AUGUST 6, 2023 PRAGUE (Czech Republic) - MVP Dejan Majstorovic scored 13 points in the final including the closing two and free throws as Ub Huishan NE (SRB) won a record sixth Masters in a season at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Prague Masters on August 6. The number one seed came away with a 21-17 win against Riga in the final, who were led by an on-fire Miroslav Pašajlić. Him and teammate Edgar Krumins led the charge early for the Latvian side. For the dominant Ub, it was Majstorovic from the start, raining down twos to keep his side with the advantage. Riga never fell back, pulling level early with a second-chance layup by Edgar Krumins. Majstorovic and Pasaljic traded shots from deep, keeping Ub just a point ahead at 11-10. It was soon time for top-ranked Strahinja Stojacic to make his mark on the game as he did expertly, driving into the paint and faking his opposition out to score a scintillating bucket. With just under four minutes to go, it seemed like Ub had set themselves for yet another win with a 17-13 lead as a result of missed chances from deep from Riga. They fought back however, focusing on high-percentage shots as they drove to the bucket each time to slice into the deficit. A layup from Krumins leveled the game at 17 points apiece. There came the moment for the star of the show Majstorovic who had netted four twos so far in the game already. A deep two followed along with a foul, sending him to the free-throw line for two all-important opportunities. The veteran Serb drained both to hand Ub a historic win in Prague. Majstorovic won his first MVP award for the season, finishing the event with 43 points, 13 of them coming in the final against Riga. In the Individual contests, Arturs Strelnieks (Riga) won the CEPS Shoot-Out Contest, while Denmark’s Bartosz Szwed won the Chance Dunk Contest. FINAL STANDINGS 1. Ub Huishan NE (SRB)
2. Riga (LAT)
3. Antwerp TOPDesk (BEL)
4. Beijing (CHN)
5. Amsterdam HiPRO (NED)
6. Liman Huishan NE (SRB)
7. Partizan (SRB)
8. Marijampole Mantinga (LTU)
9. Vienna (AUT)
10. Jeddah (KSA)
11. Paris (FRA)
12. Ostrava Victoria (CZE)
13. Tel-Aviv (ISR)
14. Fribourg (SUI) The World Tour action travels to Switzerland next as the Lausanne Masters takes place on August 18-19.
### Exciting, urban and innovative, 3x3 is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide and is considered the world’s number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court. It was played successfully for the first time in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and since then has benefited from the launch of a yearly professional circuit for men and women (World Tour and Women’s Series respectively) and national-team competitions. 3x3 made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Wilson is the Global Ball Partner. Wilson is also the Apparel Partner, Maurice Lacroix the Official Timekeeper and Chooks-to-Go the Global Partner of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2023. FIBA 3x3 events are played on Enlio floors with Wilson balls, Schelde backstops, Bodet shot-clocks and the Magic Sky canopy system. For further information about 3x3, visit fiba3x3.basketball, FIBA 3x3 accounts on Douyin, Facebook, Instagram, Sina Weibo, Tencent, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, Youku and YouTube or contact 3x3@fiba.basketball. TORONTO RAPTORS, SACRAMENTO KINGS, DETROIT PISTONS AND OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER HEADLINE NINTH NBA CANADA SERIES PRESENTED BY BELL – 2023 Preseason NBA Games Will Feature Raptors vs. Kings in Vancouver (Oct. 8) and Pistons vs. Thunder in Montréal (Oct. 12) – – Fans Can Register for Exclusive Presale Ticket Access Now at NBA.com/CanadaSeries – TORONTO, Aug. 3, 2023 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that the ninth NBA Canada Series presented by Bell will feature two preseason games in Vancouver and Montréal in October 2023. On Sunday, Oct. 8, two-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam, 2021-22 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Scottie Barnes and the Toronto Raptors will take on the 2022-23 NBA Pacific Division champion Sacramento Kings at Rogers Arena in Vancouver. The Kings feature three-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis, 2023 NBA All-Star De’Aaron Fox and Canadian Trey Lyles, and are coached by unanimous 2022-23 NBA Coach of the Year Mike Brown. On Thursday, Oct. 12, Canadians Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort – a native of Montréal – and the Oklahoma City Thunder will take on the Detroit Pistons at the Bell Centre in Montréal. The Pistons feature 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team member Cade Cunningham, 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Rookie Second Team member Jaden Ivey and 2023 No. 5 overall draft pick Ausar Thompson. Tickets for The NBA Canada Series presented by Bell will go on sale at a later date. Fans can register their interest for exclusive presale ticket access by visiting NBA.com/CanadaSeries. NBA Experiences ticket packages offering premium access to the game in Montréal and other events will be available for purchase here. In addition to presenting partner Bell, supporting partners of The NBA Canada Series 2023 include Hennessy, Labatt, Subway and Tangerine. In total, 15 NBA teams have participated in 16 preseason games across six cities as part of The NBA Canada Series presented by Bell, drawing a total attendance of more than a quarter of a million. For more information, fans in Canada can download the NBA App and follow the NBA on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and TikTok. A full range of official NBA and WNBA merchandise is available at the NBA Store in Canada by visiting NBAStore.ca. Executive and Player Quotes: NBA Canada Senior Vice President and Managing Director Leah MacNab: “We’re extremely excited about this year’s NBA Canada Series presented by Bell, which comes at a time when basketball popularity and the level of talent coming from Canada are at an all-time high. Through these two games and the surrounding events, the passionate NBA fans in Vancouver and Montréal will have the opportunity to see some of the best up-and-coming players in the league and several hometown heroes, which will inspire the next generation of fans and players across the country.” Bell VP Brand & Sponsorship David Kennedy: “We’re thrilled to sponsor the ninth NBA Canada Series and bring the live NBA experience to fans in Montréal and Vancouver. For over a decade we’ve been partners of both the Toronto Raptors and the league, and are strong supporters of basketball and events like this that bring communities together and inspire the next generation of players.” Toronto Raptors General Manager Bobby Webster: “The Raptors have a deep connection with Canada’s west coast – our preseason games there have been a great way for our team to begin our season. We’re looking forward to seeing Vancouver’s basketball fans at Rogers Arena in October, and to starting another exciting NBA season there.” Sacramento Kings General Manager Monte McNair: “We’re excited to be part of the NBA Canada Series this year. This is a special opportunity for our players and staff, and we look forward to great competition and experiencing Vancouver.” Oklahoma City Thunder Guard Luguentz Dort: “After growing up and learning to play the game of basketball in Montréal, it will be a special experience to play a preseason game in my hometown. Canada and Montréal are home to some of the best basketball fans in the world, and I’m looking forward to taking the floor at Bell Centre.” Detroit Pistons General Manager Troy Weaver:
“The Detroit Pistons organization is excited to be part of the NBA’s Canada Series during the upcoming preseason and play in a great city like Montréal. This will be a nice experience for our players and coaches, and we look forward to showcasing Detroit Basketball to a Canadian fanbase that is already so passionate and familiar with the NBA.”
SAN ANTONIO SPURS’ DEVONTE’ GRAHAM SUSPENDED
NEW YORK, Aug. 2, 2023 – San Antonio Spurs guard Devonte’ Graham has been suspended for two games without pay for pleading guilty to a charge of impaired driving, in violation of the law of the State of North Carolina, the NBA announced today.
Graham’s suspension will commence with the next NBA regular season game that he is eligible and able to play.
Courtside 1891 brings unprecedented basketball action to fans worldwide with the 'World Cup Bundle' |
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AUGUST 1, 2023
MIES (Switzerland) - Courtside 1891, FIBA's home of live basketball streaming, is thrilled to announce an unmatched line-up of 29 pre-FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 friendly games. As of August 2nd, fans can watch some of the world's best teams and most talented players in action, tipping off with Slovenia's star Luka Dončić taking on Greece. Thanks to the World Cup Bundle, fans will have access to 29 World Cup warm-up and 92 World Cup games between August 2nd and September 10th. They will also access 56 Continental Pre-Olympic Qualifying games as part of the bundle. Secure your World Cup Bundle now on Courtside 1891 and be part of basketball history ahead of a summer of unforgettable moments on the court. What’s included in the World Cup BundleFIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 (Aug. 25 – Sep. 10)
The pinnacle of international basketball, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, is the most anticipated event of the year. Continental Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (Aug. 12 – Aug. 20)
The excitement continues with 56 games from the Continental Pre-Olympic Qualifying tournaments. Featuring the likes of Argentina, Türkiye, Nigeria and Croatia, witness these nations and more as they battle for a chance to secure their spot in the 2024 Paris Olympics, promising intense rivalries and unforgettable moments. FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Warm-Ups (Aug. 2 – Aug. 22)
Spanning the globe, teams competing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will be immersed in warm-up action, with many notable match-ups. Here is the complete list of FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Warm-Ups games that will be shown on Courtside 1891: Date | Warm-Up Games | Location | Aug. 2 | | | | Slovenia - Greece | Ljubljana, Slovenia | Aug. 4 | | | | Finland - Lithuania | Tampere, Finland | | Greece - Slovenia | Athens, Greece | | Cape Verde - China | Trento, Italy | | Italy - Türkiye | Trento, Italy | Aug. 5 | | | | Latvia - Georgia | Riga, Latvia | | 3rd Place game | Trento, Italy | | Final | Trento, Italy | Aug. 8 | | | | Greece - Serbia | Athens, Greece | | Slovenia - Croatia | Ljubljana, Slovenia | Aug. 9 | | | | Italy - Serbia | Athens, Greece | | Finland - Estonia | Espoo, Finland | Aug. 10 | | | | Greece - Italy | Athens, Greece | Aug. 11 | | | | Lithuania - France | Vilnius, Lithuania | Aug. 12 | | | | Latvia - Dominican Republic | Riga, Latvia | Aug. 13 | | | | Italy - Puerto Rico | Ravenna, Italy | Aug. 14 | | | | Lithuania - Finland | Klaipeda, Lithuania | Aug. 16 | | | | Latvia - Finland | Riga, Latvia | Aug. 19 | | | | Lithuania - Puerto Rico | Taipei, Chinese Taipei | Aug. 20 | | | | China - Serbia | Shenzhen, China | | Brazil - Italy | Shenzhen, China | | Latvia - Puerto Rico | Taipei, Chinese Taipei | | Venezuela - Jordan | Quanzhou, China | | South Sudan - Iran | Quanzhou, China | Aug. 21 | | | | New Zealand - Italy | Shenzhen, China | | Serbia - Brazil | Shenzhen, China | | Venezuela - Iran | Quanzhou, China | Aug. 22 | | | | Lithuania - Latvia | Taipei, Chinese Taipei | | South Sudan - Jordan | Quanzhou, China |
*Additional games subject to confirmation NBA Unveils Four Newly Renovated Basketball Courts in Alexandra as Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa 2023 in Johannesburg Continues | The court unveiling was followed by a Jr. NBA clinic for 150 boys and girls from the local community | JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, July 31, 2023/ -- Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa continued at the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) this weekend, when 80 boys and girls returned to the courts to participate in on-court skills stations, played games, and continued to learn from current and former NBA and WNBA players and coaches. On Saturday afternoon, Miami Heat center and two-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo and 2011 NBA champion Ian Mahinmi visited NBA Store and engaged with fans at Sandton City Mall. The players signed autographs, answered fan questions and held a brief shootaround session. Shortly after, NBA Africa unveiled four newly renovated basketball courts in Alexandra as part of BWB Africa community outreach and the league’s efforts to make the game more accessible across the continent. The court unveiling was followed by a Jr. NBA clinic for 150 boys and girls from the local community which was facilitated by the current and former NBA and WNBA coaches and players. More basketball activities continued on Sunday morning, with Cleveland Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff and 2018 Coach of the Year Dwane Casey hosting a FIBA coaches clinic at AISJ in the afternoon. The camp will conclude with championship games and BWB Africa 2023 awards tomorrow. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).Please see link for pictures for day two of the camp here ( https://apo-opa.info/3Oh6RTJ) .
