Basketball News

 

RECORD 55 NBA PLAYERS TO COMPETE IN 2023 FIBA BASKETBALL WORLD CUP

 

NEW YORK, Aug. 24, 2023 – A record 55 current NBA players are featured on national team rosters for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, which will be held in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia from Friday, Aug. 25 – Sunday, Sept. 10, up from 54 in 2019.  The tournament will feature a record 106 combined current NBA players, NBA draftees, and players with NBA experience, up from 103 in 2019. 

 

Twenty-seven of the 32 participating national teams have at least one current NBA player, NBA draftee or a player with NBA experience, and national team rosters include 10 former NBA All-Stars: Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves; USA), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder; Canada), Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia), Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves; France), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers; USA), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans; USA), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies; USA), Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz; Finland), Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves; Dominican Republic) and Nikola Vučević (Chicago Bulls; Montenegro).

 

Outside of the United States, which features a tournament-high 12 NBA players, Australia has the most current NBA players (nine), followed by Canada (seven) and Germany (four). 

 

Additional NBA stats and storylines for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 include:

• Twenty-four NBA teams are represented on national team rosters, with the Orlando Magic, Jazz, Thunder and Timberwolves each featuring a league-high five players in the tournament, while the New York Knicks and Mavericks each have four players in the tournament. 
• There are 54 players with NBA G League experience on national team rosters.
• The tournament features 16 players who have participated over the first three seasons of the Basketball Africa League (BAL), including 2023 BAL MVP Nuni Omot, who led Al Ahly (Egypt) to the 2023 BAL Championship after helping his native South Sudan qualify for the country’s first-ever appearance in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.  The BAL is a professional league operated by the NBA and FIBA that features 12 club teams from across Africa and completed its third season in May 2023.
• Australia National Team and former NBA Global Academy teammates Josh Giddey (Thunder) and Dyson Daniels (Pelicans), current NBA Academy Africa student-athlete Khaman Maluach (South Sudan), NBA Global Academy graduate Cui Yongxi (China) and NBA Academy Latin America participant Jean Montero (Dominican Republic) are poised to become the first current and former NBA Academy student-athletes to compete in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
• There are 87 former Basketball Without Borders (BWB) campers on national team rosters.  BWB is the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that has been conducted annually since 2001 and has seen 112 former campers advance to the NBA or WNBA.

 

A total of 80 national teams across four regions – Africa, Americas, Europe and Asia (which includes Oceania) – competed in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Qualifiers.

 

New this year, the NBA App and NBA.com will carry FIBA’s digital platform, “Courtside 1891,” allowing fans in 20 countries and territories to purchase the FIBA World Cup Pass and watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.  Beginning with the opening games on Aug. 25 and continuing through the Final on Sept. 10, Courtside 1891’s FIBA World Cup Pass will offer fans access to live and on-demand games, extended highlights and top plays.  Courtside 1891’s FIBA World Cup Pass is available for purchase at NBA.com/WorldCup, and the complete game schedule is available at NBA.com/FIBA. 

 

The following is a complete list of current NBA players on FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 rosters*:

 

COUNTRY		NBA PLAYER		NBA TEAM
Angola		Bruno Fernando		Atlanta Hawks
Australia		Patty Mills		Atlanta Hawks
Australia		Josh Green		Dallas Mavericks
Australia		Jack White		Oklahoma City Thunder
Australia		Joe Ingles		Orlando Magic
Australia		Dyson Daniels		New Orleans Pelicans
Australia		Josh Giddey		Oklahoma City Thunder
Australia		Matisse Thybulle		Portland Trail Blazers
Australia		Xavier Cooks		Washington Wizards
Australia		Dante Exum		Dallas Mavericks
Canada		Dwight Powell		Dallas Mavericks
Canada		Luguentz Dort		Oklahoma City Thunder
Canada		Dillon Brooks		Houston Rockets
Canada		Nickeil Alexander-Walker		Minnesota Timberwolves
Canada		RJ Barrett		New York Knicks
Canada		Shai Gilgeous-Alexander		Oklahoma City Thunder
Canada		Kelly Olynyk		Utah Jazz
China		Kyle Anderson		Minnesota Timberwolves
Dominican Republic		Lester Quiñones		Golden State Warriors
Dominican Republic		Karl-Anthony Towns		Minnesota Timberwolves
Finland		Lauri Markkanen		Utah Jazz
France		Nicolas Batum		LA Clippers
France		Rudy Gobert		Minnesota Timberwolves
France		Evan Fournier		New York Knicks
Georgia		Goga Bitadze		Orlando Magic
Georgia		Sandro Mamukelashvili		San Antonio Spurs
Germany		Daniel Theis		Indiana Pacers
Germany		Franz Wagner		Orlando Magic
Germany		Moritz Wagner		Orlando Magic
Germany		Dennis Schroder		Toronto Raptors
Greece		Thanasis Antetokounmpo		Milwaukee Bucks
Italy		Simone Fontecchio		Utah Jazz
Japan		Yuta Watanabe		Phoenix Suns
Latvia		Dāvis Bertāns		Oklahoma City Thunder
Lithuania		Jonas Valančiūnas		New Orleans Pelicans
Montenegro		Nikola Vučević		Chicago Bulls
Philippines		Jordan Clarkson		Utah Jazz
Serbia		Bogdan Bogdanović		Atlanta Hawks
Serbia		Nikola Jović		Miami Heat
Serbia		Filip Petrušev		Philadelphia 76ers
Slovenia		Luka Dončić		Dallas Mavericks
South Sudan		Carlik Jones		Chicago Bulls
Spain		Santi Aldama		Memphis Grizzlies
USA		Mikal Bridges		Brooklyn Nets
USA		Cameron Johnson		Brooklyn Nets
USA		Tyrese Haliburton		Indiana Pacers
USA		Austin Reaves		Los Angeles Lakers
USA		Jaren Jackson Jr.		Memphis Grizzlies
USA		Bobby Portis		Milwaukee Bucks
USA		Anthony Edwards		Minnesota Timberwolves
USA		Brandon Ingram		New Orleans Pelicans
USA		Jalen Brunson		New York Knicks
USA		Josh Hart		New York Knicks
USA		Paolo Banchero		Orlando Magic
USA		Walker Kessler		Utah Jazz

