FIBA stands for the Fédération Internationale de Basketball , which is French for the International Basketball Federation. It is the global governing body for the sport of basketball, responsible for defining the rules, organizing international competitions, regulating player transfers, and overseeing referees worldwide

. Originally founded in 1932 in Geneva, Switzerland, FIBA was initially called the Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur , reflecting the amateur status of the sport at the time. In 1989, it dropped the word "Amateur" from its name but retained the acronym FIBA, with the "BA" now representing the first two letters of "basketball"

. FIBA governs 213 national basketball federations organized into five zones: Africa, Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. It organizes major events such as the FIBA Basketball World Cup, the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup, and the Olympic basketball tournaments

. In summary:

• FIBA = Fédération Internationale de Basketball (International Basketball Federation)
• Founded: 1932 in Geneva, Switzerland
• Formerly: Fédération Internationale de Basketball Amateur (until 1989)
• Role: Governs international basketball rules, competitions, player transfers, and referees
• Membership: 213 national federations worldwide