Amadou Gallo Fall Recognized with Naismith Legacy Award | The Naismith Legacy Award is presented to basketball players, coaches and other individuals or organizations honoring the recipient’s role in furthering the values of honor, respect and integrity on and off the court | Access Multimedia Content | DAKAR, Senegal, July 28, 2023/ -- Basketball Africa League (BAL) President Amadou Gallo Fall was recognized with the Naismith Legacy Award during the 2023 Global Sports Summit in Barcelona, Spain earlier this week. The Naismith Legacy Award is presented to basketball players, coaches and other individuals or organizations honoring the recipient’s role in furthering the values of honor, respect and integrity on and off the court. Since leading the BAL’s historic launch in May 2021, Fall has overseen the BAL’s business and basketball operations, leading its efforts to build a comprehensive basketball ecosystem in Africa. Prior to being named BAL President in May 2019, Fall was Vice President & Managing Director of NBA Africa, where he worked with local federations, corporations, NGOs and other key stakeholders to grow the game of basketball across the continent. He helped open the NBA’s office in Johannesburg in 2010 and over the next decade oversaw the league’s grassroots development efforts and partnerships with marketing, media and consumer products companies in Africa.The BAL, a partnership between the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the NBA, is a professional league featuring 12 club teams from across Africa that completed its third season in May 2023. On May 27, Egypt’s Al Ahly defeated Senegal’s AS Douanes 80-65 to win the 2023 BAL Finals, which took place at BK Arena and reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 17 languages. Headquartered in Dakar, Senegal, the BAL builds on the foundation of club competitions FIBA Africa has organized in Africa and marks the NBA’s first collaboration to operate a league outside North America. Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA). ATLANTA HAWKS AND ORLANDO MAGIC TO PLAY REGULAR-SEASON GAME IN MEXICO CITY ON NOV. 9 - The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 Will Mark League’s 32nd Game in Mexico Since 1992, More Than Any Country Outside the U.S. and Canada - - NBAID Members Can Register for Exclusive Pre-Sale Ticket Access Now at www.nbaenmexico.nbaid.mx - - The NBA G League’s Mexico City Capitanes Will Host the Osceola Magic on Nov. 10 - MEXICO CITY, July 26, 2023 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Zignia today announced that The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 will feature the Atlanta Hawks and the Orlando Magic playing a regular-season game at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City on Thursday, Nov. 9. The matchup will mark the league’s 32nd game in Mexico since 1992, more than any country outside the U.S. and Canada. The Magic, which will be playing its fourth game in Mexico since 2012, currently features 2022 No. 1 overall pick and 2022-23 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero, 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Rookie First Team member Franz Wagner, and 2017 No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz. The Hawks, who will be playing their first game in Mexico, are coming off their third consecutive playoff appearance behind two-time NBA All-Star Trae Young and 2022 NBA All-Star Dejounte Murray. The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 will air live in Mexico on ESPN, Star+, TUDN and NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service available on the NBA App, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital media and social media. In addition to The NBA Mexico City Game 2023, the league and its partners will conduct NBA Cares community outreach initiatives, Jr. NBA youth basketball development programming and interactive activities that will bring the NBA experience to fans in Mexico City. To conclude the week-long celebration of basketball in the country, the Mexico City Capitanes will host the Osceola Magic on Friday, Nov. 10 as part of the NBA G League’s Showcase Cup schedule. Additional details about the 2023-24 NBA G League season will be available at a later date. The game and surrounding events will be supported by a roster of NBA marketing partners, including AT&T, Gatorade, Hisense, Michelob ULTRA, Nike, Tissot and Wonder as well as Zignia’s associate partners Banco Azteca and TotalPlay. Additional partners will be announced in the coming months. Beginning today, NBA ID members interested in attending The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 can register their interest in tickets and receive access to an exclusive ticket pre-sale that will take place Monday, Aug. 14 – Tuesday, Aug. 15 by visiting www.nbaenmexico.nbaid.mx. Tickets for the game will go on sale to Banco Azteca card holders from Wednesday, Aug. 16 – Friday Aug. 18 and to the public on Saturday, Aug. 19. Special ticket packages offering premium access, VIP experiences, hospitality and local hotel accommodations are available for purchase at https://nbaexperiences.com/nba-mexico-city-game-2023. Fans in Mexico can find more information about the NBA at NBA.com/Mexico, by downloading the NBA App, and on Facebook (@nbamexico), Tiktok (@nbamex), Twitter (@nbamex), YouTube (NBA México) and Instagram (@nbamex). Fans can also purchase official NBA merchandise online at NBATienda.com and at the Arena CDMX on game night. Executive Quotes: NBA Mexico Vice President and Managing Director Raul Zarraga: “We’re excited to welcome the Hawks and Magic to Mexico City next season and give our passionate fans the opportunity to see some of the brightest young stars in the game. There is so much momentum around basketball in Mexico, and this game and the surrounding events will serve as the ultimate celebration of the NBA for fans across the country and throughout Latin America.” Zignia Live Director Alejandro Arce Saldívar: “We are thrilled to celebrate the next NBA regular-season game in Mexico in November. Arena CDMX is the home of sports in Mexico, and the synergy we have with the NBA has generated great results over the years. We’re thankful for the support of the league, the teams and, of course, the Mexican fans for making this happen.” Orlando Magic CEO Alex Martins: “With the Magic having been to London twice, Japan, China, Brazil and Mexico City previously, we love representing the NBA and the City of Orlando when we have the opportunity to play in these Global Games. We’ve had the opportunity to be in Mexico City before, and we know the passion of the fans and are really looking forward to bringing our team back to Mexico City to play.” Atlanta Hawks and State Farm Arena CEO Steve Koonin: “It is always a privilege to showcase our team, the city of Atlanta and the NBA in the Global Games. We had an incredible time last year starting the season in the first NBA Abu Dhabi Games and we are excited to connect with the fans in Mexico City and experience the wonderful culture there.” HEAT’S ADEBAYO, CAVALIERS’ GARLAND, WARRIORS’ KUMINGA AND MAGIC’S SUGGS TO COACH TOP PROSPECTS AT BASKETBALL WITHOUT BORDERS AFRICA 2023 - 19th BWB Africa Camp Will Bring Together 80 of the Top High-School-Age Prospects from Across the Continent - - Current and Former NBA Head Coaches J.B. Bickerstaff, Mike Brown, Dwane Casey, Darvin Ham and Dave Joerger Will Also Serve as BWB Africa 2023 Coaches - JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA, July 25, 2023 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today announced 80 of the top high-school-age prospects from across Africa who will participate in the 19th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa, which will be held Friday, July 28 – Monday, July 31 at the American International School of Johannesburg (AISJ) in South Africa. BWB Africa 2023 will bring together 80 boys and girls from more than 25 African countries – including 19 NBA Academy Africa and NBA Academy Women’s Camp Africa 2022 prospects – to learn directly from current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches and compete alongside their peers from across the continent. The campers will be coached by two-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat; U.S.; ties to Nigeria), 2022 NBA All-Star Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers; U.S.), 2022 NBA champion Jonathan Kuminga (Golden State Warriors; Democratic Republic of the Congo) and Jalen Suggs (Orlando Magic; U.S.). Five current and former NBA head coaches will also serve as BWB Africa 2023 coaches: Cavaliers head coach J.B. Bickerstaff; two-time NBA Coach of the Year, Nigeria Men’s National Team head coach and Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown; 2018 NBA Coach of the Year Dwane Casey (most recently with the Detroit Pistons); Los Angeles Lakers head coach Darvin Ham; and veteran NBA coach Dave Joerger (most recently with the Philadelphia 76ers). Several former NBA and WNBA players will also serve as BWB Africa 2023 coaches, including 2015 FIBA AfroBasket champion Olumide Oyedeji (Nigeria), 2011 NBA champion Ian Mahinmi (France; ties Benin), former NBA player and Basketball Africa League Head of League Operations Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje (Cameroon), former NBA player Tacko Fall (Senegal), 2003 WNBA champion Astou Ndiaye (Senegal), two-time WNBA champion Taj McWilliams-Franklin, four-time WNBA champion Sheryl Swoopes and Mozambique basketball legend Clarisse Machanguana. Toronto Raptors Vice-Chairman, Team President and Alternate NBA Governor Masai Ujiri; New Orleans Pelicans Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations David Griffin; and Portland Trail Blazers Assistant General Manager Mike Schmitz will serve as camp directors, while David Crewe and Frank Adams (Phoenix Suns) will serve as the camp’s athletic trainers. The players and coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities, including movement efficiency drills, offensive and defensive skill stations, three-point contests, 5-on-5 games, and life skills and leadership development sessions. A ceremony on the final day of the camp will award the Kim Bohuny Camp MVP, the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award, the B.J. Johnson Most Improved Player Award, the Three-Point Champion and the Defensive MVP to the boys and girls who distinguish themselves on the court and as leaders. As part of the camp, NBA players and coaches will also participate in several community outreach initiatives around Johannesburg, including a hospital visit and a Her Time to Play seminar for the female campers on July 28, and a court unveiling in the Alexandra Township on Saturday, July 29. In addition, BWB Africa 2023 coaches will lead a development clinic for local coaches at AISJ on July 30. Also on July 29, select NBA players will visit the NBA Store at Sandton City Mall in Johannesburg and engage with fans. BWB Africa 2023 will be supported by Nike, a global partner of BWB since 2002, which will outfit participants with Nike apparel and footwear, and Gatorade, which will keep players and coaches hydrated throughout the camp. BWB has reached more than 4,100 participants from 136 countries and territories since 2001, with 112 former campers advancing to the NBA or WNBA. The NBA and FIBA have staged 70 BWB camps in 47 cities across 32 countries on six continents. The following is a complete list of players participating in the 19th BWB Africa camp (rosters subject to change): GIRLS | Name | Country | | Ines Bellahmer | Algeria | | Filomena Luis | Angola | | Guigma Sadia | Burkina Faso | | Gisele Kipo* | Cameroon | | Hannah Dibadjou | Cameroon | | Salma Khedr* | Egypt | | Leila El Sanadily | Egypt | | Aisha Hassan | Egypt | | Lucie Mounganga | Gabon | | Fatoumata Sylla | Guinea | | Roseline Ooko | Kenya | | Harena Randriamasimanana | Madagascar | | Fitahiana Ratsimason | Madagascar | | Joanie Rakotonanahary | Madagascar | | Fatoumata Samake* | Mali | | Oumou Soumare | Mali | | Aya El Kallali* | Morocco | | Albertina Matsinhe* | Mozambique | | Bata Lurdes* | Mozambique | | Shanaya Matusse* | Mozambique | | Joy Biribebe | Nigeria | | Benitha Ngarambe | Rwanda | | Jane Dusabe | Rwanda | | Fatou Sima | Senegal | | Marie Diouf | Senegal | | Ndickou Matar Diop* | Senegal | | Tacko Sy | Senegal | | Sheriffa Rahman | Sierra Leone | | Onnetse Molokwame | South Africa | | Luhle Ndaba | South Africa | | Reneilwe Motebele | South Africa | | Susan Peter | South Sudan | | Asunta Ring | South Sudan | | Nawasa Lazaro | Tanzania | | Ibouanga Moussounda | Togo | | Arwa Ghorbel* | Tunisia | | Eya Nasri | Tunisia | | Afef Bengoula | Tunisia | | Christine Namyalo | Uganda | | Immaculate Adongpiny | Uganda | |
*Participated in NBA Academy Women’s Camp Africa 2022 BOYS | Name | Country | | Aginaldo Neto* | Angola | | Manuel Camboma* | Angola | | Inacio Anatoli Da Silva | Angola | | Claudino Capangaa | Angola | | Sansao Wika | Angola | | Philippe Ntungicimpaye | Burundi | | Arnold Eyadi Kenfack | Cameroon | | Hermann Bel Gassina | Cameroon | | Chris Naguidebe | Central African Republic | | Tahir Doungous* | Chad | Zie Cheikh Conde | Côte d’Ivoire | Tarek Khairy | Egypt | | Ahmed Nedale | Egypt | | Karim El Gizawi | Egypt | | Courage Agbekpornu | Ghana | | Kiggundu Austin Omondi | Kenya | | Chouhaybou Keita | Mali | | Mahamadou Konate | Mali | | Hamza Bechchar | Morocco | | Bolaji Oderinlo | Nigeria | | Sultan Baruwa | Nigeria | | Ibrahim Dan-Mutum | Nigeria | | Jonah Precious | Nigeria | | Ezekiel Obe* | Nigeria | | Andre Bonazebi | Republic of Congo | | Jude Fred Nkouka Silaho | Republic of Congo | | Khadim Mboup* | Senegal | | Assane Mandian* | Senegal | | Yakhya Diop* | Senegal | | Amar Diop* | Senegal | | Mouhamed Camara | Senegal | | Siyanda Radebe | South Africa | | Gilchrist Storm | South Africa | | Khaman Maluach* | South Sudan | | Moses Marial Mandiria | South Sudan | | Bol Wieu Mou Thet | South Sudan | | Lual Deng Lual Aguek | South Sudan | | Rayen Rouissi | Tunisia | | Amen Hammi | Tunisia | | Liberty Fusire* | Zimbabwe | |
*NBA Academy Africa prospect ###
Iyana Martin Carrion crowned TISSOT MVP to lead All-Star Five in Madrid |
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July 23, 2023MADRID (Spain) - Spanish ace Iyana Martin Carrion was named TISSOT Most Valuable Player of the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2023 after helping her team come close to landing their first-ever title. While the guard wasn't quite able to celebrate Spain making history as the hosts were eventually undone 69-66 in the title game against USA, she was recognized for her exceptional contributions. Martin Carrion finished with a performance efficiency valuation of 18.6 after top-scoring for Spain with 16.1 points per outing. She also averaged 3.3 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.6 steals. Joining Martin Carrion on the All-Star Five were title-winning USA duo Joyce Edwards and Hannah Hidalgo, as well as Toby Fournier of Canada and Leila Lacan of France. |
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Edwards led the champions in efficiency at 16.6 per game, as well as scoring with an average of 12.6 points to go with her 6.1 rebounds. Hidalgo wasn't just about numbers or production, since her defense and intensity were huge factors in her team's title success. She finished with 10.7 points and a team-high 5.4 assists per game. She also grabbed an average of 3.4 boards and 3.1 steals, too. Fournier finished with a bronze medal and a fine tournament double-double as the Canadian claimed 16.1 points and a tournament-topping 13.7 rebounds per game. She also blocked an average of 2.1 shots per outing. Finally, Leila Lacan showed great leadership for France and she locked down her spot in the prestigious lineup having harvested an all-action 17.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.0 steals, and 2.9 assists per game. |
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USA take 10th FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup title in front of a record 7.000 fans |
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July 23, 2023MADRID (Spain) - USA claimed an amazing 10th title at the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup as they defended their crown with a pulsating 69-66 success against Spain in front of a huge crowd in Madrid. More than 7,000 fans were treated to a breathtaking and relentless conclusion to a superb tournament and advertisement for both youth hoops and the women's game. Making it three titles in a row, it was Cotie McMahon who led the way in the Final itself and got the USA, making 8 of 10 from the floor en route to 16 points. Teammate Chloe Kitts impressed with 15 points and 9 rebounds. This was the third Final loss for Spain, whose wait for a maiden title is extended. They certainly came agonizingly close as Iyana Martin Carrion and Elena Buenavida 19 and 16 points, respectively, in what was Spain's only defeat of the entire tournament. In the Third-Place Game, Canada added to their 2017 bronze medal as they dealt with star baller Cassandre Prosper being sidelined and being down by double-digits during the last quarter to fight back and claim a memorable 80-73 overtime win against France. Syla Swords stepped up impressively with 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 6 assists. There was some consolation for Iyana Martin Carrion of Spain who was crowned the TISSOT Most Valuable Player of the tournament. She was joined in the All-Star Five by Joyce Edwards and Hannah Hidalgo of USA, as well as Toby Fournier of Canada and Leila Lacan of France. |
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Meanwhile, the tournament will also be remembered for the FIBA worldwide premiere of the ASB GlassFloor court - something that captured significant global attention and positive feedback. FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2023 Final Standings1. USA
2. Spain
3. Canada
4. France
5. Mali
6. Japan
7. Czech Republic
8. Lithuania
9. Australia
10. Germany
11. Italy
12. Egypt
13. China
14. Brazil
15. Chinese Taipei
16. Argentina |
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FIBA unveils innovative world-premiere ASB GlassFloor court in Madrid |
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 | | FIBA unveils innovative world-premiere ASB GlassFloor court |
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After introducing the court prior to the first Quarter-Final game tip-off in Madrid, FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis expressed his pride and excitement after the official reveal. "It's a historical day for FIBA and for the players here in Madrid, who are being given an opportunity to compete on this amazing and innovative surface. "There's been a lot of anticipation leading up to this moment and to be able to finally unveil this glass flooring court is really exciting. It's also fitting that the first games being played on it will be four highly competitive FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup Quarter-Finals." He added: "With this successful global premiere of the LED glass floor, we have another example of how we are joining two strategic priorities: 'Enlarge the FIBA Family' by endorsing and encouraging innovation in basketball, and ‘Women in Basketball’ by introducing the LED glass floor in a Women’s event. |
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 | FIBA Europe President Jorge Garbajosa & FIBA President Hamane Niang |
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Also in attendance for this historical moment were FIBA President Hamane Niang, FIBA Treasurer Ingo Weiss, FIBA Europe President Jorge Garbajosa, and FIBA Americas President Fabián Borro. The ASB GlassFloor can also feature the ability to add player tracking to the video floor, making it possible to display live stats and athletic achievements on the floor, providing fans with enhanced interaction and better engagement as well as an enhanced show staging with additional options for sponsorship and marketing. NBA 2K LEAGUE ALL-STAR COMES TO NEW YORK CITY – Games Tip Off on Friday, Sept. 22 at NBA Headquarters in Manhattan and will include both 5v5 and 3v3 Formats – NEW YORK, July 20, 2023 – The NBA 2K League today announced that the third annual NBA 2K League All-Star will be held in New York City at the NBA’s Headquarters in midtown Manhattan on Friday, Sept. 22 at 7 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on the NBA 2K League’s Twitch and YouTube channels. The invite-only 2023 NBA 2K League All-Star event will include both 5v5 and 3v3 gameplay formats and will award a total of $30,000 to participants. “New York City is an epicenter for the NBA 2K competitive scene, home to 23 NBA 2K League players and where the foundation of our league was laid after playing our first two seasons here in 2018 and 2019,” said NBA 2K League President Brendan Donohue. “We can’t wait to host an amazing experience for the NBA 2K League’s absolute best players in midtown Manhattan at the NBA’s headquarters.” The rosters for the 5v5 portion of the event will be determined by votes among fans, current NBA 2K League players, head coaches and general managers, and a media panel. 5v5 players will be broken into two teams of five - two backcourt players and three frontcourt players - representing the Eastern and Western conferences. The fan voting window will be available on NBA2KLeague.com from Monday, July 24 through Saturday, Aug. 5. Throughout the voting window, fans may submit one full ballot each day. All current NBA 2K League players will be available for selection. Friday, July 28 and Friday, Aug. 4 will both be a “3-for-1 Day”, allowing fans to have their votes count three times. For the 3v3 portion of the event, the four players that receive the most votes will each captain a team and be able to select any two of their conference’s 5v5 All-Stars to be included in their lineup. Additionally, two players from Community Teams that participated in the 3v3 portion of the season will be selected by NBA 2K League representatives and broadcast talent, and available to each of the conference’s captains as a lineup option. The NBA 2K League All-Star rosters will be announced during the week of Aug. 14 on the league’s social channels. Each head coach in the 2023 NBA 2K League 5v5 Finals will lead the team from their conference. The 5v5 portion of the event will be a single‑game matchup played on NBA 2K24’s 5v5 Pro-Am mode. The 3v3 competition will be a four-team bracket of best-of-three series, with players competing on NBA 2K24’s 3v3 Pro-Am mode. As part of All-Star festivities, the NBA 2K League will announce and present five major awards honoring top performers from 2023, including Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, Rookie of the Year, Coach of the Year and Amateur of the Year.