 

The following is a complete list of NBA draftees whose rights are currently held by NBA teams on FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 rosters*:

 

COUNTRY		NAME		RIGHTS HELD BY
Brazil		Gui Santos		Golden State Warriors
China		Wang Zhelin		New York Knicks
France		Mathias Lessort		New York Knicks
Italy		Gabriele Procida		Detroit Pistons
Italy		Matteo Spagnolo		Minnesota Timberwolves
Lithuania		Rokas Jokubaitis		New York Knicks
Montenegro		Bojan Dubljevic		New York Knicks
Serbia		Vanja Marinkovic		Memphis Grizzlies
Serbia		Nikola Milutinov		Brooklyn Nets
Spain		Sergio Llull		New York Knicks

 

The following is a complete list of players who previously played in the NBA on FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 rosters*:

 

COUNTRY		NAME
Australia		Dante Exum
Brazil

Final rosters confirmed for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023

AUGUST 25, 2023 MANILA (Philippines)/JAKARTA (Indonesia)/OKINAWA (Japan) - The stage is set for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 in the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan as the rosters for the 32 national teams were confirmed on the eve of the 19th edition of the showpiece event. The flagship tournament will be played in Asia for the fourth time following Philippines in 1978, Japan in 2006 and China in 2019. The 2023 edition will be the first World Cup hosted by multiple countries. The cities of Manila, Jakarta and Okinawa are ready to welcome the basketball world starting August 25. The finalized 12-man rosters of the 32 national teams are below: Group A: Angola, Dominican Republic, Italy, Philippines Group B: China, Puerto Rico, Serbia, South Sudan Group C: Greece, Jordan, New Zealand, USA Group D: Egypt, Lithuania, Mexico, Montenegro Group E: Australia, Finland, Germany, Japan Group F: Cape Verde, Georgia, Slovenia, Venezuela Group G: Brazil, Cote d'Ivoire, Iran, Spain Group H: Canada, France, Latvia, Lebanon Reigning champions Spain enter the tournament with the goal of becoming the fourth nation to repeat after Brazil in 1963, Yugoslavia in 2002 and USA in 2014. Should they go back-to-back, the Spaniards would also become the fourth nation with at least three World Cup crowns, the others being USA and Yugoslavia with 5 each and Soviet Union with 3. The 2023 World Cup will be the second consecutive tournament with 32 participants. In total, 80 national teams took part in the Qualifiers for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. The action on the court will tip off with the opening game between Angola and Italy in Manila on August 25 and the tournament will finish on September 10 with the champions being crowned in Manila. In addition to shooting for the Naismith Trophy as World Cup champions, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will qualify directly seven national teams for the Olympic Games, with hosts France receiving automatic qualification to the event. The seven spots will include two teams from Americas, two teams from Europe, one team from Africa, one team from Asia and one team from Oceania. Twelve basketball greats inducted into FIBA Hall of Fame 2023 in Manila AUGUST 24, 2023   MANILA (Philippines) - A group of 12 individuals who made remarkable contributions to international basketball have been officially inducted into the FIBA Hall of Fame as members of the Class of 2023. The enshrinement ceremony took place at the Sofitel Philippine Plaza in Manila, Philippines. This year's group includes legendary players Yao Ming (China), Penny Taylor (Australia), Yuko Oga (Japan), Katrina McClain (USA), Amaya Valdemoro (Spain), Wlamir Marques (Brazil), Angelo Monteiro dos Santos Victoriano (Angola), Sony Hendrawan (Indonesia); with both Carlos Loyzaga (Philippines) and Zurab Sakandelidze (Georgia) being inducted posthumously. The Class also includes deserved recognition for coaching duo Valerie Garnier (France) and Alessandro Gamba (Italy). FIBA President Hamane Niang hailed the impact of each and celebrated their induction by saying: "We are honored to welcome these great basketball personalities into the FIBA Hall of Fame. The FIBA Hall of Fame is not only part of our basketball tradition, it is an institution that recognizes those who brought our sport to the level of popularity that it has today and inspires the next generation." FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis concluded the induction ceremony by stating: "Since 2007, we have welcomed into the FIBA Hall of Fame those who made the game. Coaches and players who have made their country and their club proud during FIBA competitions such as the World Cup. This is why we are honored to welcome these 12 fantastic basketball personalities into the 2023 Class of the FIBA Hall of Fame in the Philippines." The organization of the FIBA Hall of Fame 2023 Ceremony in one of the host countries of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 reflects FIBA's desire and duty to pay tribute to those who played key roles in shaping the history of the game. To view the acceptance speech, click on the links below for each inductee: - Alessandro Gamba - Valerie Garnier - Sony Hendrawan - Carlos Loyzaga - Wlamir Marques - Katrina McClain - Yao Ming - Yuko Oga - Zurab Sakandelidze - Penny Taylor - Amaya Valdemoro - Angelo Victoriano To find out more about the FIBA Hall of Fame, click here, and to view the full ceremony, click here. National Federations recognized in Awards Ceremony at Congress in Manila AUGUST 23, 2023   MANILA (Philippines) - The FIBA Awards Ceremony took place in