 Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Kunyange zvazvo pasina munhu angadai akafungidzira panguva iyoyo, 2002 FIBA World Championship, yakaitirwa muIndianapolis, yakazarura nhambo itsva yokuenzana mu basketball yenyika yose. Chibviro cha 1963, mubatanidzwa weBrazil, Soviet Union neRussia, Yugoslavia nemarudzi ayo apashure pokuparara, neUnited States vakanga vakunda menduru dzose. NeUnited States ichidzokororazve chikwata chevatambi veNBA, uye Russia neYugoslavia iyo yakava shasha yeEuroBasket 2001 ichiri kushanda nesimba, hapana munhu akanyatsofungidzira kuti mamwe mapoka aizokwikwidza kuti awane menduru. Tichifunga nezvemakore iwayo, zvaiva pachena kuti zvikwata izvozvo zvaiva nesimba. Chokutanga, pashure pokunge United States yave ichitonga makwikwi ose ane vatambi veNBA kubvira muna 1992, ichikunda mitambo yenyika 53 yakatevedzana, vatambi veNBA vakawanda vepamusoro-soro vakanga varasa fariro uye vakasarudza kusatora rutivi. Chechipiri, chizvarwa chendarama cheRussia chakanga chapfuura; chikwata chacho chakakundikana kuwana menduru muna 1999uye 2001 EuroBasket makwikwi nguva yokutanga kubva Soviet Union akatanga kubatanidzwa muna 1947 kuti chikwata akanga akundikana menduru muna mbiri anotevedzana European Championships. Pakupedzisira, chimiro chitsva chakatanga muna 2002, chichiita kuti Cinderella arambe achifamba. Zvikwata zvakanga zvichiri kukamuraniswa kuva mapoka mana ezvikwata zvina chimwe nechimwe, asi zvikwata zvitatu zvakanakisisa zvakaenda kunhanho inotevera yeboka. Kubva ipapo zvikwata zvakakamurwa kuva mapoka maviri evanhu vatanhatu, nevasere vokutanga vachifambira mberi kuenda kunhanho yekubviswa kwechikwata chimwe chete chevasere. Izvi zvaiita kuti zvikwata zvine simba zvisatambire menduru, sezvo kurasikirwa mumakwikwi ekupedzisira ekurova kwaizotumira timu kune yekunyaradza bracket. 