FIBA World Cup: Format, list of NBA players, and how to watch

World champions Spain and Team USA are among the favorites to win the FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup 2023.

The FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup 2023 kicks off on Friday, with 32 teams playing in 92 matches over 16 days of competition, all vying for the title of world champion as well as qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

This is the 19th edition of the competition, which began in 1950 and was known as the FIBA ​​World Championship until 2010. This is the first time the event has been hosted by multiple countries as the two group stage rounds will be split between the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia before they meet. The top eight teams are in Manila for the final stage. The competition returns to the basketball-obsessed Philippines for the first time in 45 years.

coordination

The following is a breakdown of the competition format:

Round 1 of the group stage (25-30 August): Eight groups of four teams, with each team playing against the other three teams in the group for a total of 48 matches. The first two teams from each group will qualify for the second round, while the last two teams will play in the classification round to determine the 17-32 positions.

• Groups A and BManila (Araneta Coliseum, Stadium of the Philippines)
• Groups C and D: Manila (Mall of Asia Arena)
• Groups E and F: Okinawa (Okinawa Arena)
• Groups G and H: Jakarta (Arena Indonesia)

Group Stage: Round 2 (31 August – 4 September)Four groups of four teams, each of which plays against the two teams in their group that they did not face in the first round. The results of the first round carry over to the second round. The top two teams from each group advance to the final stage. The bottom two teams from each group are eliminated and ranked in positions 9 to 16, according to official basketball rules.

• The first groupManila (Araneta Coliseum): First and second place from groups A and B
• group j: Manila (Mall of Asia Arena): 1st and 2nd place from groups C and D
• Group K: Okinawa (Okinawa Arena): 1st and 2nd place from groups E and F
• group l: Jakarta (Indonesia Arena): 1st and 2nd place from groups G and H

Final Phase: Quarter-finals (5-6 September)Eight teams play in a bracket-shaped tournament to determine the champion, with all matches being played at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. The winner of each quarter-final advances to the semi-finals, while the loser plays in the classification round for places 5-8.

• September 5 (match 81)Group I vs Group J
• September 5 (match 82)The first group J vs the second group I
• September 6 (Batch 83)The first group K vs the second group L
• September 6 (84th match)The first group, L, versus the second group, K

Final Stage: Semi-Finals (8 September)The winner of each semi-final advances to the final, while the loser of each semi-final will play in the third-place match.

• September 8 (match 87)Winner of Match 81 vs Winner of Match 83
• September 8 (match 88)Winner of Match 82 vs Winner of Match 84

Final Stage: Final and Third Place Match (10 September)The world title will be decided when the two semi-final winners meet in the final.

• September 10 (Game 91, Match for third place): Loser of Match 87 vs Loser of Match 88
• September 10 (Match 92, Final)Winner of Match 87 vs Winner of Match 88

field

As the game of basketball continues to grow and expand globally, so does the Basketball World Cup. What started as a 10-nation competition in 1950 has now grown to 32 teams vying for the title of World Champion.

Spain enters the 2023 competition as the reigning champions – having won their second FIBA ​​World Cup in 2019 – as well as the top team in the FIBA ​​World Rankings. The Spanish national team, led by Willy, Juancho Hernangomez, Rudy Fernandez and Santi Aldama, is the favorite to get out of Group G in the group stage.

Below is the group draw with the teams listed as per their FIBA ​​ranking. Click on each country to learn more about the team and view their first group stage^street Tour schedule.

• Group A: Italy (10), Dominican Republic (23), Philippines (40), Angola (41)
• Group BSerbia (6), Puerto Rico (20), China (27), South Sudan (62).
• Group C: United States (2), Greece (9), New Zealand (26), Jordan (33)
• group d: Lithuania (8), Montenegro (18), Mexico (31), Egypt (55)
• group e: Australia (3), Germany (11), Finland (24), Japan (36)
• Group F: Slovenia (7), Venezuela (17), Georgia (32), Cape Verde (64)
• Group GSpain (1), Brazil (13), Iran (22), Côte d’Ivoire (42)
• group hFrance (5), Canada (15), Latvia (29), Lebanon (43)

The United States enters the FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup ranked second in the FIBA ​​rankings, but is seen as the favorite for the tournament. Team USA features a 12-man roster full of current NBA players, led by All-Stars Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Halliburton, and Garren Jackson Jr., as well as NBA Most Valuable Rookie winner Paulo Panchero.

But what the United States prides itself on in talent, it lacks in international experience. The FIBA ​​World Cup will be the first senior-level competition for each member of Team USA. The team began training in early August and amassed a perfect 5-0 record in an exhibition display to prepare them for the competition, including wins over top-ranked Spain and an impressive 11-team win.^yGermany ranked.

The United States is tied with former Yugoslavia for the most FIBA ​​World Cup titles in the competition’s history, with five, winning in 1954, 1986, 1994, 2010 and 2014. However, the USA team is coming off of its worst World Cup game. History in 2019 when they finished seventh.

Team USA finishes at the FIBA ​​World Cup

• fifties: 1950 (second), 1954 (first), 1959 (second)
• Sixties: 1963 (fourth), 1967 (fourth)
• The seventies: 1970 (fifth), 1974 (third), 1978 (fifth)
• the eighties: 1982 (second), 1986 (first)
• The nineties: 1990 (third), 1994 (first), 1998 (third)
• first decade of the twenty-first century: 2002 (sixth), 2006 (third)
• 2010s: 2010 (first), 2014 (first), 2019 (seventh)

Of course, the United States isn’t the only roster that boasts plenty of talent in the NBA. In total, 22 of the 32 national teams competing in the FIBA ​​World Cup feature at least one NBA player. At least a third of the rosters of Canada, Serbia, France and Australia are made up of NBA players.