Manila today as part of the XXII FIBA Congress. National Federations are recognized and celebrated for their achievements at the ceremony through a variety of awards. The first award, the National Federation Ranking Award, was awarded to the top 3 ranked National Federations as per the FIBA World Ranking presented by Nike. The winners are:   FIBA Girls Nike World Ranking 2023   #1 - USA #2 - France #3 - Australia   FIBA Boys Nike World Ranking 2023   #1 - USA #2 - Spain #3 - France FIBA Women Nike World Ranking 2023   #1 - USA #2 - China #3 - Australia FIBA Men Nike World Ranking 2023   #1 - Spain #2 - USA #3 - Australia The National Federation Progression Award was awarded to the top 3 most improved National Federations from the period between 2021, following the FIBA Mid Term Congress, and July 2023, as per the FIBA World Ranking presented by Nike. That is the National Teams with the highest number of ranking points gained during this period. The winners are: Most Improved Teams Girls 2021-2023   #1 - Slovenia #2 - Uganda #3 - Portugal, Tanzania, Samoa Most Improved Teams Boys 2021-2023   #1 - Poland #2 - Mexico #3 - Denmark Most Improved Teams Women 2021-2023   #1 - Jordan #2 - Guatemala #3 - Norway Most Improved Teams Men 2021-2023   #1 - Guinea #2 - South Sudan #3 - Cape Verde The FIBA World Ranking 2021-23 3x3 Combined, awarded to the top 3 National Federations of FIBA 3x3, for both men and women teams, as of July 1, 2023. The winners are:   FIBA World Ranking 2021-23 3x3 Combined   #1 - USA #2 - France #3 - China The FIBA 3x3 Combined Most Improved National Federation for 2021 to 2023 is awarded to the top 3 National Federations that make the most important ranking progress from the period between 2021, following the FIBA Mid Term Congress, and July 2023. The winners are: FIBA 3x3 Combined Most Improved National Federation   #1 - Lithuania #2 - Austria #3 - Qatar The Most Engaged National Federation on Social Media is awarded to the National Federation that has the most engagement combined across all social media platforms. The top 3 are: Most Engaged National Federation on Social Media   #1 - Argentina #2 - France #3 - Italy The top 3 National Federations with the largest growth of social followers across all channels as a percentage of their overall following were awarded the Biggest Number of Followers on Social Media in 2021 to 2023, with 100’000 followers as a minimum qualifying threshold. The winners are: Biggest Followers Growth on Social Media   #1 - South Sudan #2 - Venezuela #3 - Madagascar Basketball For Good Awards were given out across three different categories this year: Mini Basketball Award, Youth Leadership Award and Community Impact Award. The Mini Basketball Award recognizes the National Federation with the most outstanding commitment towards the development of Mini Basketball within their country. The winner is Mauritania. The Youth Leadership Award honors the National Federation with the most outstanding impact and engagement of Youth Leaders within their country. The winner is Greece. The Community Impact Award recognizes the National Federation with the most outstanding participation and engagement for using basketball to impact the local community within their country. The winner is Seychelles. Lastly, the President's Awards for 2023 is awarded to the leader of a National Federation from each continent. This award recognizes the work, commitment and positive impact on basketball made by each person and their National Federation during the past 5 years and was selected by FIBA President Hamane Niang. The winners are: President's Award for 2023 Africa - Mr. Desire Mugwiza of Rwanda Americas - Mr. Ricardo Vairo of Uruguay Asia - Mr. Erick Thohir of Indonesia Europe - Mr. Amiram Halevy of Israel Oceania - Mr. Ioane Naivalura of Fiji The XXII FIBA Congress continues tomorrow, Thursday, August 24, with Breakout Sessions for attendees and includes sessions on FIBA's strategic priorities - Women in Basketball and Empower National Federations, as well as other topics including innovation presented by FIBA's Equipment & Venue Centre, eFIBA, as well as Safeguarding and Integrity. The Congress activities conclude with the National Federation delegates attending the highly anticipated FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 tip-off on Friday, August 25, at the Philippine Arena. View photos of the FIBA Award Ceremony here. FIBA Congress elects Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani as new FIBA President and appoints new Central Board members AUGUST 23, 2023   MANILA (Philippines) - The XXII FIBA Congress has elected a new President and members of the Central Board for the upcoming 2023-2027 cycle in Manila today. Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani, who succeeds Hamane Niang, in becoming the new President of FIBA, was elected unanimously by all in attendance. Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani has been FIBA Vice President for the previous cycle, which began in 2019, and President of FIBA Asia since 2002, having formerly been President of the Qatar Basketball Federation and a Vice President of the Qatar Olympic Committee.   Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani said upon his election: "It is a great honor to take over this responsibility: for me, for my country of Qatar, and for our continent of Asia. I now represent the interests of all 212 National Federations across all five Regions.  "Basketball is a global sport and this is our most important strength. I can only make one promise today and that is that I will work hard with the leaders of FIBA and the entire Central Board for the good of basketball and for the good of FIBA."    Mr. Ingo Weiss from Germany was re-elected for his third term as FIBA Treasurer.   The following are the members of the Central Board for the term of 2023 to 2027: Ms. Carol Callan from USA Mr. Yamil Alejandro Bukele Perez of El Salvador Mr. Usie Richards of Virgin Islands Ms. Yuko Mitsuya of Japan Mr. Yao Ming of China Ms. Carmen Tocala of Romania Mr. Matej Erjavec of Slovenia Mr. Asterios Zois of Greece Mr. Tor Christian Bakken of Norway Ms. Jubilee Kuartei of Palau Mr. Burton Ross Shipley of New Zealand Ms. Pascale Mugwaneza of Rwanda Mr. Jean-Michel Ramaroson of Madagascar   These Central Board members, along with the newly elected President and Treasurer, will join FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis as well as the Presidents of FIBA's five Regions for the term of 2023-2027: Mr. Anibal Manave of Africa, Mr. Fabian Borro of the Americas, Dr. K Govindraj of Asia, Mr. Jorge Garbajosa of Europe and Mr. David Reid of Oceania for the new term. The Central Board will appoint to the Central Board a representative of the National Basketball Association (NBA) of the USA and a representative of the players. In addition, the Central Board may co-opt additional members (with full voting rights) for the vision, skill and special expertise that they will bring. The newly-formed Central Board will meet for the first time on Saturday, September 9 in Manila, on the occasion of the Finals weekend of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.           NBA FINES PHILADELPHIA 76ERS’ JAMES HARDEN FOR PUBLIC TRADE DEMANDS   NEW YORK, Aug. 22, 2023 – The NBA announced today that Philadelphia 76ers guard James Harden has been fined $100,000 by the NBA for public comments on August 14 and 17 indicating that he would not perform the services called for under his player contract unless traded to another team.  The league’s investigation, which included an interview of Harden, confirmed that these comments referenced Harden’s belief that the 76ers would not accommodate his request to be traded.  Best young players of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 to compete for Wanda Rising Star Award AUGUST 21, 2023 MIES (Switzerland) - The most exciting young players of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 will have a chance to make history as the first ever winner of the prestigious Wanda Rising Star Award.  The newly launched accolade by FIBA's Global Partner, Wanda Group will play an exciting role in showcasing and rewarding the most promising and impactful young player of the flagship men’s tournament. With a surplus of talent waiting to step out in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia when the tournament tips off on Friday August 25, there is likely to be fierce competition contention. The selection criteria for the Wanda Rising Star Award is that candidates must be  21 years old or younger (born 2002 or after) and play a minimum of 4 games in the competition. Candidates will be selected based on individual performances and the wider impact on their respective teams. A shortlist of candidates will be announced on September 4, before the start of the Final Phase, with the final selection being made by a combination of media voting and an expert FIBA panel.  The winner of the Wanda Rising Star Award will be presented with the award in a special ceremony at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 in Manila. Dr Chenggen Hu, General Manager of Wanda Sports Group International Business Department, said: "Reflecting our long-term strategic partnership with FIBA, it's exciting to be able to look ahead by promoting the best young players who could become the biggest stars at future tournaments. "We are proud to be able to play our part in providing this Wanda Rising Star Award and especially with so much anticipation and attention around what promises to be the biggest FIBA Basketball World Cup in history." Frank Leenders, FIBA Media and Marketing Services Director General added: "We're delighted to introduce this new award with a valued FIBA Global Partner such as Wanda as it demonstrates how our joint focus on promoting basketball globally, which includes supporting the all-important next generation. "This award will be something that further raises the profile of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. I am sure fans and the media will enjoy debating who deserves to take the honor for the first time. Five winners of the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments 2023 confirmed 21 AUGUST, 2023 MIES (Switzerland) - Bahamas, Bahrain, Cameroon, Croatia, and Poland are celebrating success at the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournaments 2023. All five countries remain on the Road to Paris 2024 and will take their place at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments next year after punching their respective tickets. Bahamas celebrated a memorable triumph at the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in La Banda, Argentina. They finished in top place by overcoming Argentina with an 82-75 win in the Final to collect the ticket available for the FIBA Americas region. Eric Gordon was fantastic for Bahamas once again with 27 points and 6 made three-pointers. Bahrain advanced after posting a flawless campaign at the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Damascus, Syria. Led by some excellent displays by team leader Mustafa