The competition was held for the first time in January 1966 with the name of FIBA Intercontinental Cup on the occasion of the inauguration of the new basketball venue of Real Madrid, the Pabellón de la Ciudad Deportiva. This edition also served as the starting point of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, whose results were valid for the first edition of the aforementioned competition of the highest basketball organism, and whose first trophy It was the same as the one used in the FIBA International Christmas Tournament until 1980. The second edition of the Christmas Tournament was baptized at the time as Latin Cup, due to the origin of the participating teams, and it was not until the third edition, in 1967, when the tournament was renamed by the popular and better-known FIBA International Tournament Christmas -Torneo de Navidad- . That is, FIBA organized, Philips put the money and Real Madrid yielded the field, with the approval and consent of the FEB. As of 1981, Real Madrid, with the sponsorship of the English Court, managed the tournament, 9 although their relations with FIBA continued, and proof of this is the constant presence, year after year, of the Christmas tournament that, despite what the fan can think, does not organize Real Madrid but the Committee of International Activities of the FIBA . The tournament ended up acquiring a great importance, and he was attended by some of the most prestigious teams and combined at the time. Despite this, considered nowadays as a friendly competition, although the prestige of the twelve silver medals of the winner for the contenders was maximum, since until 1980 it had the official status and the protection of FIBA. However, the first edition of the International Christmas Tournament made the FIBA Intercontinental Basketball Cup officially emerge, a competition that "merengues" would win four times. It could be said that the International Christmas Tournament, while it was under the auspices and organization of the FIBA, had a rank of para-official competition, that is, that it had an official rank or character, but it worked as such at that time. For what was an international friendly competition of an official nature. Although from 1981 it was managed by Real Madrid, the Committee of International Activities of FIBA was behind it. In fact it was the starting point of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, and whose second edition of this tournament, already breaking away from the Intercontinental, continued under the organization and official FIBA in everything concerning the delivery of trophies and the FIBA emblem on the podium, as well as FIBA referees, but the fact that its last decades were largely managed by Real Madrid, because it gave the competition, for all intents and purposes, a friendly character, despite its weight, importance and notoriety, but above all due to the fact that its participants acceded by invitation. In short, the officiality of FIBA was languishing as of 1980 and redefining itself in a friendly tournament, although of great prestige for all tale meant and the international character of it.
Results
The competition featured three different trophy models throughout its history. The first gold and granted by FIBA until 1980, the second granted by Real Madrid together with its sponsor El Corte Inglés during the time that the sponsorship lasted, and the third trophy model that granted Real Madrid during his last decades.