For the latest news and updates on the NBA 2K League, fans can sign up to receive emails at NBA2KLeague.com and follow the NBA 2K League on Twitter (NBA2KLeague), Instagram (nba2kleague), Facebook (NBA 2K League), TikTok (nba2kleague), Twitch (NBA2KLeague) and YouTube (NBA 2K League).
BROOKLYN NETS AND CLEVELAND CAVALIERS TO PLAY REGULAR-SEASON GAME IN PARIS IN JANUARY 2024 – Fans Can Visit NBAEvents.com/ParisGame to Register Their Interest in Tickets – LONDON AND PARIS, July 19, 2023 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that The NBA Paris Game 2024 will feature the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers playing the league’s third regular-season game in Paris at the Accor Arena on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. The NBA Paris Game 2024 will mark the Nets’ second game in Paris, having played a preseason game in the French capital in 2008. Brooklyn currently features 2021-22 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team and 2023 USA Basketball Men’s National Team member Mikal Bridges, 2023 USA Basketball Men’s National Team member Cam Johnson and three-time NBA All-Star Ben Simmons. The Nets have made five consecutive playoff appearances. The Cavaliers will be playing their first game in Europe. Cleveland currently features four-time NBA All-Star Donovan Mitchell, 2022 NBA All-Stars Jarrett Allen and Darius Garland, and 2022-23 Kia NBA All-Defensive First Team member Evan Mobley. The Cavaliers won their first NBA championship in 2016 and made four consecutive NBA Finals appearances from 2015 to 2018. The NBA Paris Game 2024 will air live on beIN SPORTS and NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service available on the NBA App, reaching fans in more than 200 countries and territories on television, digital media and social media. In addition to The NBA Paris Game 2024, the league and its partners will conduct interactive fan activities, NBA Cares community outreach initiatives and Jr. NBA youth basketball development programming that will bring the NBA experience to fans in the French capital. The game and surrounding events will be supported by a roster of marketing partners, including Foot Locker, La Française des Jeux, Nike and Tissot. Additional partners will be announced in the coming months. Tickets for The NBA Paris Game 2024 will go on sale at a later date. Fans can register their interest in tickets and gain access to presale information and more by visiting NBAEvents.com/ParisGame. NBA ID members will get priority access to the pre-sale. Special ticket packages offering premium access, VIP experiences, hospitality and local hotel accommodations are available for purchase at https://nbaexperiences.com/nba-paris-games-2024. There have been more NBA players from France than from any other country outside North America, including 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs). Live NBA games and programming air in France on beIN SPORTS and NBA League Pass, including 45 weekend games in primetime last season as part of the league’s “NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays” European primetime initiative. Fans in France can find more NBA information at NBA.com/France, the league’s official online destination in France hosted on beINSports.com, as well as on Facebook (NBA France), Twitter (@NBAFrance) and Instagram (NBAEurope). Fans in France can also purchase the latest NBA merchandise at the NBA Store in Paris and NBAStore.eu. Executive Quotes: Brooklyn Nets General Manager Sean Marks: “We’re extremely excited to have the opportunity to compete in The NBA Paris Game 2024 and bring Nets basketball to an international stage. Our players and coaches will benefit greatly from the experience of immersing themselves in Paris’s rich culture off the court.” Cleveland Cavaliers President of Basketball Operations Koby Altman: “We are extremely honored as an organization to showcase the Cleveland Cavaliers in Paris. This unique opportunity will provide our players, coaches, staff and families an experience into a different culture, all while creating memories both on and off the court that will last a lifetime. We also recognize the universal appeal basketball inspires and we take great pride in our stewardship of the game. As proud representatives of the city of Cleveland and all of Northeast Ohio, we look forward to establishing a personal level of engagement with our fans overseas, as well as partnering with the NBA in our collective effort to elevate basketball on the international stage.” NBA Deputy Commissioner and Chief Operating Officer Mark Tatum: “We’re thrilled to be bringing the live NBA experience back to Paris with two exciting teams in the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers. This game has become a destination for our passionate fans across Europe and will build on the incredible momentum around basketball and the NBA in France and throughout the region.” Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of Sports, Olympic and Paralympic Games and river Seine, Pierre Rabadan: “The City of Paris is delighted to host another thrilling NBA regular-season game and extend a warm welcome to two remarkable teams, the Brooklyn Nets and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Our love and passion for the sport of basketball drive us to provide an unforgettable experience for players and fans alike. Paris has always been a special place for basketball and continues to be, as its rich culture steadily thrives and spreads within the city.”
Go-time in Madrid as rosters are set for FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup |
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July 14, 2023MADRID (Spain) - The rosters of the 16 participating teams are confirmed ahead of the start of the FIBA U19 Women's Basketball World Cup 2023. Click on the countries below to see the rosters: Group A: Argentina, Australia, France, Spain
Group B: Chinese Taipei, Germany, Mali, USA
Group C: Brazil, Italy Japan, Lithuania
Group D: Canada, China, Czech Republic, Egypt The 16 teams are broken down into four groups of four in a round-robin format. The Group Phase will begin on July 15 and conclude on July 18. All four teams in each group advance to the Round of 16, which will take place on July 19. The teams from Groups A and B will cross over and face each other in the first round of the Knockout Phase as follows: A1 vs B4; A2 vs B3; B1 vs A4; B2 vs A3
The teams from Groups C and D will also cross over as follows:
C1 vs D4; C2 vs D3; D1 vs C4; D2 cs C3 The Quarter-Finals will be played on Friday July 21 with the Semi-Finals following on Saturday July 22 and the Final along with the Third Place Game on Sunday July 23. You can find more on the competition system here. All games can be watched on YouTube.com/FIBA and on the NextGenHoops Facebook page. Extended highlights of each game, Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals, the 3rd Place Game and the Final will also be broadcasted on Courtside 1891 and you can register here. |
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NBA, WNBA AND FIBA TO HOST FIRST ALL-GIRLS BASKETBALL WITHOUT BORDERS CAMP FOR TOP FEMALE PROSPECTS AS PART OF AT&T WNBA ALL-STAR 2023 IN LAS VEGAS - 38 of the Top High School-Age Prospects from 24 Countries Will Learn from Former WNBA and FIBA Players and Coaches and Attend WNBA All-Star Game - NEW YORK AND MIES, SWITZERLAND, July 12, 2023 – The National Basketball Association (NBA), the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today announced that 38 of the top female prospects from 24 countries will travel to Las Vegas, Nevada for the first all-girls Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Global camp for top high school-age prospects from outside the U.S. The event will be held Friday, July 14 – Sunday, July 16 at Doral Academy as part of AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023. The campers will be coached by several former WNBA and FIBA players and coaches, including WNBA Coach’s Development Program participants Edniesha Curry, Betty Lennox, April Sykes and Tamera Young, as well as Taj McWilliams-Franklin, Ticha Penicheiro, Ruth Riley and Monica Wright-Rogers. Boston Celtics Vice President of Team Operations & Organizational Growth Allison Feaster will serve as the camp director. The players and coaches will lead the campers through a variety of activities, including anthropometric and athletic testing, movement efficiency, skill development stations, shooting and skills competitions, life skills seminars and 5-on-5 games. A ceremony on the final day of the camp will award the Kim Bohuny Camp MVP, the Patrick Baumann Sportsmanship Award, the Three-Point Champion and the Defensive MVP to the campers who distinguish themselves on the court and as leaders. The campers will also attend the 2023 AT&T WNBA All-Star Game at Michelob Ultra Arena on Saturday, July 15. “While BWB has historically featured co-ed camps for top male and female prospects, we saw a unique opportunity to launch a standalone camp for top female prospects from outside the U.S. at WNBA All-Star to celebrate women’s basketball and provide participants with a platform to showcase their talent in front of WNBA executives, coaches and scouts,” said NBA Elite Basketball Women’s Operations Lead Cinnamon Lister. “The WNBA and the women’s game as a whole have never been more popular globally, and we look forward to bringing the next generation of international players together to continue their development alongside their peers from around the world and experience the excitement of All-Star.” Nike, a global partner of BWB since 2002, will outfit the campers and coaches with Nike apparel and footwear. BWB, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program, has reached more than 4,000 participants from 136 countries and territories since 2001, with 111 former campers advancing to the NBA or WNBA. The NBA and FIBA have staged 69 BWB camps in 45 cities across 32 countries on six continents. Former BWB campers in the NBA and WNBA include Awak Kuier (Dallas Wings; Finland: BWB Global 2017), Jade Melbourne (Seattle Storm; Australia; BWB Global 2020), Iliana Rupert (Atlanta Dream; France; BWB Global 2018), Han Xu (New York Liberty; China; BWB Global 2018), 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011), 2023 NBA All-Star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder; Canada; BWB Global 2016) and 2023 NBA champion Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets; Canada; BWB Global 2015). There are more than 25 players from outside of the U.S. in the WNBA this season. Follow the camp using the hashtag #BWBGlobal on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Find out more about BWB at BasketballWithoutBorders.com, on Twitter (@NBAAcademyPR) and on Instagram (@NBAAcademy). The following is a complete list of players participating in the first BWB Global camp at WNBA All-Star (rosters subject to change): Name | | Country | | Angelina Giacone | | Argentina | | Grace Foster | | Australia | | Lily Carmody | | Australia | | Macey Crawford | | Australia | | Alicia Courthiau | | Belgium | | Louann Battiston | | Belgium | | Sam Daelemans | | Belgium | | Audrey Batchaya Djofang | | Cameroon | | Lesly Nouague | | Cameroon | | Whitney Sandrine Chouamo Kamgain | | Cameroon | | Divine Tshibuabua | | Canada | | Tanah Becker | | Canada | | Betsabe Pizarro | | Chile | | Weiwei Zhang | | China | | Yuzhi Shao | | China | | Cille Grundtvig Petersen | | Denmark | | Olivia Lutterodt | | Denmark | | Keandra Koorits | | Estonia | | Marta Eleri Jaama | | Estonia | | Helena Lilla Dobo | | Hungary | | Tyra Aho | | Hungary | | Haruka Yagi | | Japan | | Kiyona Oue | | Japan | | Kristina Rakotobe | | Madagascar | | Sammi Tan | | Malaysia | | Erica Carr Ramos | | Mexico | | Lauren Whittaker | | New Zealand | | Franchesca Torres | | Puerto Rico | | Mihaela Penait | | Romania | | Nelly Akaliza | | Rwanda | | Fatou Sane | | Senegal | | Penda Ndiyae | | Senegal | | Jessie Nar Jie Shi | | Singapore | | Angel Chisom Oguegbunam | | South Africa | | Lova Lagerlid | | Sweden | | Tiffany Barbosa | | Sweden | | Anjela Minja | | Tanzania | | Lucia Azuza | | Uruguay | |
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eFIBA, the international NBA 2K competition, returns with Season 2 and in-person World Finals |
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JULY 12, 2023MIES (Switzerland) – Today July 12th 2023, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and ESL FACEIT Group (EFG) are pleased to announce the second season of eFIBA, the national team competition on NBA 2K24. As the home of international 2K basketball, the competition offers National Federations a clear esports circuit and the opportunity to prove themselves as the best nation on NBA 2K. Beginning this autumn, some of the world’s elite NBA 2K players will represent their countries in the eFIBA Season 2. Similar to eFIBA Season 1, the competition will be played on PlayStation 5 and feature a 5v5 format on the ProAM gamemode on NBA 2K24, allowing players to compete as organized squads, while being represented by their own in-game avatars on the virtual court. Commencing in October, Season 2 of eFIBA consists of online Regional Qualifiers and Regional Finals across the four FIBA Regions of Africa, Americas, Asia (including Oceania) and Europe. The top two nations of each of the Regional Finals will proceed to the first in-person eFIBA World Finals 2023, which will take place later this year and crown the world’s best national eFIBA team. The full lineup for eFIBA Season 2 as well as additional details about the eFIBA World Finals 2023 will be revealed later in the year. “After a very successful eFIBA Season 1, which featured some exciting games and captivating moments, we are thrilled to now go to the next level with the inclusion of in-person Finals – the first ever in the history of eFIBA – and announce the arrival of Season 2. The passion and enthusiasm exhibited by the expanding eFIBA community is truly remarkable, and we are delighted to bring this next season of national team basketball to both esport teams and fans across the world,” said Frank Leenders, FIBA Media and Marketing Services Director General. “We’re excited to announce Season 2 of eFIBA alongside our partner,” said Roger Lodewick, President, Sports Games at ESL FACEIT Group. “eFIBA was created to nurture and develop the passionate NBA 2K community while offering competitive and thrilling online and offline events. Its inaugural season has already left a tremendous mark on the sports games esports scene, and we can’t wait to continue building the global esports ecosystem for national teams with FIBA.” The inaugural season of eFIBA earlier this year offered the esports community entertaining online as more than 30 different nations competed against one another for the crown of the top national NBA 2K team in each of the 6 conferences. Season 1 saw 30 teams divided into six subregions Brazil, Morocco, the Philippines, Puerto Rico, Saudi Arabia and Turkey were Season 1 conference winners. Recently, FIBA, 2K, and the NBA 2K League entered into an agreement that offers a unique platform to organize international events for National Federations and the esports and gaming communities. The multi-year deal provides an opportunity to identify regional talents, offering eFIBA participants a chance to compete in NBA 2K League events or the NBA 2K League Draft, as well as establishing a clear national team competition system. For more information around eFIBA, visit the official channels on Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok. For more general information, visit eslfaceitgroup.com or follow ESL FACEIT Group on LinkedIn. NBA BOARD OF GOVERNORS APPROVES IN-GAME FLOPPING PENALTY AND EXPANDED USE OF COACH’S CHALLENGE – Flopping Penalty Results in Technical Foul – – Teams Awarded Second Challenge If First Challenge Is Successful – NEW YORK, July 11, 2023 – The NBA Board of Governors today approved an in-game flopping penalty and expanded use of the Coach’s Challenge. Both rule changes will be implemented beginning with the 2023-24 NBA season. In-Game Flopping Penalty Under the new rule, when a game official calls a flop – or a physical act that reasonably appears to be intended to cause the officials to call a foul on another player – the offending player will be charged with a non-unsportsmanlike technical foul and the opposing team will be awarded one free throw attempt, which could be attempted by any player who is in the game when the technical foul is assessed. A player will not be ejected from a game based on flopping violations. Referees will not be required to stop live play to call a flopping violation. If necessary (for example, to avoid stopping live play while the offensive team has an immediate scoring opportunity), the officials will wait until the next neutral opportunity to stop live play to administer the flopping penalty. After the penalty free throw, the league’s resumption of play principles will apply, meaning that the team with actual or imminent possession when play was stopped will be awarded possession when play resumes. It is possible that the officials could call both a foul and a flopping violation on the same play. A flopping violation will not be directly reviewable by a Coach’s Challenge. However, the referees could call a flop via replay review of a called foul triggered by a Coach’s Challenge or referee-initiated replay review of certain types of called fouls (such as a potential flagrant foul, block-charge call, end-of-period foul or clear-path foul). The league office’s ability to assess flops after a game will remain in place. New for the 2023-24 season, the postgame monetary penalty system for flops has been modified to replicate that of technical fouls, with fines starting at $2,000 and increasing incrementally for repeat offenders. A flopping violation called by the officials in real time will not result in a fine or count toward the postgame financial penalty system. When a flop is called by the referees, the lone penalty will be the in-game competitive penalty of the opposing team being awarded one free throw attempt. The new in-game flopping penalty will be in effect on a one-year trial basis. Expanded Use of Coach’s Challenge The Coach’s Challenge has been expanded to award teams a second Challenge if their first Challenge is successful. A team must continue to use a timeout to trigger a Challenge, which means a team will not be able to use its first or second Challenge unless it still has a timeout available. In addition, a team will continue to retain the timeout used to initiate its first Challenge if the Challenge is successful and did not trigger a mandatory timeout. For game length and game flow reasons, a team will not retain the timeout used to initiate its second Challenge even if the Challenge is successful. The NBA’s Competition Committee – which consists of players, representatives from the National Basketball Players Association, coaches, governors, team basketball executives and referees – unanimously recommended both the in-game flopping penalty and expanded use of the Coach’s Challenge to the Board of Governors.
