Before 1934, basketball was under the umbrella of the International Amateur Handball Federation. Its original name was Fédération Internationale de basket-ball amateur.

The association was founded in Geneva on 18 June 1932, two years after the sport was officially recognised by the. Its original name was Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur.

It was founded in Geneva, Switzerland on June 18, 1932, with the original name Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur.

Originally known as the Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur, in 1989 it dropped the word amateur from its name but kept the acronym; the "BA" now represents the first two letters of basketball.