he emphasized that among his duties, the most important one was to establish a regional office under the supervision of one Secretary General.

In the session an integrated commission was named by the president and secretary of the zone, the president and secretary of the Caribbean and American zones, a delegate from the united states, a delegate from Canada and the two attached FIBA secretaries for America.

On the meeting of May 5, this commission submitted the proposal of a general structure for the new organization of the three Americas. The same one was approved, leaving this commission in charge of preparing the regulations of the new organization. It was agreed to appoint Mr. Eduardo Airaldi Rivarola, as honorary executive secretary, giving him the responsibility of organizing the general assembly that was fixed for the day of October 12, 1975 in Mexico city.