FIBA Executive Committee enthusiastic about the busy events season |
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JULY 11, 2023MIES (Switzerland) - The FIBA Executive Committee convened by video conference yesterday for their second meeting of 2023, in the middle of a very busy events season, culminating with the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 tipping off on August 25 across the three host nations of the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. The following key topics were discussed during the meeting: FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 The Executive Committee has approved the appointment of Princess Takamado of Japan as the Honorary Patron of the FIBA Basketball World Cup Japan. A report on final preparations was also presented, including many promotional activities going on worldwide, including the Trophy Tour presented by J9. The digital impact of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Draw presented by Wanda was impressive, with 208 million impressions and 62 million video views, which represents a threefold improvement on engagements and fivefold in video views compared to the 2019 Draw. Qualification for the Olympic Games Paris 2024 Reports were received on the preparations for the upcoming FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments, which are to be played in Lagos (NGR), Santiago del Estero (ARG), Damascus (SYR), Tallinn (EST), Gliwice (POL) and Istanbul (TUR) from August 12-20 August. The bidding process for the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments for both men and women was presented, the latter being already underway and the former opening in the next few days. The Executive Committee also received reports on the air-conditioning studies conducted jointly with Paris 24 for the venue in Lille and agreed to closely monitor the implementation phase of the project. It was decided that FIBA will hire specialist engineers also during the event, who will advise on the court conditions and appropriate measures to be taken in order to protect the safety of the players throughout the Olympic Basketball Tournaments. Youth events The Executive Committee received a post event report on the successful FIBA U19 Basketball World 2023 played in Debrecen (HUN) and expressed its gratitude to the hosts for being the first in the world to conclude the innovative 3-year hosting model. The upcoming FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World 2023 that will be played in Madrid (ESP) from July, 15-23 was also presented, where a glass floor will be used for the first time at a FIBA competition. Club Competitions The final reports of the season of FIBA’s Club Competitions was presented for the Basketball Champions League (BCL), the Basketball Champions League Americas (BCLA), the Basketball Africa League (BAL) and the FIBA West Asia Super League (WASL). The Executive Committee received a report on the preparation of the 33rd edition of FIBA Intercontinental Cup to be played in Singapore from September 21-24, 2023. 3x3 The Executive Committee received reports on 3x3’s National Teams and professional circuit, with a record number of 74 Pro Events being played this year. The exponential increase in social media figures was acknowledged, thanks to successful delivery of events this year and creative collaborations like the FIBA 3x3 Streamer’s event. Relationship with Euroleague Commercial Assets (ECA) The Executive Committee approved a report on the status of the matter, including the joint statement of the two parties. Strategic Objectives Status reports on FIBA’s three strategic priorities, with various achievements since the beginning of the cycle, including: Empower National Federations 1- More than 90 National Federations already involved in the FIBA Plus programs
2- FIBA Academy programs implemented for Players, Coaches Executives and Officials, with the official launch of additional programs scheduled at the FIBA Congress next month
3- 35 youth development camps organized worldwide
4- 82 National Federations involved in Mini Basketball, 39 in Youth Leaders activities and 64 in community impact projectsWomen in Basketball 1- 117 National Federations participated in the “Her World, Her Rules” Campaign
2- 88 National Federations followed the Women in Basketball training program
3- More than 30% increase of female licensed referees between 2021 and 2023
4- Record number of events and prize-money of more than 1 M in the 3x3 Women’s Series
5- Women in Leadership programs implemented in three regionsEnlarge FIBA Family 1- Establishment of a dedicated eFIBA calendar for national teams to engage in international competitions at continental and world level
2- Innovation through the LED glass floor to be used for the first time in a FIBA competition at the FIBA U19 Women’s Basketball World CupThe Executive Committee also approved the proposal for the update to the 2023-27 FIBA Strategy, emphasizing on National Federation development, Women in Basketball and Club competitions, which will be presented to the Central Board and Congress in Manila (22-24 August 2023), prior to the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Huge third quarter lifts Brazil to record sixth FIBA Women's AmeriCup title |
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JULY 9, 2023LEON (Mexico) - Brazil blocked USA from getting an AmeriCup three-peat as they defeated the defending champions in a 69-58 victory to claim the gold medal and win a record sixth FIBA Women’s AmeriCup on Sunday evening at Domo de la Feria in Leon, Guanajuato, Mexico.
The win automatically earns Brazil a berth in the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Brazil hopped out to an 8-4 lead over USA in the first quarter, but the dominance of Rickea Jackson was out early as she tallied 10 of USA's 16 points in the quarter on 5-of-6 shooting as well as grabbing three rebounds.
USA dominated on the boards, not allowing a single offensive rebound from Brazil, and closed a once 6-point gap to lead by 2 points at the end of the quarter.
With the second quarter still a close affair, both teams tipped in 21 points as Jackson added another 7 for USA while Kamilla Soares Cardoso and Damiris Dantas led Brazil with 6 and 5 points respectively.
Brazil was shooting 51 percent as a team in the first half as USA was shooting just 30 percent, but USA's control of their own offensive rebounds allowed them to score 12 second chance points to stay ahead 37-35.
The third quarter was a breakout for Soares, who had been a pillar to Brazil's success all competition, as she tipped in 12 points and Dantas added 6, combining for 18 of their team’s total points for the quarter as Emanuely De Oliveira added another 5.
Brazil's defense held USA to just 2 points to start third quarter for three minutes, and Dantas and Soares both played quick, stealthy defense as they racked up the steals and blocks forcing USA to make 10 turnovers.
Not only that, Brazil also held USA to just 10 points, holding Jackson to just two, though Lauren Betts picked up the scoring slack and added 8 of her team’s 10 points for the quarter, though USA now trailed by 13 going into the final frame of action.
USA found their momentum in the final 10 minutes of action as they outscored Brazil 11-9, but the gap created in the third quarter was not enough to overcome even with Betts recording a double-double and Jackson nearly adding one herself.
The rotation from USA that had been strong all tournament could not keep up with Brazil in the paint as the Brazil played physical and lengthy with 42 of their points coming from down low action.
Even with their aggression on the boards to win the rebound battles, USA shot just 29 percent from the floor as a team and struggled from the three-point line while no one other than Jackson or Betts contributed more than 6 points from the rotation.
Brazil shot 53 percent from two-point range and 46 percent overall, and tallied 18 assists as they moved the ball seamlessly to find open shots during the game.
Soares led Brazil with a double-double of 20 points, 11 rebounds and 3 steals as Dantas added 11 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists and De Oliveira added 13 points, 3 rebounds and 3 assists.
Jackson led USA with 22 points and 8 rebounds while Betts added 10 points and 11 rebounds.
Kamilla Soares was honored as Tissot MVP of the tournament and led the All-Star Five group. National Basketball Coaches Association Presents the 2023 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award To NBA Coaching Lifer Brendan Malone LAS VEGAS, July 9, 2023—Brendan Malone, widely recognized for his defense and whose coaching career spanned six decades, is the recipient of the 2023 Tex Winter Assistant Coach Lifetime Impact Award, the National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) announced today. “Brendan Malone has been a name synonymous with NBA success for many decades,” said Rick Carlisle, Indiana Pacers Head Coach and NBCA President. “He's helped develop players and young coaches, and been a multiple NBA champion on Chuck Daly's Detroit coaching staff in 1989 and 1990. Congrats to Coach Malone on this prestigious recognition.” “I want to thank the National Basketball Coaches Association for this award,” said Brendan Malone. “Tex Winter was a man I got to know and respect. I also want to thank all of the Head Coaches that I enjoyed working with during my 29-year career in the NBA, in particular Hubie Brown who brought me into the league; Chuck Daly and our two championships; the Van Gundys, Stan and Jeff, and Don Chaney. Lastly, I want to thank my wife Maureen and our six children for sharing my journey.” Wetting his whistle with a few years of coaching CYO basketball, Malone began his coaching career in 1967 at the legendary Power Memorial Academy in New York City where he won three city championships and three Coach of the Year awards. He then moved to the college ranks in 1976 as an Assistant Coach at Fordham, then Yale, and then Syracuse. At Syracuse, the Orange went to the NCAA tournament four times. Malone was a Syracuse assistant for the first five years of the Big East. He left Syracuse to become Head Coach at the University of Rhode Island (URI) in 1984. While at URI in 1986, Hubie Brown recruited Malone to join him as an Assistant Coach for the New York Knicks, the beginning of his 29-year NBA career. Malone had three different tours with the Knicks, the most notable of which was the four years with Head Coach Jeff Van Gundy. From 1996 to 2000, the Knicks went 177-119 with two Eastern Conference Finals appearances, as well as a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals. Malone was an Assistant Coach for Stan Van Gundy for five years (2007 to 2012) in Orlando. The Magic won 50-plus games four straight years, went to the Eastern Conference Finals twice, and to the 2009 NBA Finals. Malone was also an Assistant Coach for Bob Hill and Rick Pitino in New York, Don Chaney in both Detroit and New York Isiah Thomas in Indiana, Paul Silas in Cleveland and Stan Van Gundy in Detroit. He was also a scout for the Detroit Pistons. But it was in Detroit with Chuck Daly, that Malone made his name, orchestrating the Jordan Rules defense that helped propel the Pistons to back-to-back NBA Championships in 1989 and 1990. Malone was the first Head Coach of the Toronto Raptors in 1995-96 and also served as Head Coach of the Cleveland Cavaliers for 18 games in 2004-05. In 27 seasons of NBA coaching, teams that Malone coached went to the playoffs twenty times, to the Conference Finals seven times, and to the NBA Finals four times, winning the title twice. His teams compiled a 1,165-1,001 record (.538). Brendan and his son, Michael, Head Coach of the 2023 NBA Champion Denver Nuggets, are the only father-son coaching duo to have both won an NBA Championship. “I want to thank the NBCA Selection Committee for acknowledging my father’s impact and career in the NBA,” said Michael Malone, Denver Nuggets Head Coach. “His work ethic, his love of the game, and his passion for teaching were the foundation of my coaching career. This is a well-deserved honor and I feel very fortunate to be a part of this celebration.” Brendan Malone was enshrined in the New York Catholic High School Athletic Association Hall of Fame in 1993. In 1997 he was inducted into the Basketball Old-Timers of America Hall of Fame (recognizes and honors individuals who have made outstanding contributions to New York City basketball). He is a 2017 enshrinee in the Power Memorial Academy Hall of Fame. “Assistant Coaches generally operate behind the scenes and almost never receive enough public recognition for their team’s success. However, any Head Coach will tell you that they are an indispensable part of the team equation,” said David Fogel, NBCA Executive Director and General Counsel. “Coach Malone’s contributions to the accomplishments of his teams are well known inside the NBA and his contributions to the game continue through his son Michael’s tremendous success. Congratulations to Brendan on this well-deserved honor.” The NBCA Tex Winter Lifetime Impact Award honors the tremendous achievements and commitment of Hall of Famer Tex Winter, who, over an outstanding NBA coaching career, set a standard of innovation, integrity, competitive excellence, loyalty, and tireless promotion of NBA basketball. The award is selected annually by the NBCA Selection Committee, comprised of some of the most respected coaches and executives in the game, including Rick Adelman, Hubie Brown, Doug Collins, Wayne Embry, Danny Ferry, Mike Fratello, George Karl, Doc Rivers, Rod Thorn and Lenny Wilkens. This year’s nominees included Assistant Coaches Bob Beyer, Dan Burke, Jeff Bzdelik, Gordon Chiesa, Carroll Dawson, Hank Egan, Jim Eyen, Brian Hill, Jim Lynam, Bob McAdoo, Brendan Suhr, and Bob Weiss. Prior recipients are Ron Adams (2022), Dick Helm (2021), Bill Bertka (2019), Tim Grgurich (2018), Ron Rothstein (2017) and Phil Johnson (2016). About the NBCA: The National Basketball Coaches Association (NBCA) is the labor organization that represents basketball coaches in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Founded in 1976 by legendary Boston Celtics player and coach, Tommy Heinsohn, the NBCA consist of all NBA Head Coaches, Assistant Coaches, and alumni, and works closely with the NBA on all matters that pertain to the coaching profession. Contact: David Fogel, NBCA Executive Director and General Counsel, 212-424-0100, ext. 28, david.fogel@nbacoaches.com or Brian McIntyre, 201-699-2696, bmcintyre48@gmail.com. For more on the NBCA visit: http://www.nbacoaches.com
Ub Huishan NE win FIBA 3x3 World Tour
Macau Masters 2023 presented by Wynn |
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JULY 9, 2023 MACAU - No.1 seeds Ub Huishan NE (SRB) continued their domination of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2023 after beating Liman (SRB) 21-16 in the final of the first-ever Macau Masters presented by Wynn on July 9. Seeking a record-equalling fourth straight Masters title to start the season, Ub entered the final as favorites but met a familiar opponent in compatriots Liman. Both teams brought the heat in the humid conditions as little separated them in an intense start. A two-pointer from Vladimir Dordevic gave Ub a handy 15-12 lead and then two missed free throws from Ning Zhang proved costly. A two-handed dunk from No.1 ranked player Strahinja Stojacic saw Ub inch closer and they shortly after sealed another victory to continue their unbeaten Masters streak in 2023. Marko Brankovic was named MVP after topping player value (36.6) and overall scoring (34). In the individual contests, Toronto KBA's Nemanja Mitrovic won the Maurice Lacroix Shoot-Out Contest, while Piotr Grabowski claimed the Chooks to go Dunk Contest. FINAL STANDINGS
1. Ub Huishan NE (SRB)
2. Liman Huishan NE (SRB)
3. Beijing (CHN)
4. Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL)
5. Riga (LAT)
6. Miami (USA)
7. Toronto KBA (CAN)
8. Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU)
9. Futian (CHN)
10. Wuxi (CHN)
11. Marseille (FRA)
12. Dusseldorf LFDY (GER)
13. Pasig TNT (PHI)
14. Doha Expo (QAT) After a short break, the World Tour returns (July 28-July 29) with the Edmonton Masters. ### Exciting, urban and innovative, 3x3 is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide and is considered the world’s number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court. It was played successfully for the first time in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and since then has benefited from the launch of a yearly professional circuit for men and women (World Tour and Women’s Series respectively) and national-team competitions. 3x3 made its Olympic debut at the Tokyo 2020 Games. Wilson is the Global Ball Partner. Wilson is also the Apparel Partner, Maurice Lacroix the Official Timekeeper and Chooks-to-Go the Global Partner of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2023. FIBA 3x3 events are played on Enlio floors with Wilson balls, Schelde backstops, Bodet shot-clocks and the Magic Sky canopy system. For further information about 3x3, visit fiba3x3.basketball, FIBA 3x3 accounts on Douyin, Facebook, Instagram, Sina Weibo, Tencent, TikTok, Twitch, Twitter, Youku and YouTube or contact 3x3@fiba.basketball. 
