Qualification
Automatic qualifications were granted to the host country and the first four places at the previous tournament. Additional spots were decided by various continental championships held by FIBA plus an additional intercontinental championship that granted two extra berths.
| Africa | Americas | Asia | Europe | Oceania | Automatic qualifiers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Egypt Senegal |
Cuba Puerto Rico |
Japan Philippines |
Italy Czechoslovakia Poland Spain |
Australia | United States – Gold medal in 1968 SFR Yugoslavia – Silver medal in 1968 Soviet Union – Bronze medal in 1968 Brazil – 4th place in 1968 West Germany – Olympic hosts |
- a Egypt withdrew from the tournament following the events of the Munich massacre.
Read more about this topic: Basketball At The 1972 Summer Olympics