Rashed, they took the ticket allocated to the FIBA Asia region. Cameroon were victorious at the FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Lagos, Nigeria. They beat Senegal 80-74 in the decisive game thanks to a game-high 19 points from Samir Gbetkom and 14 assists from Jeremiah Hill as they took the place on offer for the FIBA Africa region. Meanwhile in Europe, there were two spaces on offer via the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments in Gliwice/Tallinn, Poland-Estonia who co-hosted, as well as in Istanbul, Turkiye. In Gliwice, there was joy for Poland in front of their own fans as they beat Bosnia and Herzegovina 76-72 in an exciting Final. It was Aleksander Balcerowski who shone most brightly throughout, serving up a typically influential display in the showpiece game. In Istanbul, Croatia won the Final against hosts Turkiye 84-71 with Dario Saric being an inspiring leader for his national team. His 22 points and 11 rebounds provided the foundation for Croatia to land the coveted OQT ticket. For more information on the Road to Paris 2024 and qualification to the Olympic Games click here. Antwerp TOPdesk win FIBA 3x3 World Tour Lausanne Masters 2023 AUGUST 19, 2023 LAUSANNE (Switzerland) - Jonas Foerts scored 8 points in the final as his game-winning two sealed the win for Antwerp TOPdesk (BEL) 22-19 against Lausanne at the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Lausanne Masters on August 19. The Belgians had faced the home side earlier in the tournament, finding themselves on the losing end of an on-fire Lausanne that felt unstoppable up until the closing moments of the final.   The matchup lived up to its billing of being physical and high-paced. Antwerp’s Bryan De Valck opened the scoring, securing two quick points in the paint. Carlos Martinez answered back with a two for the Swiss team. Not long after, a hard foul on the shifty guard Gilles Martin granted Lausanne with two free throws, handing them the short-lived advantage in a back-and-forth game. Foerts started raining from deep, putting up a huge two to shift things in the favor of the Belgian side. Both teams traded haymakers, none being able to hold the other back.  With less than four minutes to go, Lausanne caught fire. Carlos Martinez drained a two to hand them the lead, much to the roar of the home crowd. Westher Molteni got another bucket to go before Martin seemingly drilled the dagger two to hand his side a 14-18 lead. But it would be Antwerp who would have the last laugh as De Valck hit a timely two. He picked up yet another bucket off a miss from Dennis Donkor. Foerts tied the game up with a quick layup over Molteni.  With just under a minute to go and the scores posed at 20-19 in the favor of Antwerp, Foerts scored yet another game-winning two, this time the most significant one as Antwerp crowned themselves champions at the Lausanne Masters, their second-ever Masters win.  Foerts was crowned MVP, finishing the event as top scorer with 43 points and with the highest Player Value with 46.1 In the Individual contests, Stefan Kojic (Liman Huishan NE) won the Maurice Lacroix Shoot-Out Contest, while Ukraine's Vadim "Miller" Piddubchenko won the Meanquest Dunk Contest. FINAL STANDINGS 1. Antwerp TOPdesk (BEL) 2. Lausanne (SUI) 3. Miami (USA) 4. Marijampole Mantiga (LTU) 5. Ub Huishan NE (SRB) 6. Versailles (FRA) 7. Liman Huishan NE (SRB) 8. Sant Feliu (ESP) 9. Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL) 10. Raudonvaris Hoptrans (LTU) 11. Princeton (USA) 12. Duuseldorf LFDY (GER) 13. Kandava Turiba (LAT) 14.Tel-Aviv (ISR) The World Tour action takes place in Hungary next as the Debrecen Masters take place on August 26-27. ### 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 ANNOUNCES SCHEDULE FOR 2023-24 REGULAR SEASON   – Opening Night (Tuesday, Oct. 24): Nuggets vs. Lakers and Warriors vs. Suns on TNT –   – Christmas Day: Knicks-Bucks, Nuggets-Warriors, Lakers-Celtics, Heat-76ers and Suns-Mavericks Across ABC and ESPN –   – NBA Rivals Week Returns in January; All 30 Teams Play on Final Day (Sunday, April 14) –   NEW YORK, Aug. 17, 2023 – The NBA today released its complete game schedule and broadcast schedules for TNT, ESPN, ABC, NBA TV and ESPN Radio for the 2023-24 regular season.  The day-by-day and team-by-team schedules are attached and available at NBA.com/schedule.   The 78th NBA regular season will tip off on Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2023, and conclude on Sunday, April 14, 2024.  The 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament will take place from Tuesday, April 16 – Friday, April 19, followed by the start of the 2024 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel on Saturday, April 20.  Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV is set for Thursday, June 6.    The regular-season schedule includes defined dates and opponents for 80 of each team’s 82 games, along with two games designated as TBD dates and opponents.  Those two games for each team, to be played the week of Dec. 4, will be determined based on the results of Group Play games in the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament.  The Group Play game schedule (Nov. 3-28) was announced on Aug. 15.    Kia NBA Tip-Off 2023   The first five days of the 2023-24 NBA regular season (Oct. 24-28) will feature 10 national television games as part of Kia NBA Tip-Off 2023, with two doubleheaders each on TNT and ESPN and one on NBA TV.  