NBA IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT TO DEBUT IN 2023-24 SEASON – All 30 Teams Compete in Group Play, Eight Advance to Knockout Rounds
and One Is Crowned Champion as Recipient of New NBA Cup – – Tournament Tips Off Nov. 3; Semifinals (Dec. 7) and Championship (Dec. 9)
Take Place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas – LAS VEGAS, July 8, 2023 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today unveiled details of the NBA In-Season Tournament, a new annual competition for all 30 teams that will debut in the 2023-24 regular season. The inaugural In-Season Tournament will tip off on Friday, Nov. 3 in NBA team markets and culminate with the playing of the Semifinals (Thursday, Dec. 7) and Championship (Saturday, Dec. 9) at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. “We are excited to introduce the NBA In-Season Tournament as an opportunity to further enhance and innovate around our season structure,” said Joe Dumars, NBA Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. “With the addition of this new marquee event on the NBA calendar, we are focused on providing players and teams with another competition to win, engaging fans in a different way and driving further interest in the early portion of the regular-season schedule.” The In-Season Tournament will consist of two stages: Group Play and the Knockout Rounds. - 1. Group Play: As revealed today on ESPN and outlined below, all 30 teams have been randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on win-loss records from the 2022-23 regular season. Each team will play four designated Group Play games – one game against each opponent in its group, with two games at home and two on the road – on “Tournament Nights,” which will take place every Tuesday and Friday from Nov. 3-28 (with the exception of Election Day on Tuesday, Nov. 7, when no games will be played). The only NBA games played on Tournament Nights will be Group Play games.
- 2. Knockout Rounds: Eight teams will advance to the Knockout Rounds: the team with the best standing in Group Play games in each of the six groups and two “wild cards” (the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in its group). The Knockout Rounds will consist of single-elimination games in the Quarterfinals (played in NBA team markets on Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5) and Semifinals and Championship (played in Las Vegas on Dec. 7 and Dec. 9, respectively). The Knockout teams will compete for a prize pool and the new In-Season Tournament trophy, the NBA Cup.
The 67 games across both stages of the In-Season Tournament will count toward the regular-season standings except the Championship. Each team will continue to play 82 regular-season games in the 2023-24 season, including those games that are part of Group Play and the Knockout Rounds. Fourteen Group Play games (two games on each Tournament Night) and all seven Knockout Round games will be televised nationally. The game and broadcast schedule for the In-Season Tournament Group Play stage will be announced in August. An overview of the Group Play schedule is available here. More details about the In-Season Tournament are below. Group Play Draw To determine each team’s opponents in the Group Play games, the 15 teams in each conference were divided into three groups of five teams via a random drawing. The groups are below: NBA IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT GROUPS | | Western Conference | | | | Eastern Conference | | West Group A | | West Group B | | West Group C | | | | East Group A | | East Group B | | East Group C | | Memphis | | Denver | | Sacramento | | T | | Philadelphia | | Milwaukee | | Boston | | Phoenix | | LA Clippers | | Golden State | | | | Cleveland | | New York | | Brooklyn | | L.A. Lakers | | New Orleans | | Minnesota | | | | Atlanta | | Miami | | Toronto | | Utah | | Dallas | | Oklahoma City | | | | Indiana | | Washington | | Chicago | | Portland | | Houston | | San Antonio | | | | Detroit | | Charlotte | | Orlando | |
Before the drawing, each team was placed into a “pot” based on its record from the prior regular season (2022-23). In each conference, one team from each pot was randomly selected into each of the three groups in that conference. The pots were as follows: - Pot 1: The teams with the three best prior-season records in a conference.
- Pot 2: The teams with the fourth- through sixth-best prior-season records.
- Pot 3: The teams with the seventh- through ninth-best prior-season records.
- Pot 4: The teams with the 10th- through 12th-best prior-season records.
- Pot 5: The teams with the 13th- through 15th-best prior-season records.
Knockout Rounds In each conference, Quarterfinal games will be hosted by the two teams with the best record in Group Play games, and the team with the best record in Group Play games will host the wild card team. During the Knockout Rounds on days when In-Season Tournament games are not scheduled (Wednesday, Dec. 6 and Friday, Dec. 8), the 22 teams that do not qualify for the Knockout Rounds will each play two regular-season games. The four teams that lose in the Quarterfinals will each play a regular-season game on Dec. 8. Prize Pool For the 2023-24 season, the In-Season Tournament prize pool will be allocated to the players on the teams that participate in the Knockout Rounds as follows: - Players on winning team of Championship: $500,000 each
- Players on losing team of Championship: $200,000 each
- Players on losing team of Semifinals: $100,000 each
- Players on losing team of Quarterfinals: $50,000 each
League Honors At the conclusion of the In-Season Tournament, the NBA will name the Most Valuable Player of the In-Season Tournament and the All-Tournament Team. Selection will be based on the players’ performance in both Group Play and the Knockout Rounds. Additional Information Tickets and NBA Experiences for the Semifinals and Championship will be available at NBAEvents.com, with premium experiences on sale now and individual game tickets available on Monday, July 10. For more information about the NBA In-Season Tournament, visit NBA.com/inseasontournament or the NBA App. # # # IGNITE TO HOST PERTH WILDCATS IN INAUGURAL G LEAGUE FALL INVITATIONAL -- Top 2024 NBA Draft Prospects on Display in Pair of Preseason Games -- NEW YORK, July 6, 2023 – Building on the success of last year’s NBA G League Ignite vs. Metropolitans 92 series, Ignite is once again hosting a premiere international program for a pair of preseason games in the inaugural NBA G League Fall Invitational featuring the Perth Wildcats. Ignite welcomes the Wildcats to The Dollar Loan Center on Wednesday, Sept. 6 and Friday, Sept. 8. The matchup will spotlight top NBA Draft prospects among both teams. McDonald’s All-Americans Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland, who are projected by ESPN as top 10 picks in the 2024 NBA Draft, highlight Ignite’s newest roster, while the Wildcats feature top international talent including National Basketball League (NBL) Next Stars participant Alexandre Sarr, a projected top 20 selection in next year’s draft, and ESPN four-star prospect Dontae Russo-Nance. “The G League continues to grow as a platform for top talent from around the globe,” said NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim. “With these preseason games against a storied and successful program in the Perth Wildcats, we’re excited to continue to showcase some of the best young prospects and top talent from around the globe. If last year’s games are any indication, this will be another electrifying display of young talent and a competitive preseason.” Broadcast information will be announced at a later date. Ignite season ticket memberships are available now at ignite.gleague.nba.com/season-tickets, or by contacting the ticketing office at 702-645-4259 or tickets@gleagueignite.com. Based in Perth, Western Australia, the Wildcats are the most successful club in NBL history, with 10 championships and 16 Grand Finals appearances. Sarr, brother of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s Olivier Sarr, looks to be the latest NBL Next Stars player to join alumni such as Charlotte's LaMelo Ball and Oklahoma City's Josh Giddey in the NBA. The team’s young talent also includes 2023 Basketball Without Borders Global camp participant Russo-Nance, plus Ben Henshall, who is competing in the 2023 NBA Academy Games in Atlanta July 5-9, and NBA Draft prospect David Okwera. Former NBA player and three-time NBL MVP Bryce Cotton leads Perth’s veterans, along with Keanu Pinder, who will be making his Summer League debut with the Phoenix Suns, and 2023 Basketball Africa League champion Corey Webster and his fellow New Zealand FIBA World Cup teammate and brother Tai Webster. “We are thrilled to have been invited to travel to Las Vegas in early September to compete in a two-game series against G League Ignite,” said Wildcats General Manager of Basketball Operations Danny Mills. “Taking our team and the organization to play on a global stage is an integral part of our long-term strategy as a club. We are incredibly excited and grateful that G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim and Ignite GM Anthony McClish have provided our club this opportunity to represent the city of Perth, the state of Western Australia and the NBL in what we hope is an ongoing collaboration.” Along with Holland and Buzelis, Ignite’s latest roster includes five-star prospect Tyler Smith, NBA Academy Africa graduates Thierry Darlan and Babacar Sane, FIBA U19 World Cup Most Valuable Player Izan Almansa, two-year player London Johnson and Texas standout Dink Pate. Ignite has produced 10 draft picks in the previous three seasons – the most by any program in that span – including four top 10 picks. Four Ignite players were selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, led by No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson (Portland Trail Blazers). Follow Ignite on Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and updates.
National Basketball Association (NBA) and International Basketball Federation (FIBA’s) Basketball Without Borders Camp to Return to South Africa this Month | 19th BWB Africa Camp Will Be Held from July 28-31 and Will Bring Together Top High-School-Age Prospects from Across the Continent | Access Multimedia Content | JOHANNESBURG, South Africa, July 6, 2023/ -- The National Basketball Association (NBA) (https://www.NBA.com) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today announced that the 19th edition of Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Africa will be held at the American International School of Johannesburg in South Africa from Friday, July 28 – Monday, July 31. This marks the 15th time that the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program will be held in Johannesburg and first since 2018. BWB Africa 2023 will bring together 40 boys and 40 girls from more than 25 African countries to learn directly from current and former NBA, WNBA and FIBA players, legends and coaches and compete alongside their peers from across the continent. The campers and coaches, who will be announced prior to the camp, will also take part in life skills, leadership development and NBA Cares programming. “Interest in basketball and the NBA continues to grow in South Africa, and we are excited that BWB Africa will return to Johannesburg next month, 20 years after the first camp was held at the American International School in 2003,” said NBA Africa CEO Victor Williams. “We look forward to welcoming some of the best young players on the continent, who have earned the right to represent their country at this prestigious camp and who will now have the opportunity to learn directly from players and coaches who have reached the highest levels of the game.” “This year's 19th edition of BWB Africa in South Africa is sure to be an excellent camp for all participants,” said FIBA National Federations & Sport Director Zoran Radovic. “Basketball is growing rapidly in Africa, which was particularly evident in the recent BAL season. This camp will provide a valuable opportunity for young players to showcase their skills and learn from experienced professionals on and off the court. We look forward to seeing this young talent shine later this month.” Thirty-eight former BWB campers were among the 120 international players ( https://apo-opa.info/3CZa2uc) on opening-night rosters for the 2022-23 NBA season, including 2022-23 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011 in Johannesburg), who became the first former BWB camper to be named NBA MVP, and 2019 NBA champion Pascal Siakam (Toronto Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012 in Johannesburg). In total, 12 former BWB Africa campers have been drafted into the NBA since 2003. Fifty-four former BWB Africa campers have been featured on Basketball Africa League (BAL) team rosters over the league’s first three seasons. BWB Africa 2023 will be supported by Nike, a global partner of BWB since 2002, which will outfit participants with Nike apparel and footwear, and Gatorade, which will keep players and coaches hydrated throughout the camp. BWB has reached more than 4,000 participants from 136 countries and territories since 2001, with 111 former campers advancing to the NBA or WNBA. The NBA and FIBA have staged 69 BWB camps in 46 cities across 32 countries on six continents. Video ( https://apo-opa.info/43tqXjz): BWB Africa 2022 Recap Video (Credit: NBAE)Photo ( https://apo-opa.info/3rjuUd5): BWB Africa 2022 Group Photo (Credit: NBAE/Getty Images)Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA). Qualification Rounds and Regular Season draw completed |
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JULY 5, 2023
MIES (Switzerland) - Two months after the colorful ending to Season 7 in Malaga, the stage is set for Season 8 after the official draw held in the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland on Wednesday morning. Reigning champion Michael Kessens of Telekom Baskets Bonn and former captain of Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem Lior Eliyahu helped the CEO of the BCL Patrick Comninos on stage, placing the 29 Regular Season teams in their respective groups, and further 24 teams across three tournaments in the Qualification Rounds. The qualifiers tip off on September 25. All three tournaments will see eight teams start the competition in a single game elimination bracket from the Quarter-Finals. Only the three tournament winners will advance to the Regular Season. |
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Qualification Round tournament #1Quarter-FinalsBakken Bears Aarhus (DEN) v KB Peja (KOS)
Kalev/Cramo (EST) v Norrköping Dolphins (SWE)
SL Benfica (POR) v TSU Tbilisi (GEO)
Patrioti Levice (SVK) v Petrolina AEK Larnaca (CYP) |
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Qualification Round tournament #2Quarter-FinalsCholet Basket (FRA) v Telenet Giants Antwerp (BEL)
FMP Soccerbet (SRB) v Pallacanestro Varese (ITA) Happy Casa Brindisi (ITA) v CSM CSU Oradea (ROU)
Heroes Den Bosch (NED) v BG Gottingen (GER) |
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Qualification Round tournament #3Quarter-FinalsSIG Strasbourg (FRA) v Jonava CBet (LTU)
Karhu Basket Kauhajoki (FIN) v Ironi Hay Motors Ness Ziona (ISR) Legia Warszawa (POL) v Winner Pre-Qualifier (Caledonia Gladiators v Fribourg Olympic)
Mornar Barsko Zlato (MNE) v Monbus Obradoiro (ESP)
Once we learn the names of the three Qualification Round winners, the eighth edition of the Basketball Champions League Group Stage will start on October 17. All 32 teams will be in action for the first Gameday of the Regular Season, before getting every other week off from Gameday 2 to Gameday 5. All eight groups will then be in action together once more for the final Gameday of the Regular Season. |
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Regular SeasonGroup AUnicaja (ESP)
Falco Vulcano Szombathely (HUN)
Peristeri bwin (GRE)
Le Mans Sarthe (FRA) Group BJDA Bourgogne Dijon (FRA)
Rytas Vilnius (LTU)
Promitheas Patras (GRE)
BK Opava (CZE) Group CLenovo Tenerife (ESP)
Darussafaka Lassa (TUR)
VEF Riga (LAT)
Winner QRT 2 Group DAEK (GRE)
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg (GER)
Dinamo BdS Sassari (ITA)
King Szczecin (POL) Group EPinar Karsiyaka (TUR)
Filou Oostende (BEL)
EWE Baskets Oldenburg (GER)
Winner QRT 3 Group FHapoel Holon (ISR)
Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER)
Bursaspor (TUR)
Rio Breogan (ESP) Group GHapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (ISR)
Galatasaray nef (TUR)
PAOK mateco (GRE)
Winner QRT 1 Group HTofas Bursa (TUR)
Igokea m:tel (BIH)
UCAM Murcia (ESP)
Bertram Yachts Derthona (ITA) |
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Group winners will move straight to the Round of 16, while second- and third-placed teams are advancing to the Play-In Series, to be played in January 2024. The pairings are predetermined by the draw, with teams going up against their neighboring group, and the second-placed teams having the home court advantage in best-of-three series.