Six 2023 NBA All-Stars take part in the contest, with Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Shay Gilgos Alexander (CAN) and Lauri Markkanen (FN) joining the trio of Team USA; Doncic and Gilgios Alexander were also named to the All-NBA First Team last season. To learn more about some of the standout players from the FIBA ​​Basketball World Cup 2023, check out our 12 players you can watch in action.

There are some international superstars missing this year’s competition due to injury or rest, including Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Jamal Murray (Canada), Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia), Ben Simmons (Australia) and Jose. Alvarado (Puerto Rico).

NBA players in the Basketball World Cup lists

Group A

• Angola: Bruno Fernando (Atlanta Hawks)
• dominican republic– Karl Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves), Leicester Quinones (Golden State Warriors)
• ItalySimon Funticiu (Utah Jazz)
• FilipinoJordan Clarkson (Utah Jazz)

Group B

• China: Kyle Anderson (Minnesota Timberwolves)
• Serbia: Bogdan Bogdanovic (Atlanta Hawks), Aleksey Bukosevski (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat), Philip Petrosev (Philadelphia 76ers).
• South SudanWayne Gabriel (Los Angeles Lakers), Carlick Jones (Chicago Bulls)
• Puerto Rico: There are no NBA players in the list.

Group C

• Greece: Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
• Jordan: There are no NBA players in the list.
• New Zealand: There are no NBA players in the list.
• United StatePaolo Panchero (Orlando Magic), Michael Bridges (Brooklyn Nets), Jalen Bronson (New York Knicks), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Tyrese Halliburton (Indiana Pacers), Josh Hart (New York Knicks), Brandon Ingram (New Orleans). Pelicans), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies), Cameron Johnson (Brooklyn Nets), Walker Kessler (Utah Jazz), Bobby Portis (Milwaukee Bucks), Austin Reeves (Los Angeles Lakers).

group d

• Egypt: There are no NBA players in the list.
• Lithuania– Jonas Valancionas (New Orleans Pelicans), Azulas Topilis (Philadelphia 76ers).
• Mexico: There are no NBA players in the list.
• the black Mountain: Nikola Vucevic (Chicago Bulls).

group e

• AustraliaXavier Cox (Washington Wizards), Dyson Daniels (New Orleans Pelicans), Dante Exum (Dallas Mavericks), Josh Geddy (Oklahoma City Thunder), Josh Green (Dallas Mavericks), Joe Engels (Orlando Magic), Jock Landel (Houston Rockets) ). – Patty Mills (Atlanta Hawks), Matthys Thibul (Portland Trail Blazers), Jack White (Oklahoma City Thunder).
• Finland: Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
• Germany: Dennis Schroeder (Toronto Raptors), Daniel Theis (Indiana Pacers), Franz Wagner (Orlando Magic), Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic).
• Japan: Yuta Watanabe (Phoenix Suns)

Group F

• green head: There are no NBA players in the list.
• GeorgiaJoga Bitadze (Orlando Magic) and Sandro Mamokilaashvili (San Antonio Spurs).
• Slovenia: Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
• Venezuela: There are no NBA players in the list.

Group G

• Brazil: Raul Neto (Cleveland Cavaliers)
• Côte d’Ivoire: There are no NBA players in the list.
• Iran: There are no NBA players in the list.
• SpainSanti Aldama (Memphis Grizzlies), Usman Garuba (Atlanta Hawks)

group h

• CanadaShay Gilgios Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), RG Barrett (New York Knicks), Dillon Brooks (Houston Rockets), Lou Dort (Oklahoma City Thunder), Nickel Alexander Walker (Minnesota Timberwolves), Kelly Olynyk (Utah Jazz). Dwight Powell (Dallas Mavericks)
• France: Frank Ntilikina (free player, most recently the Dallas Mavericks), Nicholas Batum (Los Angeles Clippers), Ivan Fournier (New York Knicks), Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves).
• LatviaDavis Bertans (Oklahoma City Thunder).
• Lebanon: There are no NBA players in the list.

How do you watch

The Courtside 1891 FIBA ​​World Cup Pass will provide fans in 20 countries and regions access to live and on-demand matches, as well as replays, extended highlights and the best performances.

Fans in the following countries and territories can purchase a Courtside 1891 Basketball World Cup ticket: Angola, Argentina, Cape Verde, Côte d’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Puerto Rico. Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey and the United Kingdom.

For viewers in the United States, the games will be available directly on ESPN platforms such as ESPN2 and ESPN+. Six matches will be broadcast exclusively on ESPN2, including three first-round matches featuring Team USA. All other 86 games will be carried by ESPN+.

schedule

Check out the full Group Stage First Round schedule here. This page will be updated daily with results and with matches decided in the extra rounds.

For Team USA fans, here is the schedule for the first round of the group stage for the Americans:

• Saturday 26th August8:40 a.m. ET: USA vs. New Zealand
• Monday 28 AugustUSA: Greece vs. USA, 8:40 a.m. ET
• Wed 30 AugJordan vs. USA, 4:40 a.m. ET