McDonald's Championship

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McDonald's Championship
Sport Basketball
Founded 1987
No. of teams 8
Country(ies) Worldwide
Ceased 1999
Last
champion(s)		 Flag of the United States San Antonio Spurs

The McDonald's Championship (sometimes called McDonald's Open) was an international men's basketball cup competition played between champions of continental club competitions and a NBA invitee, promoted by American company McDonald's. It was the basketball's equivalent to football (soccer)'s FIFA Club World Cup.

In its all 9 editions, the title was always won by NBA teams, but they were close not getting the trophy twice. The first was in the semifinals in 1990, when with 30 seconds left New York Knicks were 3 points behind Scavolini Pesaro (107-104) and the Italians got the ball possession, but with only 8 seconds left a 3-point shot by Gerald Wilkins sent the game into overtime. The second, in the final of the following year, when Los Angeles Lakers were only able to defeat Joventut Badalona by 2 points margin (116-114).

Contents

[edit] Format

The competition was disputed in a single elimination format, with the winners of the matches advancing to the next round.

[edit] Rules

The competition combined rules of both the NBA and the European leagues. [1]

[edit] List of Champions

Year Host Champion Runner-up Third Fourth
1987 Flag of the United States Milwaukee Flag of the United States Milwaukee Bucks Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union Flag of Italy Tracer Milano
1988 Flag of Spain Madrid Flag of the United States Boston Celtics Flag of Spain Real Madrid Flag of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia Flag of Italy Scavolini Pesaro
1989 Flag of Italy Rome Flag of the United States Denver Nuggets Flag of Yugoslavia Jugoplastika Split Flag of Italy Philips Milano Flag of Spain FC Barcelona
1990 Flag of Spain Barcelona Flag of the United States New York Knicks Flag of Yugoslavia Pop 84 Split Flag of Spain FC Barcelona Flag of Italy Scavolini Pesaro
1991 Flag of France Paris Flag of the United States Los Angeles Lakers Flag of Spain Joventut Badalona Flag of France CSP Limoges Flag of Croatia Slobodna Dalmacija Split
1993 Flag of Germany Munich Flag of the United States Phoenix Suns Flag of Italy Buckler Bologna Flag of Spain Real Madrid Flag of France CSP Limoges
1995 Flag of the United Kingdom London Flag of the United States Houston Rockets Flag of Italy Buckler Bologna Flag of Australia Perth Wildcats Flag of Spain Real Madrid
1997 Flag of France Paris Flag of the United States Chicago Bulls Flag of Greece Olympiacos Flag of Argentina Atenas Córdoba Flag of France Paris Basket Racing
1999 Flag of Italy Milan Flag of the United States San Antonio Spurs Flag of Brazil Vasco da Gama Flag of Italy Varese Roosters Flag of Lithuania Žalgiris Kaunas

[edit] MVPs

Year Player Team
1987 Flag of the United States Terry Cummings Flag of the United States Milwaukee Bucks
1988 Flag of the United States Larry Bird Flag of the United States Boston Celtics
1989 Flag of the United States Walter Davis Flag of the United States Denver Nuggets
1990 Flag of the United States Patrick Ewing Flag of the United States New York Knicks
1991 Flag of the United States Magic Johnson Flag of the United States Los Angeles Lakers
1993 Flag of the United States Charles Barkley Flag of the United States Phoenix Suns
1995 Flag of the United States Clyde Drexler Flag of the United States Houston Rockets
1997 Flag of the United States Michael Jordan Flag of the United States Chicago Bulls
1999 Flag of the United States Tim Duncan Flag of the United States San Antonio Spurs

[edit] Titles by team

Club Titles
Flag of the United States Boston Celtics 1
Flag of the United States Chicago Bulls 1
Flag of the United States Denver Nuggets 1
Flag of the United States Houston Rockets 1
Flag of the United States Los Angeles Lakers 1
Flag of the United States Milwaukee Bucks 1
Flag of the United States New York Knicks 1
Flag of the United States Phoenix Suns 1
Flag of the United States San Antonio Spurs 1

[edit] Titles by country

Country Titles
Flag of the United States United States 9

[edit] References

  1. ^ SPORTS PEOPLE: PRO BASKETBALL; Nuggets in Rome Meet - The New York Times (July 5, 1989) (retrieved on September 6, 2006)

[edit] Related links

[edit] External links