The association was founded in Geneva in 1932, two years after the sport was officially recognized by the IOC. Before 1934, basketball was under the umbrella of the International Amateur Handball Federation. Its original name was Fédération Internationale de basket-ball amateur.

The rapid growth of basketball in the 1920s and 1930s, primarily at the American high school and college levels, led to a worldwide interest in basketball competition. This led to the creation of the Federation Internationale de Basketball Amateur (FIBA) in 1932.

FIBA is the world governing body for basketball. Founded in 1932 and located in Mies, Switzerland, it brings together 212 National Basketball Federations from all over the world. A nonprofit organisation, its mission is to develop and promote basketball and unite the wider basketball community, which counts more than 450 million players and fans.