Tag: FIBA World Cup

Austin Reaves did the three to the head celebration for Carmelo Anthony, who saluted back on Twitter

Austin Reaves and Carmelo Anthony were teammates on the Lakers.

During the 2023 FIBA World Cup semifinal match between Team USA and Germany, Austin Reaves had a perfect celebration after a 3-pointer.

After connecting on a shot from beyond the arc, Reaves hit the “three to the head” celebration popularized by Carmelo Anthony. The two players were teammates on the Los Angeles Lakers when Reaves was a rookie in 2021-22.

Anthony, who was captain of Team USA during the FIBA World Cup in 2006, was at the game in Manila. He was attending the tournament in the Philippines as FIBA’s World Cup Global Ambassador. Other ambassadors include Pau Gasol (Spain) and Luis Scola (Argentina).

Right after the 3-pointer connected, the three-time Olympic gold medalist was shown on the TV broadcast.

Anthony clearly saw the tribute from Reaves and he saluted back with a post on Twitter.

This was an awesome moment for Reaves, who has played well for Team USA during the tournament.

Reaves finished with 21 points but Team USA ultimately was upset by Germany, 113-111, and will not advance to the World Cup championship game.

Instead, Team USA will face Canada for a chance to win the bronze.

[lawrence-related id=2128075,2123353,2060559]

Spurs legend Tony Parker slams France after FIBA World Cup exit

San Antonio Spurs legend Tony Parker recently ripped into the French national team after their elimination from the FIBA World Cup.

Few organizations have embraced the game of basketball at an international level more than the San Antonio Spurs. Throughout the years, they’ve been home to guys like Tony Parker (France), Manu Ginobili (Argentina), and now Victor Wembanyama (France). Even Tim Duncan, who played his college ball at Wake Forest, was born outside the 50 states, as he’s from the US Virgin Islands.

And as the FIBA World Cup rolls on, plenty of great players are getting their chance to shine. Unfortunately, a relatively stacked France squad got bounced early, and Parker wasn’t too happy about it, ripping into his fellow countrymen after their elimination.

When talking with Stephen Time of RMC Sport, Parker said there’s “a bit of shame” that is being felt after France’s exit. (H/t Translated to English by Mike Taylor of Inside the Spurs)

“There, we (France) really experienced a fiasco,” said Parker. “I talked about it for a long time with Nicolas Batum, we spoke for an hour on the phone, and it’s true that it’s very, very disappointing. It’s not normal for such a team to lose in the first round. We have never seen Spain and the United States go out in the first round. And it’s a shame because our generation worked so hard to bring France back to a certain level, so that we could be respected, by FIBA, the referees, the other countries. Latvia had a great match. They had some crazy shots, but it’s not normal. It’s still a bit of a shame.”

Rudy Gobert, Nicolas Batum, Evan Fournier, and others were part of the French team that got bounced. They’ll be looking to find their footing again at the 2024 Olympics.

[lawrence-auto-related count=3]

Dillon Brooks hilariously wore boxing gloves to greet his teammates after FIBA World Cup quarterfinal ejection

This was so cold from Dillon Brooks.

Dillon Brooks had quite the day at the 2023 FIBA World Cup on Wednesday.

Ahead of Canada’s quarterfinal match against Slovenia, Brooks was booed heartily by fans at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. Brooks met the boos head on by blowing a kiss to the crowd after knocking down a first quarter 3-pointer, incensing the fans even further.

Everything came to a head when Brooks was ejected for taunting Luka Dončić later in the game, but Canada had things well in hand for a 100-89  victory to move onto the 2023 FIBA World Cup semifinals. Afterwards, however, Brooks was seen donning boxing gloves as he awaited the return of his teammates to the locker room from Canada’s big victory.

Despite the ejection, it’s no wonder Brooks was in high spirits after the game. Canada knocked off Slovenia and Brooks was a pest all over the court, getting under nearly everyone’s skin in “the full Dillon Brooks experience“.

Here’s how basketball fans reacted to Brooks wearing boxing gloves to greet his Canadian teammates after their big FIBA World Cup win.

Here are the 8 teams that qualified for the 2024 Olympics in Paris at the 2023 FIBA World Cup

USA and Canada men’s basketball have both qualified for the Olympics.

Although each national team wants to win the tournament, the FIBA World Cup also helps determine what nations will qualify for the Olympics.