Those games will showcase 14 different teams, three rematches from the 2023 NBA Playoffs and rosters that currently include 17 NBA All-Star selections from last season and seven recipients of the Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Award.    The regular season will begin on Tuesday, Oct. 24 with a doubleheader on TNT, marking Warner Bros. Discovery Sports’ 40th consecutive year of NBA coverage.  In the first game, the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets will receive their championship rings before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers in a rematch of last season’s Western Conference Finals (7:30 p.m. ET).  In the second game, the Phoenix Suns will visit the Golden State Warriors (10 p.m. ET) as three-time NBA All-Star Bradley Beal of Phoenix and 12-time NBA All-Star Chris Paul of Golden State make regular-season debuts with new teams and Paul faces the team for whom he played the previous three seasons.     ESPN will tip off its 22nd straight season of NBA telecasts on Wednesday, Oct. 25 with a doubleheader, which begins with the Boston Celtics visiting the New York Knicks (7 p.m. ET) in a matchup of teams that reached the Eastern Conference Finals and Eastern Conference Semifinals, respectively, last season.  The San Antonio Spurs will host the Dallas Mavericks in the second game (9:30 p.m. ET), marking the NBA regular-season debut of 2023 first overall draft pick Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio.    On Thursday, Oct. 26, intraconference rivalries will highlight TNT’s doubleheader as the Milwaukee Bucks host the Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Suns take on the Lakers in Los Angeles (10 p.m. ET).  ESPN’s doubleheader on Friday, Oct. 27 will have the Miami Heat meeting the Celtics in Boston (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Warriors visiting the Sacramento Kings (10 p.m. ET) – rematches from seven-game playoff series in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals and Western Conference First Round, respectively.   NBA TV will begin its live game coverage of the new season on Saturday, Oct. 28 as the Knicks visit the New Orleans Pelicans (7 p.m. ET) and the Suns host the Utah Jazz (10 p.m. ET).   Christmas Day   The NBA will feature five games on Christmas Day (Monday, Dec. 25) for the 16th year in a row, with ABC or ESPN televising each matchup.  The 76th edition of the NBA on Christmas Day will tip off on ESPN as the Bucks face the Knicks in New York (noon ET).   The next two games will air on both ABC and ESPN.  The two most recent recipients of the Larry O’Brien Trophy will go head-to-head when the 2022 NBA champion Warriors visit the 2023 NBA champion Nuggets (2:30 p.m. ET).  Next, the Lakers will host the Celtics (5 p.m. ET) as the longtime rivals meet on Christmas Day for the first time in 15 years.    The Christmas Day schedule will conclude with two more games on ESPN, with the 76ers taking on the Heat in Miami (8 p.m. ET) and the Mavericks playing the Suns in Phoenix (10:30 p.m. ET).   Martin Luther King Jr. Day   On Monday, Jan. 15, the NBA family will celebrate one of its most important traditions by honoring the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.    The celebration will include four nationally televised games.  In a TNT doubleheader, the Atlanta Hawks will face the Spurs (3:30 p.m. ET) and the Grizzlies will meet the Warriors (6 p.m. ET) as Atlanta and Memphis continue their traditions of hosting games on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.  NBA TV will also air two games: Houston Rockets at 76ers (1 p.m. ET) and Oklahoma City Thunder at Lakers (10:30 p.m. ET).    NBA Rivals Week   Classic and budding rivalries between teams and players will take center stage for the second annual NBA Rivals Week in January.  Rivalries will be the focus of all 11 nationally televised games across four networks (TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV) over five days from Tuesday, Jan. 23 – Saturday, Jan. 27.    NBA Rivals Week will culminate with an ABC tripleheader on Jan. 27, including 2023 Conference Semifinals rematches between the Heat and Knicks in New York (3 p.m. ET) and the Lakers and Warriors in San Francisco (8:30 p.m. ET).  In between those two games, reigning Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid and the 76ers will visit two-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets (5:30 p.m. ET) in a matchup of centers who have been the top two finishers in MVP voting in each of the last three seasons.     The complete game and broadcast schedule for NBA Rivals Week is available here.      Election Day   For the second consecutive season, no NBA games have been scheduled for Election Day (Tuesday, Nov. 7) as the league will continue to encourage fans and the broader NBA community to make a plan to vote and participate in the civic process.  As part of this initiative, the NBA will share important resources from voting organizations and highlight the civic engagement work of teams in their markets.   Final Day of Regular Season   All 30 teams will play on the final day of the regular season (Sunday, April 14).  In an effort to maximize competitive fairness, the seven games between Eastern Conference teams will begin at 1 p.m. ET, and the seven games between Western Conference teams and the one cross-conference game will start at 3:30 p.m. ET.  ESPN will televise a doubleheader, with the matchups to be determined at a later date.   NBA Global Games   NBA TV will televise both Global Games on the 2023-24 regular-season schedule.  