Play-In Series
Team A2 v Team B3
Team B2 v Team A3
Team C2 v Team D3
Team D2 v Team C3
Team E2 v Team F3
Team F2 v Team E3
Team G2 v Team H3
Team H2 v Team G3
Round of 16
The eight Play-In winners will join the eight Regular Season group winners to form the four groups in the Round of 16 phase. Top two from each group move on to the best-of-three Quarter-Finals series, and the season concludes with a Final Four event scheduled in May 2024. Group ITeam A1
Team E1
Winner C2/D3
Winner G2/H3 Group JTeam B1
Team F1
Winner D2/C3
Winner H2/G3 Group KTeam C1
Team G1
Winner B2/A3
Winner E2/F3 Group LTeam D1
Team H1
Winner A2/B3
Winner F2/E3 Over the past seven seasons, Lenovo Tenerife and Hereda San Pablo Burgos have won the BCL crown twice, while Telekom Baskets Bonn, Segafredo Virtus Bologna and AEK have one title each. |
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Distinguished guests and representatives from all 53 teams were in attendance
zan Almansa named TISSOT MVP after helping Spain to title |
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JULY 2, 2023DEBRECEN (Hungary) - Izan Almansa added another piece of hardware to his trophycase as he was named TISSOT Most Valuable Player of the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023 after guiding Spain to the championship. Almansa collected 14 points, 5 rebounds, 1 assist, 4 steals and 1 block in Spain's 73-69 overtime victory against France. For the tournament, Almansa averaged 16.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.1 blocks. He led the team in scoring, rebounds and blocks. Almansa is getting used to winning MVP awards after the was named TISSOT MVP of the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2022 as well as the FIBA U18 European Championship 2022. "I don't know how it happened. It's all about my teammates. They passed me the ball and believed in me, so this is for them too," said Almansa. Joining Almansa on the All-Star 5 were his Spanish teammate Jordi Rodriguez, Zacharie Perrin of France, Berke Buyuktuncel of Turkey and Mark Armstrong of USA. |
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Rodriguez averaged 13.6 points on 39 percent three-point shooting, 2.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals. In the Final, he poured in a team-high 18 points including 3 three-pointers. Perrin fouled out in the Final late in regulation but not before he produced 14 points, 20 rebounds and 2 blocks. For the tournament, the power forward tallied 15.4 points, a tournament-best 10.9 rebounds 2.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.0 blocks. He also had the best efficiency rating of the tournament (25.1). Buyuktuncel flashed his game at both ends all tournament with 11.4 points, 8.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.6 blocks. Armstrong meanwhile led USA in scoring with 12.4 points to go with 1.7 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.9 steals. Spain crowned FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023 champs after downing France in OT thriller |
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JULY 2, 2023DEBRECEN (Hungary) - Spain have returned to the top of the world as they captured the title at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023 with a thrilling 73-69 overtime victory against France. Jordi Rodriguez scored 18 points and Rafael Villar had 17 points including two free throws with 26 seconds left in overtime of a game for the ages between European giants. Spain earned their second U19 crown following 1999, when players like Pau Gasol, Juan Carlos Navarro, Raul Lopez, Felipe Reyes and Carlos Cabezas won the title. France have now lost back-to-back U19 World Cup Finals after 2021 to United States. And the country is still waiting for their first global youth championship. Melvin Ajinca netted 21 points and Zacharie Perrin took 20 rebounds for the French, whose only two losses in Debrecen came at the hands of Spain. In the Third-Place Game, Turkey made history by beating United States for the first time in the country's history with an 84-70 win to finish third and match their greatest achievement in the competition. Tan Yildizoglu paced Turkey with 20 points and 8 assists while Berke Buyuktuncel collected 19 points, 3 rebounds, 5 assists and 2 steals for Turkey, who grabbed third place in 2015 as their only previous podium finish. |
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Izan Almansa of Spain won the TISSOT MVP award for the tournament. Joining him on the All-Star Five were teammate Jordi Rodriguez, Zacharie Perrin of France, Berke Buyuktuncel of Turkey and USA guard Mark Armstrong. FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2023 Final Standings1. Spain
2. France
3. Turkey
4. USA
5. Argentina
6. Serbia
7. Canada
8. Japan
9. Slovenia
10. China
11. Brazil
12. Korea
13. Egypt
14. Madagascar
15. Lebanon
16. Hungary |
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China end 12-year wait to be crowned FIBA Women's Asia Cup champions |
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JULY 2 SYDNEY (Australia) - China are celebrating a first FIBA Women's Asia Cup title since 2011 after beating Japan in front of a sold out Sydney crowd in what was another fantastic advert for the competition. In a repeat of the previous two title games which ended up being taken by Japan, this time it was China who got it done with a second half comeback paving the way for an exciting 73-71 victory. Xu Han was simply unstoppable for China. She had a double-double in every single game and walked away with the TISSOT MVP accolade after leading the competition in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots. Her China teammate Li Meng joined her on the TISSOT All-Star Five team after her leadership proved pivotal to the gold medal success. Meanwhile Japan's Mai Yamamoto was rewarded for a breakout tournament with a spot, as was Alice Kunek who helped Australia take a third bronze medal in as many editions. The last berth was handed to New Zealand's Penina Davidson who's displays in the paint helped New Zealand attain their highest ever finish of fourth. The event also served to confirm the Asia entrants for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments next year, with China, Japan Australia and New Zealand all punching their respective tickets to stay on the Road to Paris 2024. Finally, there is still more to look forward to at the FIBA Women's Asia Cup Division B which will take place next month in Bangkok, Thailand. NBA SALARY CAP FOR 2023-24 SEASON SET AT $136.021 MILLION NEW YORK, June 30, 2023 – The National Basketball Association today announced that the Salary Cap has been set at $136.021 million for the 2023-24 season. The Tax Level for the 2023-24 season is $165.294 million. The Salary Cap and Tax Level go into effect at 12:01 a.m. ET on Saturday, July 1. Teams are permitted to begin negotiating with free agents today at 6:00 p.m. ET -- six hours prior to the start of the league’s “moratorium period.” The moratorium period ends at noon ET on Thursday, July 6. - The Minimum Team Salary is $122.418 million for the 2023-24 season.
- The First Apron Level is $172.346 million for the 2023-24 season.
- The Second Apron Level is $182.794 million for the 2023-24 season.
The Collective Bargaining Agreement provides for three different Mid-Level Exceptions depending on a team’s salary level. The Non-Taxpayer Mid-Level for the 2023-24 season is $12.405 million, the Taxpayer Mid-Level is $5 million, and the Mid-Level for a team with room under the Salary Cap is $7.723 million.
TYLER SMITH AND IZAN ALMANSA SIGN WITH IGNITE – Former Overtime Elite Standouts Round Out Prospect Class for 2023-24 Ignite Season – HENDERSON, Nev., June 30, 2023 – Overtime Elite forwards Tyler Smith and Izan Almansa have signed with NBA G League Ignite, NBA G League President Shareef Abdur-Rahim announced today. “As the basketball landscape evolves, the G League continues to solidify its place as a central development pathway for top talent throughout the world,” Abdur-Rahim said. “We are thrilled to welcome Tyler and Izan to the NBA G League family, where they’ll have the opportunity to learn from our NBA-caliber coaches and veterans and battle against top talent in our league. We’re excited to continue to build on the foundation started at OTE to help Tyler and Izan prepare for successful NBA careers.” A Houston native, Smith attended George Bush High School in Fort Bend County, Texas, before signing his first professional contract with Overtime Elite in August 2021. Prior to joining OTE, the consensus five-star prospect was ranked by ESPN as the No. 8 player in the 2023 high school class. In 2022-23 with OTE’s Cold Hearts, Smith averaged 15.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 1.3 blocks while shooting 47.5 percent from the field, earning All-OTE Second Team honors. In his rookie season with Team OTE in 2021-22, Smith finished fourth in the league in three-point field goal percentage (36.2). Almansa, who is from Spain, is currently projected as the No. 18 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft by ESPN. He spent the past two seasons with Overtime Elite, averaging 9.3 points, 8.6 rebounds and 2.3 assists during the 2022-23 season with YNG Dreamerz. Last summer playing for Spain, Almansa became the first player to win MVP honors at both the FIBA U17 World Cup and the FIBA U18 European Championship. “OTE’s mission is to develop players at a customized and accelerated rate, and Tyler and Izan are perfect examples of players who bought in and utilized every resource OTE offers for player development both on and off the court,” said Damien Wilkins, General Manager and Head of Basketball for OTE. “We have proven success in building a strong foundation for players as they look to continue their basketball careers, and we are proud and excited for both of these guys as they head to compete at G League Ignite.” Smith and Almansa join 2023 McDonald’s All-Americans Matas Buzelis and Ron Holland, NBA Academy graduates Thierry Darlan and Babacar Sane, second-year Ignite player London Johnson and Texas high school standout Dink Pate on Ignite’s 2023-24 roster. Ignite has produced four top 10 NBA Draft picks in the previous three years – the most by any program in that span – in Jalen Green (2021, No. 2, Houston Rockets), Jonathan Kuminga (2021, No. 7, Golden State Warriors), Dyson Daniels (2022, No. 8, New Orleans Pelicans) and Scoot Henderson (2023, No. 3, Portland Trail Blazers). Ignite has had a total of 10 NBA Draft picks in the last three years, which is the highest total for a program in that period.
NAISMITH BASKETBALL HALL OF FAME ANNOUNCES NEW BOARD MEMBERS - One Addition to Board of Governors and Three to Board of Trustees -
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (June 30, 2023) – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced four new board members. Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Executive Director of the National Basketball Players Association Foundation, was named to the Board of Governors. Executive Chairman of Delano Media Group, Todd Delano; Former NBA Head Coach and Player, Vinny Del Negro; and Thomas Tull, Chairman of the USIT Fund, and Chairman of Tulco Holdings, were named to the Board of Trustees.
“We are very pleased to be adding Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Todd Delano, Vinny Del Negro, and Thomas Tull as board members,” said Jerry Colangelo, Board Chair of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “Each new member brings unique perspectives which will be invaluable in supporting the Hall of Fame’s mission to promote and preserve the game.”
"I look forward to working closely with our new Board members,” said John Doleva, President and CEO of the Hall of Fame. "We have a significant amount of investment coming to the Hall over the next few years, and the Board's input and guidance is critical to the success of our organizational goals."
Board members serve as ambassadors of the Hall while also being responsible for preserving the fundamental mission and financial well-being of the Basketball Hall of Fame. The Board is made up of individuals that work in or have worked in the game, as well as business leaders that have supported the game in Springfield, Mass., or on a national or global level.
A full list of Governors and Trustees for the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame can be found on the next page.
About Stephanie Rawlings-Blake: Rawlings-Blake has more than 20 years of public sector experience working with municipal governments in fiscal management, and as a strategic problem solver. Most notably, Rawlings-Blake served as the 49th Mayor of Baltimore from 2010- 2016, leading the city’s operations, including a $2.4 billion budget and over 15,000 employees. Under her leadership as Mayor, Rawlings-Blake presided over key reforms focused on pensions, urban education, health care delivery, public safety, and more. In June 2015, Rawlings-Blake was elected as the 73rd President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors (USCM) and became the first and only black woman to serve in this position. Additionally, Rawlings-Blake has worked on the national stage as Secretary of the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and led organizing efforts for the 2016 Democratic Convention in Philadelphia. Most recently, Rawlings-Blake was the President of SRB & Associates, providing advocacy and consulting services to clients, including private and public companies, government officials, research agencies, and more.
About Todd Delano: Todd Delano is a founding member and serves as Executive Chairman of Delano Media Group (DMG). Delano Media Group is the parent company of four distinct companies in the sporting events and marketing industries. He is a serial entrepreneur with a track record of sustained success across multiple industries. Prior to founding DMG, Todd founded ServRx, Inc., a financial technology firm within the healthcare sector. Under his leadership, ServRx was recognized by Inc. 500 as one of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States, achieving a three-year growth rate of 1,929%. To date, ServRx is under contract with 1 in 5 pharmacies in the United States, and is quickly approaching 1 billion dollars in prescription claims processed within the Workers’ Compensation pharmacy niche market. Delano Media Group is poised to achieve similar success within the live events and experiences market. The recent 10-year college basketball series agreement with the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame serves as evidence of the direction DMG is heading. Todd and his wife, Carolyn, have three sons: Vincent, Tyson, and Sean. He and Carolyn have a track record of servant leadership with deep roots in community sports and philanthropy. They have invested countless hours in volunteer work. Through the DREAM Foundation, Carolyn and Todd have been financially responsible for over one hundred HBCU students gaining valuable professional access and mentorship at some of the most elevated sporting events in the United States.
About Vinny Del Negro: A common thread runs through whatever Vinny Del Negro has done in his life: with an unwavering belief in himself, relentless effort, and sheer determination, he has exceeded expectations, thrilled fans, and inspired others. A second-round draft pick of late NBA great Bill Russell and the Sacramento Kings in the 1988 NBA Draft, Del Negro went on to enjoy a 14-year playing career, highlighted by a six-season run as a starter with the San Antonio Spurs (1992-98). During his time in San Antonio, where Del Negro averaged 11.2 points and 3.2 assists per game, he helped lead the Spurs to the playoffs on five occasions, including two Midwest Division titles, and was named one of the top 25 players in Spurs history. In 2009, Del Negro was named head coach of the Chicago Bulls and became only the fourth coach in NBA history with no prior coaching experience to lead his team to the playoffs in his first two seasons as an NBA head coach. Del Negro cemented his legacy as a turnaround specialist during his three seasons as head coach of the Los Angeles Clippers, during which time he completely changed the culture to that of a franchise that expected to win games and compete for the NBA title. Off the court, Del Negro has remained committed to improving life in the communities in which he and his family live and repaying the kindness of others who helped form the man he is today. He has been recognized and celebrated for his philanthropy, service, and human spirit. Today, Vinny is an active investor who makes strategic investments in companies and works with executives to counsel, coach, and network.