Only a dozen teams will compete in Paris and we already know six of those nations, which we will review below. The placements thus far are based on universality, to ensure each continent is represented, and performance at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

The host nation (France) automatically earns a bid to play in the tournament. Two teams from the Americas, two teams from Europe, one team from Asia, one team from Africa and one team from Oceania will also get placement as well.

If a team is listed in bold, that means they have officially punched their ticket and will compete in the 2024 Olympics.

Three asterisks next to the nation indicate that the team made it to the final phase of the tournament before elimination but still qualified for a wildcard spot via the FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament in July 2024.

Similarly, two asterisks next to the nation indicate that the team made it to the second round of the tournament before elimination but qualified for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament as well.

One asterisk next to the nation indicates that the team did not make it to the second round of the tournament but also managed to qualify for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in the class of 17 – 32.

Meanwhile, a strikethrough on the team name suggests that based on their performance during the FIBA World Cup, the team did not qualify for any of the four Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

The four winners of the four Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, meanwhile, will join the followng eight teams in Paris at the 2024 Olympics.

Dillon Brooks was booed, blew kisses and eventually ejected from FIBA World Cup quarterfinal win

Dillon Brooks also wore boxing gloves after the game was over.

Basketball fans watched the full Dillon Brooks experience during the 2023 FIBA World Cup quarterfinal match between Canada and Slovenia.

Before the game even began, during player introductions, Brooks was met with a shower of boos from those who attended the Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines.

His entrance felt a lot like watching a wrestling heel about to enter the ring before a fight, which is fitting considering he once dressed exactly like the famous wrestler Stone Cold Steve Austin.

The beginning of the game absolutely set the tone for what ended up as a very wild day for Brooks, who will have a chance to represent Canada in the semifinals of the 2023 FIBA World Cup against Serbia on Sept. 8.

Brooks, who continued to receive boos from the crowd every single time that he touched the ball, seemed motivated by the reactions he received.

After connecting on a 3-pointer in the first quarter, Brooks blew kisses to the people in the crowd who continued to root against him.

Later in the game, after connecting on another 3-pointer, Brooks once again blew kisses to his naysayers.

It was quite a spectacle from Brooks, who clearly wasn’t trying to gain any new fans with anything but his play on the court.

Brooks was 5-for-7 (2-for-3 3PA) from the field and was tasked with tough defensive assignments, guarding Luka Doncic for several assignments during the game.

But he was eventually disqualified for the game due to taunting Doncic.

Brooks finished with 14 points, 3 rebounds, 1 assist and 1 steal after 28 minutes of play during the game against Slovenia.

Overall, however, it was best described as “the full Dillon Brooks experience” from the moment the game started until the moment it ended.

Even after Canada won the game and advanced to the semifinals, meanwhile, Brooks stayed as entertaining as ever.

He put on boxing gloves and started jokingly jabbing with his coaches and his teammates. What a night from Brooks!

[lawrence-related id=2118920,2088944,2051136]

Twitter reacts to Canada’s quarterfinal win over Slovenia: ‘SGA, as clutch as they come’

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Canada’s win over Slovenia in the FIBA World Cup quarterfinals.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s 32 points and 10 rebounds led Canada past Luka Doncic’s Slovenia 100-89 and to the FIBA World Cup semifinals.

Doncic and Dillon Brooks both got ejected during the game.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Canada’s win.

Twitter reacts to Team USA’s 37-point win over Italy in quarterfinal: ‘They took the Lithuania loss personally’

Here’s how Twitter reacted to Team USA’s dominant win over Italy in the quarterfinals of the World Cup.

Team USA bounced back with a huge 100-63 blowout win over Italy in the FIBA World Cup quarterfinal. Mikal Bridges was the best American player, as he went off for 24 points and seven rebounds.

Steve Kerr’s team advanced to the semifinal, where they’ll face the winner of Germany vs. Latvia.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to USA’s dominant performance.

Paolo Banchero was booed by Italian fans after spurning them for Team USA at the FIBA World Cup

Italy wasn’t happy with the Paolo Banchero for choosing Team USA.

Out of all the teams that Team USA could have faced in the quarterfinals of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, it was the Italian national team.

Team USA has a key player, Paolo Banchero, with a strong connection to Italy. Banchero, who was the No. 1 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, is from Washington but was eligible to play for the Italian national team as a duel citizen.

When he was just 17 years old, he was selected to the 24-man squad before the Eurobasket qualification games in November 2020. He did not play. As recently as last year, however, Banchero said he was “planning to play” for the Italian national team.