As previously announced, the Hawks will meet the Orlando Magic in The NBA Mexico City Game 2023 on Thursday, Nov. 9 at the Arena CDMX in Mexico City (9:30 p.m. ET), and the Brooklyn Nets will take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in The NBA Paris Game 2024 on Thursday, Jan. 11 at the Accor Arena in Paris (2 p.m. ET).   NBA In-Season Tournament   NBA-In-Season Tournament Group Play games for all 30 teams will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays in November, with TNT, ESPN and NBA TV combining to televise 16 games.  Eight teams will advance to the Knockout Rounds, which consist of single-elimination games in the Quarterfinals (Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5), Semifinals (Thursday, Dec. 7) and Championship (Saturday, Dec. 9).  The national broadcast schedule for the Knockout Rounds will be announced at a later date.     More National Television Matchups   • 2023 NBA Finals rematches between the Nuggets and Heat will take place on Thursday, Feb. 29 in Denver on TNT (10 p.m. ET) and on Wednesday, March 13 in Miami on ESPN (7:30 p.m. ET).   • The top two picks in the 2023 NBA Draft – No. 1 pick Wembanyama of the Spurs and No. 2 pick Brandon Miller of the Charlotte Hornets – are scheduled to meet for the first time in the regular season when San Antonio hosts Charlotte on Friday, Jan. 12 on ESPN (10 p.m. ET).   • Also on Jan. 12, ESPN will present the first nationally televised matchup between twin brothers and NBA rookies Amen Thompson of the Rockets and Ausar Thompson of the Detroit Pistons – the fourth and fifth picks in the 2023 NBA Draft, respectively – when Houston visits Detroit (7:30 p.m. ET).   • Three-time NBA Hustle Award recipient and 2021-22 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart of the Grizzlies, who played the previous nine seasons with the Celtics, will play his first game in Boston as a visitor on Sunday, Feb. 4 on ESPN (6 p.m. ET).     • The first national television matchup between the top two picks in the 2022 NBA Draft – No. 1 pick and 2022-23 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero of the Magic and No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren of the Thunder – is set for Tuesday, Feb. 13 in Orlando on TNT (7:30 p.m. ET).    • Leading into NBA All-Star 2024, TNT will feature a single game on Thursday, Feb. 15, with the Bucks visiting the Grizzlies (8:30 p.m. ET).    Additional Schedule Highlights   • All 30 teams are scheduled to make at least one appearance on TNT or ESPN in the 2023-24 regular season.  The NBA on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBA TV will present flexible scheduling throughout the regular season to provide the most compelling matchups to a national audience.   • The team average for back-to-backs involving travel between games has been reduced to a record-low 9.0.  The previous low was 9.6 last season.   • Primetime weeknight doubleheaders across TNT (Tuesdays and Thursdays) and ESPN (Wednesdays and Fridays) will again be played at 7:30 p.m. ET/10 p.m. ET except for one instance during the first week of the season.   • ABC will televise 16 games as part of its two weekend series, NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC (which tips off with the Jan. 27 tripleheader during NBA Rivals Week) and NBA Sunday Showcase (which begins with Celtics at Heat on Feb. 11 at 2 p.m. ET).   • NBA TV will feature Center Court throughout the season, the network’s marquee night of programming, which incorporates enhanced viewing options into an originally produced telecast.  In the season debut of the franchise, the Warriors will visit the Pelicans on Monday, Oct. 30 (8 p.m. ET).     • ESPN Radio will broadcast 25 games in the regular season, including Nuggets-Lakers on opening night, Knicks-Bucks and Nuggets-Warriors on Christmas Day, and Hawks-Spurs on Martin Luther King Jr. Day.   • NBA League Pass will offer live, out-of-market games all season through the NBA App, NBA.com, connected televisions and TV providers.  Fans can unlock direct access to stream matchups featuring their favorite teams and players with NBA League Pass (blackout restrictions apply).  For more information, visit NBA.com/leaguepass.   • The regular season will feature 39 games that will air in primetime in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) as part of “NBA Saturdays and NBA Sundays presented by NBA 2K23.”    • The 2024 NBA Finals presented by YouTube TV and the 2024 Eastern Conference Finals will be exclusively televised by ABC and ESPN/ABC, respectively.  TNT will exclusively televise the 2024 Western Conference Finals and the 2024 NBA All-Star Game, which will be played on Sunday, Feb. 18 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis.   • NBA games and programming are available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages. NBA ANNOUNCES GROUP PLAY SCHEDULE FOR INAUGURAL IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT   – ESPN and TNT to Televise Group Play Games on Tuesdays and Fridays in November –   NEW YORK, Aug. 15, 2023 – The NBA today released its complete game schedule and national television matchups for Group Play of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, which will tip off on Friday, Nov. 3 during the 2023-24 regular season.   The complete game schedule and national broadcast schedule for the 2023-24 regular season will be announced on Thursday, Aug. 17.    Group Play games, the first of two stages in the In-Season Tournament, will take place on Tuesdays and Fridays in November.  On these “Tournament Nights,” the only NBA games scheduled will be Group Play games.    