About Thomas Tull: Thomas Tull is Founder, Chairman and CEO of Tulco, LLC, a privately held holding company that partners with companies in under-innovated industries and transforms them using the power of artificial intelligence and data science. Tulco is sector agnostic and its investments include a healthcare apparel company and a world-spanning insurance brokerage. The ability to recognize overlooked opportunities, especially businesses that can be reimagined through technological innovation, has been a common thread throughout Thomas’s career as an entrepreneur, and he has successfully identified and invested in a number of startup and early stage technology companies, including Oculus, Genies, Zoox and Magic Leap, among others. Thomas also infused technology into Legendary Entertainment, which he founded in 2004 and built into one of the most successful film entertainment production companies in the history of Hollywood. Legendary produced a number of blockbusters, including the relaunch of the Batman franchise with The Dark Knight trilogy, Jurassic World, Kong: Skull Island, Godzilla, The Town, Inception, 300, The Hangover franchise, and many others. Thomas’s deployment of sophisticated data analytics changed how movies were marketed and increased the commercial success of Legendary’s films. These innovations have since been widely copied throughout Hollywood. Outside of his investment work, Thomas is an active supporter of philanthropic causes that support education, medical and scientific research and conservation through the Tull Family Foundation. He is a member of the MIT School of Engineering Dean’s Advisory Council, and a trustee of Carnegie Mellon University, Yellowstone Forever, the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum and the Smithsonian Institution. Thomas is also part of the ownership groups of the Pittsburgh Steelers, the six-time Super Bowl champions, and New York Yankees, the 27-times world series champions. He received his undergraduate degree from Hamilton College and resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Governors: Jerry Colangelo, Chairman Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, Vice-Chairman James Vinick, Treasurer
David Beckerman, Chairman, Acorn Group Kathy Behrens, President – NBA Social Responsibility/Player Programs Ulysses “Junior” Bridgeman, CEO, Heartland Bottling Company Sherman M. Brown, CEO, Three Media Group of Companies Frank Colaccino, Founder & CEO, The Colvest Group, Ltd. Jerry Colangelo, Partner, JDM Partners, LLC, Elected to the Hall of Fame 2004 Jim Davidson, Private Investor David Denenberg, SVP – NBA Global Media Distribution & Business Affairs Cathy Engelbert, Commissioner, WNBA Dan Gavitt, Senior Vice President of Basketball, NCAA Robin Harris, Executive Director, The Ivy League Grant Hill, Former Basketball Player, Co-Owner/Vice Chairman Atlanta Hawks, Elected to the Hall of Fame 2018 Mannie Jackson, Former Fortune 500 Business Executive, Retired Player/Former Owner, Harlem Globetrotters International, Elected to the Hall of Fame 2017 Bill Koenig, President – NBA Global Content & Media Distribution Nancy Lieberman, Head Coach, Big3, Founder & President, Nancy Lieberman Charities, Elected to the Hall of Fame 1996 Jim Puhala, Head of Product Solutions & Regulatory Compliance, MassMutual Stephanie Rawlings-Blake, Executive Director, NBPA Foundation Byron Spruell, President – NBA League Operations Mark Tatum, Deputy Commissioner & Chief Operating Officer - NBA Jim Taubenfeld, President, Me Salve, Inc. James Vinick, Managing Director-Investments, Moors & Cabot, Inc. Elaine Wynn, Trustee, Elaine Wynn & Family Foundation
Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Board of Trustees: Shareef Abdur-Rahim, President – NBA G League
Kim Bohuny, SVP – NBA International Basketball Operations Jim Calhoun, Head Coach (retired), Elected to the Hall of Fame 2005
Jim Carolus, President (retired), Hillyard Industries
Alvin Chun, President, Counterpointe Solutions, Inc. Mary-Beth Cooper, President, Springfield College Todd Delano, Founder & Executive Chairman, Delano Media Group Vinny Del Negro, Former NBA Head Coach and Player Danielle Donehew, Executive Director, Women’s Basketball Coaches Association Joe Dumars, NBA – SVP Head of Basketball Operations, Elected to the Hall of Fame 2006 David S. Fogel, Executive Director & General Counsel, National Basketball Coaches Association
William Gagnon, COO & EVP, Excel Dryer, Inc. Jim Gray, President, Scratchy Production Paul Hirschheimer, SVP – NBA Content Productions
Joel Litvin, President – NBA League & Basketball Operations (retired) Jeffrey Munn, CEO, Jurassic Quest, Inc.
James P. Naismith, Grandson of Dr. James Naismith, Inventor of the Game
David A. Pace, President, Pace Sports
John Ritter, Senior Advisor, Avante Capital Partners
Craig Robinson, Executive Director, National Association of Basketball Coaches Scott Rochelle, President & CEO, National Basketball Retired Players Association Charlie Rosenzweig, Former NBA Executive, Sports Marketing Executive
Scott Sadowsky, Principal, Cressy Capital Steve Smith, Former NBA Player, Turner Sports/NBA TV
Jim Tooley, Chief Executive Officer, USA Basketball Thomas Tull, Chairman, USIT Fund, Chairman, Tulco Holdings Trevor Ugolyn, President, Greenwich Institutional Partners Dwyane Wade, CEO, Wade, Inc., Elected to the Hall of Fame 2023
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame: Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving, and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches, and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits, and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophall or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.
NBA TO STREAM MORE THAN 150 GAMES FROM PREMIER PRO-AM BASKETBALL LEAGUES THIS SUMMER ON NBA APP – Drew League, Miami Pro League and AEBL Among Pro-Am Leagues to be Featured – – Game Streams Begin July 1 with the Drew League at 2 p.m. ET – NEW YORK, June 29, 2023 – The NBA today announced that premier pro-am basketball from various leagues – including Drew League, Miami Pro League and AEBL, among others – will stream globally on the NBA App and NBA.com beginning with the Drew League on Saturday, July 1 at 2:00 p.m. ET. Fans will have access to unique pro-am content, including live games regularly featuring star NBA players, across NBA social and digital platforms. The addition of these top pro-am leagues into NBA App programming builds upon the NBA’s efforts to engage with fans throughout the offseason and widen its scope of basketball content. Last summer, the Drew League, now celebrating its 50th anniversary, was streamed globally on the NBA App, marking the first time NBA platforms featured a pro-am league. NBA App coverage of the Drew League was memorably tipped off by LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and DeMar DeRozan (Chicago Bulls) teaming up. The Miami Pro League and AEBL, both in their 10th year, featured appearances from various NBA players including Donovan Mitchell (Cleveland Cavaliers), Darius Garland (Cleveland Cavaliers), Obi Toppin (New York Knicks), Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Jose Alvarado (New Orleans Pelicans) and more. In addition to the comprehensive coverage of offseason basketball, the NBA will support pro-am community efforts through the distribution of Jr. NBA kits for youth basketball players in each local community. Details regarding the full game schedule and coverage are available on NBA.com, NBA social and the NBA App.
As previously announced, all 76 games from the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023 in Las Vegas (July 7-17) will air live on television on ESPN networks (ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNU and ESPNews) or NBA TV and will also be available to stream on the ESPN App or NBA App. Games from the 2023 California Classic in Sacramento (July 3 and 5) and 2023 Salt Lake City Summer League (July 3, 5 and 6) will also be televised on ESPN, ESPN2 or NBA TV and will be streamed on the ESPN App or NBA App.
PEACEPLAYERS NAMED WINNER OF 2023 MANNIE JACKSON - BASKETBALL’S HUMAN SPIRIT AWARD - Hall of Fame Recognizes Leaders in Basketball for Humanitarian Efforts -
SPRINGFIELD, MASS. (June 29, 2023) – The Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame announced today the winner of the 2023 Mannie Jackson - Basketball’s Human Spirit Award. Honored for its outstanding humanitarian efforts, the 2023 award recipient is PeacePlayers.
PeacePlayers was founded in 2000 by Sean Tuohey with the mission of using the power of sports to unite, educate, and inspire the next generation to create a more peaceful world. The organization first launched in South Africa in 2001 and now works in Northern Ireland (2002), the Middle East (2005), and the United States (2017). The organization worked in Cyprus for over 15 years and has supported numerous other organizations around the globe.
PeacePlayers engages youth in conflict-ridden areas and provides sustainable sports programming that is grounded in peace education and the development of conflict resolution and leadership skills. The programs are designed to break down barriers that exist between two conflicting groups, bridging the divide that exists and unleashing the power of those in the community to act as catalysts for change within their families, schools, and neighborhoods.
The organization has won many humanitarian awards, such as the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYS (2007), Laureus Sport for Good Award (2008), NGO for Peace of the Year Award (2011), Oklahoma City Memorial Hopes Award (2016) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Sports Award (2017).
“The Basketball Hall of Fame is proud to recognize PeacePlayers as the 2023 Mannie Jackson Award recipient,” said John L. Doleva, President and CEO of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. “While we are most well-known for the work we do to honor those who excelled on the hardwood, it is important to commemorate and celebrate individuals who have used their position to have a positive impact on their communities and those around them. The PeacePlayers organization was selected as this year’s Mannie Jackson recipient because of their important work of promoting peace and leadership among youth around the world.”
PeacePlayers will be formally recognized in August during Enshrinement Weekend festivities on Friday, August 11th, at the Tip Off Celebration and Awards Gala at Mohegan Sun.
Established in 2007, the Mannie Jackson - Basketball’s Human Spirit Award honors individuals who have found the game of basketball to be a contributing aspect of their personal growth and accomplishment, a place to develop an understanding of others, and an avenue that has helped shape their growth into recognized visionary leaders. Winners must reflect the values of Mannie Jackson’s life-long mission to overcome obstacles and challenge the status quo while taking responsibility for their actions and seeking the highest standard of excellence.
The Mannie Jackson – Basketball’s Human Spirit Award Winners 2007-2022
2022: The McLendon Foundation 2021: Ray Allen, Vinny Del Negro, Renee Montgomery 2020: Wayne Embry, George Raveling, Bill Russell 2019: Carmelo Anthony, TyRone Brown, Dawn Staley 2018: J.J. Barea, Tina Charles, Boris Diaw 2017: Bob Hurley, Nancy Lieberman, Dwyane Wade 2016: Chris Paul, Jalen Rose, Tubby Smith 2015: Paul Fireman, Bill Self, Steve Smith 2014: Bob Delaney, Robert L. Johnson 2013: Earvin “Magic” Johnson, Pat Summitt, Boo Williams 2012: Jim Calhoun, Grant Hill, Dr. Richard Lapchick 2011: Chauncey Billups, Dr. John “Jumpin’ Johnny” Kline, The V Foundation 2010: Jim Boeheim, Samuel Dalembert, Alfreda Harris 2009: Ken Hudson, Bob Lanier, Alonzo Mourning 2008: Sonny Hill, David Robinson 2007: Dikembe Mutombo
About Mannie Jackson Mannie Jackson, in addition to his business successes, is a Past-Chairman of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame and a recipient of the NCAA’s coveted Theodore Roosevelt Award in 2015. A former Illinois Big Ten All-Star and a team captain for the Harlem Globetrotters, Jackson retired as a senior executive and corporate officer for Honeywell Inc. and in the early 1990’s he purchased the Legendary Globetrotters from bankruptcy. In 2002, the resurrected Harlem Globetrotters were elected into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. Jackson was the first of three Black owners of a major sports and entertainment organization and his family’s charitable contributions have totaled over $15 million.
In 2012, Jacks on penned his bestselling autobiography, “Boxcar to Boardrooms” and continues to donate generously to numerous causes including the University of Illinois, South African youth funds, cancer research and the Basketball Hall of Fame. He is also active in promoting the mission of the Mannie Jackson Center for the Humanities located in his hometown Edwardsville, Illinois, while serving as the Center’s lead investor. He was enshrined in the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2017.
About the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Located in Springfield, Massachusetts, the city where basketball was born, the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame is an independent non-profit 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting, preserving and celebrating the game of basketball at every level – men and women, amateur and professional players, coaches and contributors, both domestically and internationally. The Hall of Fame museum is home to more than 400 inductees and over 40,000 square feet of basketball history. Nearly 200,000 people visit the Hall of Fame museum each year to learn about the game, experience the interactive exhibits and test their skills on the Jerry Colangelo "Court of Dreams." Best known for its annual marquee Enshrinement Ceremony honoring the game’s elite, the Hall of Fame also operates over 70 high school and collegiate competitions annually throughout the country and abroad. For more information on the Basketball Hall of Fame organization, its museum and events, visit hoophall.com, follow @hoophall #MannieJacksonAward or call 1-877-4HOOPLA.
