Basketball has been a Southeast Asian Games sport since the 1977 edition, with an exception in 2005 when the host country, the Philippines, was suspended by the International Basketball Federation, and in 2009 when the host country, Laos, did not include the sport due to lack of facilities. The Philippines have won all of the men's tournaments when the sport was played except in 1989 when Malaysia won. The Malaysians, meanwhile, won 13 of the 17 women's events, including the most recent one in 2015.
* The 2005 men's basketball tournaments were originally scheduled to be held at the Ynares Center in Antipolo City, while the women's tournaments were to be held at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. Both Final Games were to be held at the Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City. Both cities are suburbs of Manila.