ESPN and TNT will combine to air 14 games during Group Play.  The first Tournament Night (Nov. 3) will feature a doubleheader on ESPN as the New York Knicks visit the Milwaukee Bucks (7:30 p.m. ET) and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets host the Dallas Mavericks (10 p.m. ET).  TNT will begin its Group Play broadcasts on Tuesday, Nov. 14, when the San Antonio Spurs visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Nuggets take on the LA Clippers in Denver (10 p.m. ET).    The national television schedule for Group Play includes three rematches from the 2023 NBA Playoffs.  The reigning Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat will visit the Knicks on Friday, Nov. 24 (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN) and host the Bucks on Tuesday, Nov. 28 (7:30 p.m. ET/TNT), and the Golden State Warriors will visit the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 28 (10 p.m. ET/TNT).        NBA TV’s live game coverage of Group Play will consist of a doubleheader on Friday, Nov. 24, with the Orlando Magic hosting the Boston Celtics (2:30 p.m. ET) and the Phoenix Suns visiting the Memphis Grizzlies (5 p.m. ET).   Each team will play four designated Group Play games from Nov. 3-28 – one game against each opponent in its group, with two games at home and two games on the road.  As previously announced, 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.  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     Eight teams (four per conference) will advance from Group Play into the second stage of the In-Season Tournament, the Knockout Rounds.  The advancing teams will be the six group winners and two “wild cards” (the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in its group).  The tiebreaker procedures are available here.    The Knockout Rounds will consist of single-elimination games in the Quarterfinals (Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5), Semifinals (Thursday, Dec. 7) and Championship (Saturday, Dec. 9).  The national broadcast schedule for the Knockout Rounds will be announced at a later date.    The Quarterfinals will be played in NBA team markets.  The Semifinals and Championship will take place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with tickets on sale now at NBAEvents.com.    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.   Added Regular-Season Games   Each of the 22 teams that do not advance to the Quarterfinals of the In-Season Tournament will be assigned two regular-season games (one home game and one away game) that will be played on Wednesday, Dec. 6 and Friday, Dec. 8.  A formulaic approach will determine the matchups for these 22 games using the Group Play standings in each conference (fifth through 15th).   Two of the 22 games will be scheduled cross-conference because there will be an odd number of teams in each conference that do not advance to the Quarterfinals.  These cross-conference games will be scheduled between bottom-finishing teams in Group Play subject to travel constraints, and no team will play more than one of its two games cross-conference.  The other 20 games will be scheduled within conference featuring teams that are otherwise scheduled to play each other three times over the course of the season wherever possible.   The losing teams in the Quarterfinals in each conference will play each other in a regular-season game on Dec. 8.      # # #       Luka Doncic headlines 'Nothing Else Matters' global campaign launch AUGUST 14, 2023 MIES (Switzerland) -  The FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 has launched its global creative campaign 'Nothing Else Matters' ahead of the highly anticipated men's flagship event getting underway later this month. The selection of players showing the broad cross-section of talent at the World Cup is headlined by global superstar Luka Doncic, China's anchor Zhou Qi and two host countries' heroes - Philippines' ace Jordan Clarkson and Japan's leader Yuta Watanabe.   The original creative, developed in-house, merges the personal off-season hobbies of the players with their unique on-court talents in a manner that is sure to delight fans. To provide fans with unique access to their heroes and convey authentic storytelling, each player was shot in iconic locations strongly tied to their paths. Doncic was filmed in Ljubljana, Clarkson in San Antonio, Watanabe in Miyazaki and Qi in Qingdao City. State-of-the-art filming techniques and computer-generated imagery were used to create a smooth transition for each player from their personal leisure time into the intensity of a FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 battle which delivers a fusion of action, basketball skills and stunning locations. All of those elements have all been combined to provide an exciting, kinetic film that will bring to life the #NothingElseMatters message globally.   FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Global Campaign Launch The production was led by UK agency Be Media and directed by Will Clark Smith. Leaving aside their off-season hobbies, stars from 32 countries are slated to compete at the upcoming FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, set to tip-off on August 25 across the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia and concluding with the Final to be held on September 10 in Manila at the Mall Of Asia Arena. A select number of preparation games will be available to watch on Courtside 1891 with Max or World Cup bundle and even some for free on Plus (subject to geographical restrictions).