JR. NBA SHOWCASE PRESENTED BY NIKE FEATURING ELITE YOUTH BASKETBALL PLAYERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD TO TAKE PLACE IN LAS VEGAS IN JULY – 40 Elite Male and Female Players From 17 Countries Will Participate in Skill Development, Leadership Programming and Competitions from July 12-16 in Conjunction with WNBA All-Star and NBA Summer League – – Global Basketball Showcase for Next Generation of Elite Players Highlighted by Exhibition Games on July 15 at Cox Pavilion – NEW YORK, June 29, 2023 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) today announced that the Jr. NBA Showcase presented by Nike, a global youth basketball event featuring 40 elite 13- and 14-year-old players from 17 countries, will take place in Las Vegas from July 12-16, 2023. The multi-day basketball and leadership development event, which will coincide with AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023 and NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023, will be highlighted by exhibition games taking place on Saturday, July 15 at Cox Pavilion. Throughout the week, Jr. NBA Showcase participants will take part in skill development workouts, team practices and exhibition games against and alongside their peers from around the world. The youth players will also have the opportunity to showcase their talent during the Jr. NBA Showcase Skills Competition presented by Gatorade on Friday, July 14 which will feature three-point, dunk and skills contests, hosted on the AT&T WNBA All-Star court. Additionally, participants will lead a youth basketball clinic as part of the event’s NBA Cares activities, take part in life skills and leadership development programming under the guidance of current and former NBA, WNBA and NBA G League players and coaches, and experience the excitement of the WNBA and NBA by attending events and games as part of AT&T WNBA All-Star Weekend and NBA 2K24 Summer League. “The Jr. NBA Showcase will provide a platform for elite players from around the world to further develop as players and leaders, showcase their potential and create lifelong memories at what will be the epicenter of basketball in Las Vegas this summer,” said NBA Senior Vice President, Head of Youth Basketball Development David Krichavsky. “Together with Nike, the NBA and WNBA are committed to improving the youth basketball experience at all levels of the game, and the Jr. NBA Showcase provides an opportunity to help prepare standout 13- and 14-year-old players for the next step in their basketball journeys.” The NBA’s basketball development efforts include a grassroots to elite system that provides age- and stage-appropriate programming to help players develop safely and effectively at all levels. The Jr. NBA Showcase adds a unique layer to the league’s existing efforts to provide development opportunities for middle school and rising high-school-age athletes. In addition to NIKE, AT&T, Gatorade, and Wilson are among the roster of world-class partners that will support the Jr. NBA Showcase and enhance the experience for participating players and coaches. The Jr. NBA Showcase exhibition games will stream live on the NBA App and air on NBA TV at a later date. To learn more about the event or the Jr. NBA, visit jr.nba.com or follow the Jr. NBA on Facebook (Jr. NBA), Instagram (@jrnba), YouTube (Jr. NBA) and Twitter (@jrnba). Below is a complete list of players participating in the Jr. NBA Showcase (rosters subject to change): INTERNATIONAL BOYS ROSTER Name | | Home Country | | Wael Aguenaou | | Marrakesh, Morocco | | Emmanuel Ahamefule | | London, England | | Nicolas Alejandro Gonzalez Martin | | Montevideo, Uruguay | | Petar Bjelica | | Belgrade, Serbia | | Lun Jarc | | Ljubljana, Slovenia | | Nate Langmaid | | Melbourne, Australia | | Kaito Nakamura | | Hyogo, Japan | | Joel Ntale Kabugi | | Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo | | Saul Octavio Quiroz Duarte | | Tijuana, Mexico | | Mamadou Sow | | Thiés, Senegal | |
U.S. BOYS ROSTER Name | | Hometown | | Isaac Bongen | | Portland, Oregon | | Mason Collins | | Columbia, South Carolina | | Lincoln Cosby | | Liberty Township, Ohio | | Erick Dampier Jr. | | Ridgeland, Mississippi | | Derek Daniels | | Washington, District of Columbia | | Ahmad Hudson | | Ruston, Louisiana | | Tyrone Jamison Jr. | | Shreveport, Louisiana | | Gabriel Nesmith | | West Palm Beach, Florida | | Babatunde Oladotun | | Silver Spring, Maryland | | Tyler Sutton | | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | |
INTERNATIONAL GIRLS ROSTER Name | | Home Country | | Zeina Ayman Haleem | | Cairo, Egypt | | Klara Bilusic | | Zagreb, Croatia | | Shannon Dominique Susila | | Surabaya, Indonesia | | Rabeniamina Kaloniaina Tiffany | | Antananarivo, Madagascar | | Nada Maksimovic | | Belgrade, Serbia | | Oghenetega Precious Ogbodu | | Lagos, Nigeria | | Florencia Ribolla Wilson | | Mercedes, Uruguay | | Ayvah Ricli | | Perth, Australia | | Barbora Subova | | Brno, Czech Republic | | Aislin Tamez Torres | | Monterrey, Mexico | |
U.S. GIRLS ROSTER Name | | Hometown | | Jezelle Banks | | Wilmington, Delaware | | Ryan Carter | | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | | Sydney Douglas | | Upland, California | | Miciah Fusilier | | Camden, Arkansas | | Lillie Graves | | Lafayette, Indiana | | Lauren Hassell | | Clarksville, Tennessee | | Micah Ojo | | Charlotte, North Carolina | | Jordyn Palmer | | Oxford, Pennsylvania | | Qandace Samuels | | District Heights, Maryland | | Nation Williams | | Las Vegas, Nevada | |
* Players will be coached by Terri Bamford, Nesma Khalifa, Djordje Opacic and Marcel Smith
Amazon Music Curates Performances from 2 Chainz, Blxst, AJR, Eslabon Armado, Armani White, DJ E Rock, and More at NBA Con Taking place at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on July 7-9, the new multiday event will celebrate the culture of the game during NBA 2K24 Summer League Amazon Music to Power NBA Con Store, Offering Exclusive NBA Merchandise 
LOS ANGELES—June 29, 2023—Today, Amazon Music announced that it will curate three days of live music for the first NBA Con, held July 7-9 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center inside Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas. The lineup of artists that will perform live at the event include Grammy-winning hip-hop icon 2 Chainz, rising hip-hop star BLXST, multiplatinum indie-pop trio AJR, California-based musica Mexicana group Eslabon Armado, rapper and songwriter Armani White, and Vegas’ own DJ E Rock. Amazon Music will also power the NBA Con Store, which will offer exclusive merchandise to bring fans closer together with their favorite players and teams. Available at the event, this merch will include never-before-seen apparel for all 30 NBA teams and official NBA Con gear. NBA Con is a first-of-its-kind event that blends the interests of NBA players and fans into a celebration of the best of hoops culture, and will feature exclusive performances from artists who have inspired the sport and soundtracked its most important moments. Additional artists performing at NBA Con will be announced over the coming weeks. Tickets for NBA Con are on sale now at NBACon.com. “More than any other sport, basketball has always gone hand-in-hand with music. From hyping up players before the game to soundtracking highlight reels, music has always been the fuel for athletes’ ambitions,” said Sean McMullan, director of artist product and services for Amazon Music. “The inaugural NBA Con will bring fans, artists, and athletes together under one roof to celebrate all facets of hoops culture, and Amazon Music has worked hard with the NBA to curate showstopping performances and exclusive merchandise for attendees.” “The first-ever NBA Con is all about bringing the league, its players and fans together through shared interests,” said Joey Graziano, Senior Vice President of Global Event Strategy and Development, NBA. “Fashion and music are essential to the culture of the league, and we are thrilled to work with Amazon Music to help us bring the best of both to NBA Con.” NBA Con will bring together the fashion, music, food, art, and technology that make the NBA a cultural phenomenon into a three-day event, highlighted by the game’s brightest stars and biggest personalities. Appearances will include legends and current NBA stars like six-time NBA champion and Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Mike Conley, the Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton, the New Orleans Pelicans’ CJ McCollum, the Atlanta Hawks’ Trae Young, the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama and the Portland Trail Blazers’ Scoot Henderson, with more names to be announced. NBA Con tips off the opening weekend of NBA 2K24 Summer League, which begins 10 days of NBA action on Friday, July 7. The NBA 2K24 Summer League will showcase the league’s top young players, many of whom are taking the floor for the first time in an NBA uniform. The event features a footprint at Mandalay Bay’s Convention Center that is nearly 400,000 square feet and is twice the size of the NBA Crossover fan event held during NBA All-Star Weekend 2023 that welcomed more than 50,000 fans. The NBA has partnered with Emerald, the largest U.S.-based producer of trade shows and their associated conferences, content and commerce, to bring NBA Con to life. Click here to register for media credentials. For tickets to NBA 2K24 Summer League and for more information on NBA Con, including the latest activations and appearances, follow @NBASummerLeague, @NBAConOfficial, and visit NBACon.com or NBAEvents.com. Premium experiences for NBA 2K Summer League and NBA Con—including small group gatherings with NBA Legends, custom merchandise, and hospitality—are also available at NBAExperiences.com. NBA COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENT SIGNED NEW YORK, June 28, 2023 – The National Basketball Association and the National Basketball Players Association announced today that the final long-form version of the new Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) has been completed and signed. The terms of the new CBA had previously been reflected in a shorter-form memorandum of agreement. The seven-year CBA will take effect on July 1, 2023, and run through the 2029-30 season. A copy of the CBA is available at NBA.com/official and NBPA.com.
MILWAUKEE BUCKS’ BROOK LOPEZ NAMED BOB LANIER COMMUNITY ASSIST AWARD WINNER -NBA to donate $25,000 to Milwaukee Public Library Foundation- NEW YORK, June 28, 2023 – The NBA today announced Milwaukee Bucks center Brook Lopez as the Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner for the 2022-23 season. Lopez is being recognized for his continued commitment to supporting youth literacy in Milwaukee. Lopez, the recipient of the March NBA Cares Community Assist Award, was named the winner of the season-culminating honor as determined by an NBA executive panel and a 12-day fan voting period on Jebbit. Lopez was selected among a pool of six other monthly Community Assist Award winners and three additional nominees selected by the NBA for their outstanding work in the community. Since joining the Bucks in 2018, Lopez has made it his mission to make reading both fun and accessible. Throughout the season, Lopez contributed roughly $235,000 for books and funding in support of literacy initiatives within Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Lopez’s efforts are paramount in a state where only 39% percent of eighth-grade students are proficient or above in reading, and more specifically, within Milwaukee Public Schools (MPS) where only 15% of fourth- and eighth-grade students are proficient or above in reading. The Bob Lanier Community Assist Award honors one player’s sustained efforts and difference-making work within their community over the course of the season. As part of Lopez’s “Blocks for Books” program, Lopez donates $500 to Next Door for every block he records during the regular season in support of early childhood literacy. This season, Lopez donated $96,500 to Next Door as part of the program. Additionally, for the second consecutive year, Lopez partnered with Scholastic Book Fair to bring book fairs to five Milwaukee Public Schools. All five schools selected – Allen-Field, Bryant, Hayes Bilingual, Kilbourn and Pratt – are Title 1 schools that have never had a Scholastic Book Fair. Lopez’s contributions allowed each student at all five schools to select and keep five books, totaling close to 10,000 books for more than 2,000 students and roughly $75,000. Lopez also ensured that the schools were set up to receive Scholastic Dollars so they can purchase new books for the school libraries. “Reading is a personal passion of mine that brings me joy and has played a key role in my success,” said Lopez. “Throughout my career, I have remained committed to supporting youth literacy initiatives because I know firsthand how important this skill is. Whether at home, in the locker room or on the road, reading has always played a significant role in my life. I want to ensure future generations are able to develop this skill too and fall in love with reading just as I have, especially kids in economically disadvantaged schools and communities. To be the recipient of the Bob Lanier Community Assist Award for my efforts in uplifting youth literacy in Milwaukee is truly an honor. Bob Lanier was committed to giving back in the Milwaukee community, so to be able to bring this award back to Milwaukee means so much to me and the Bucks organization.” Lopez will be recognized as the Bob Lanier Community Assist Award winner during the June 28 broadcast of ESPN’s NBA Today. The NBA Cares Community Assist Award honors the standard set by NBA Legend David Robinson, who improved the community piece by piece. Bob Lanier, a League Office executive and NBA Global Ambassador for more than 30 years, had an enormous influence on the NBA family and young people globally, traveling the world to teach the values of the game and making a positive impact through his kindness and generosity. The legacy he built will continue to live on through the season-long Community Assist Award recognition, which honors the next generation of players’ commitment to positively impacting their community throughout the NBA season. To learn more, please visit https://communityassist.nba.com/.
FIBA, 2K and NBA 2K League agreement opens door for new esport national team events calendar |
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JUNE 27, 2023
MIES (Switzerland) - FIBA, the International Basketball Federation, 2K, the publisher of NBA 2K, and the NBA 2K League have entered into an agreement that will offer a unique platform to organize international events for National Federations and the esport gaming community.
The multiyear deal highlights the desire of all parties to further strengthen bridges between eFIBA events and the NBA 2K League by providing an opportunity to identify regional talent, offering eFIBA participants a chance to participate in NBA 2K League events or the NBA 2K League Draft, as well as establishing a clear national team competition system.
The eFIBA calendar will include Qualifiers, four Regional Finals (Africa, Asia including Oceania, Americas and Europe), and the eFIBA World Finals each year.
Starting this fall, the creation of this first eFIBA window, in partnership with ESL FACEIT Group (EFG), will act as a key lever in extending the reach of esports by making it more accessible and attractive to new players.
Additionally, the collaboration will help grow the global basketball audience in alignment with FIBA's existing fan engagement strategy. By reaching out to 'Gen Z', a demographic that is highly engaged with esports, FIBA has a unique opportunity to leverage the growing popularity of esports and create a new generation of fans.
FIBA's close working relationship with the NBA 2K League and 2K is significant in the context of the world governing body's vision to bring together National Federations and esport players worldwide. NBA 2K, is the top-rated and top-selling NBA video game simulation series of the past 21 years* and provides an innovative platform for showcasing skills and passion for the online game.
This agreement also meets FIBA's clear mission to establish and structure a global competitive gaming ecosystem for national teams. In turn, this will increase the popularity of esports and enlarge the FIBA Family, which is one of FIBA’s current strategic priorities, while also cultivating a new community of fans and players.
Finally, a central strand of the agreement will be the onboarding of more National Federations to the esports ecosystem who will be encouraged and supported in entering national teams for participation in the new competitions. * According to 2008 - 2022 Metacritic.com All 92 Games of FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 to air on ESPN platforms in USA |
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JUNE 26, 2023
MIES (Switzerland) - FIBA and ESPN have announced a rights agreement for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, with all 92 games available on ESPN platforms, including ESPN2 and ESPN+.
The global event tips off on August 25, and continues through to September 10. Six games will air exclusively on ESPN2, including three in the first round featuring Team USA. All other 86 games will be carried by ESPN+ while also being available on FIBA's official streaming service, Courtside 1891.
FIBA will produce a dedicated USA broadcast feed for the linear games on ESPN featuring specialist US commentators and US-dedicated content and analysis in order to deliver a highly engaging broadcast experience for fans in the USA.
Team USA is aiming to return to the top and will start their World Cup 2023 campaign in Manila, Philippines, when they take on New Zealand on August 26.
"ESPN is excited to once again partner with FIBA and showcase this global event as well as all of the tremendous international talent," said Ashley O'Connor, ESPN Sr. Director, Programming and Acquisitions. "We're proud to serve basketball fans with live event coverage of the sport on a year-round basis."
Most recently, the FIBA Women's Basketball World Cup 2022 saw ESPN distribute the entire Women's World Cup. Six games were aired exclusively in the US on ESPN2 and ESPNU, which was the most Women's World Cup games to ever air on live television in the USA, resulting in viewership tripling across the country.
Frank Leenders, FIBA Media and Marketing Services Director General, said: "This is excellent news for basketball fans in the USA. We are excited to join hands again with ESPN with this partnership that will showcase all 92 games of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. This will bring with it more new synergies that will make basketball more accessible and enjoyable for fans leading up to our biggest event that is to be co-hosted for the first time across three countries this August and September."
Additionally, with this agreement, all FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 games will also be available on the ESPN App.
For more information about the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, click here. 12 International Players from 8 Countries Selected in National Basketball Association (NBA) Draft 2023 presented by State Farm® | The NBA Draft 2023 presented by State Farm® was held Thursday, June 22 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York and reached fans in 214 countries and territories in 32 languages | Access Multimedia Content | NEW YORK, United States of America, June 26, 2023/ -- Twelve international players from eight countries were selected: three in the first round and nine in the second round. Seven players, either born in Africa or with direct ties to the continent, were among last night’s international draftees. Nigeria’s James Nnaji said on draft night: “For me, it's a very special moment. For me coming from Africa, never having this dream to play in the NBA, and all of a sudden things started to change, started coming my way. It's one of the most exciting moments of my life. I'm really excited to have this opportunity.” Please find the photos attached (please credit (NBAE/Getty Images) and below storylines about the African players selected in the NBA Draft. Transcripts of media availability sessions with draftees in attendance are available at ( https://apo-opa.info/44gxVJb) . NBA Draft 2023 presented by State Farm® Victor Wembanyama (France, ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo; Metropolitans 92) was selected 1st overall by the San Antonio Spurs, becoming the 14th international player to be selected first overall and the highest-drafted French player ever. This year, Wembanyama became the youngest player ever to win MVP of France’s LNB after averaging 21.6 points, 10.4 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game. There have been more NBA players from France than from any other country outside North America, including nine last season. This marks the eighth consecutive year that a French player was drafted. Bilal Coulibaly (France, ties to Mali; Metropolitans 92) was selected 7th overall by the Indiana Pacers and traded to the Washington Wizards, marking the first time ever that two French players were selected in the top 10. Coulibaly played with Wembanyama for Metropolitans 92 in the LNB, splitting the 2022-23 season between the top pro league in France and its under-21 league. James Nnaji (Nigeria; FC Barcelona) was selected 31st overall by the Detroit Pistons, becoming the fifth player from Nigeria to be selected in the last five years. Nnaji, who started playing basketball in 2016, has two seasons of experience playing for FC Barcelona in the ACB and EuroLeague. In 2018, Nnaji participated in a Giants of Africa camp, an organization founded by Toronto Raptors Vice-Chairman and President Masai Ujiri, who is also from Nigeria. Opening-night rosters for the 2022-23 NBA season featured a record-tying five players from Nigeria, 16 players from Africa, and more than 50 players with at least one parent from Africa. In total, there have been more than 125 NBA players either born in Africa or with at least one parent from Africa. Mouhamed Gueye (Senegal; Washington State University) was selected 39th overall by the Charlotte Hornets. Rayan Rupert (France, ties to Morocco; New Zealand Breakers) was selected 43rd overall by the Portland Trail Blazers. Rupert played this past season for the New Zealand Breakers in Australia’s National Basketball League (NBL) as part of the Next Stars Program, which has helped develop LaMelo Ball, Ousmane Dieng, Josh Giddey and R.J. Hampton into NBA players in recent years. Sidy Cissoko (France, ties to Senegal; NBA G League Ignite) was selected 44th overall by the San Antonio Spurs, marking the second consecutive season and third time ever that at least four French players were selected (2022, 2016). Cissoko was the first European-born prospect to play for NBA G League Ignite. Toumani Camara (Belgium, ties to Mali; University of Dayton) was selected 52nd overall by the Phoenix Suns, becoming the second Belgian player to be drafted into the NBA (Axel Hervelle in 2005). Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA). SOURCE
National Basketball Association (NBA) |
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