But when he received an invitation to play for Team USA at the 2023 FIBA FIBA World Cup, despite the longstanding interest from Italy, he accepted and said that he drew inspiration from his mother (via The Athletic):

“To represent your country is bigger than yourself. … It was a drawn-out process, choosing between (USA and Italy). I decided this is where I wanted to be. My mother played for Team USA, so it was always a dream of mine.”

Banchero, who was the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year, would have had a massive offensive load for the Italian national team. Instead, he is more of a role player for Team USA.

Gianni Petrucci, the president of the Italian Basketball Federation, was predictably unhappy (via La Gazzetta dello Sport)

“Betrayal, especially in basketball, is a strong word. Situations like this happen, and personally, I’m used to it. But he fooled us, we were planning a great commercial strategy for him.”

Before the game against Italy, Banchero was asked if he had a message for the Italian fans. Banchero said that he did not have anything to say to them.

So before tipoff on Tuesday evening in the Philippines, it wasn’t exactly much of a surprise when Banchero was showered with boos from the Italian fans that traveled to the game.

According to reporter Nicole Ganglani, the forward was “greeted with boos” by the crowd at the Mall of Asia Arena. But the jeers were from just a “small contingent” of fans, per reporter Joe Viray.

It wasn’t a warm welcome for Banchero in front of these Italian fans.

Some even held signs potentially equating Banchero to Pinocchio, likely suggesting that the Orlando forward is a liar.

[lawrence-related id=2132631,2128036,2127974,2121176]

Nikola Vucevic, Montenegro gave Team USA the biggest scare of the FIBA World Cup thus far

Nikola Vucevic had a MONSTER performance in a tough loss for Montenegro.

Chicago Bulls big man Nikola Vucevic nearly led Montenegro to a massive upset over the United States at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Montenegro led Team USA, 39-38, at the end of the first half. But they did not have quite enough left in the tank to secure the victory in what finished as an exciting second-round game between the two national teams.

USA eventually won the game, 85-73, after an especially strong second half from Anthony Edwards.

Vucevic, however, still made a remarkable effort in this solid performance. He finished with 18 points (8-of-19 FG, 1-of-3 3P) and 16 rebounds with 2 blocks and just 1 foul after more than 26 minutes of action.

It was arguably the best match any individual player has had against Team USA at any point during the tournament thus far.

Montenegro (2-2) has a game scheduled against Greece (2-1) at 4:40 AM EST on Sept. 3 as well. Team USA (4-0) will next face off against Lithuania (3-0) at 8:40 AM EST on Sept. 3.

Among those four teams, the two with the top overall record after two rounds will advance to the quarterfinals at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

[lawrence-related id=2129928]

Nikola Jovic sure looks like the centerpiece of a Damian Lillard trade during the FIBA World Cup

Jovic was PERFECT during his most recent game for Serbia.

As the Heat and Trail Blazers continue trade talks for Damian Lillard, a name certain to come up is 2022 first-round pick Nikola Jovic.

The latest update on that front is that the Trail Blazers are reportedly “not impressed” with Miami’s offer for Lillard, per ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. Portland’s front office may have to reconsider its stance, however, based on Jovic’s performance during the 2023 FIBA World Cup thus far.

Only recently 20 years old, the 6-foot-10 wing is the youngest player on the roster for the Heat. He helped lead Serbia to a perfect 3-0 record during team group play in the World Cup and now his team will advance to the next round of the tournament.

Jovic personally finished with 17 points (6-of-9 FG, 3-of-4 3P), 3 rebounds and 4 assists against Puerto Rico. But he was even more impressive playing against South Sudan in the final game of group play, recording 25 points (9-of-9 FG, 4-of-4 3P) with 2 rebounds and 3 assists.

He recorded no turnovers and has committed just one personal foul in 75 minutes of group play.

Serbia outscored its opponents by 68 points when he was on the court, per FIBA, which is the highest mark of any player not from the United States or Canada.

Jovic is 8-of-12 (66.7 percent) on his jump shots and 8-of-10 (80.0 percent) at the rim since the tournament began. Overall, per Synergy, he is averaging 1.89 points per possession — which is the most efficient mark of any player in the FIBA World Cup.

He ranks third-best among all players in HoopsHype’s Global Rating, trailing only All-NBA guards Luka Doncic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

So what is going on with the sudden emergence? Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra recently noted that this was a big offseason for Jovic, who had already bulked up from 220 pounds to 239 pounds when NBA 2K24 Summer League began (via Sun-Sentinel):

“Everything we were doing with our program from the conditioning to the weight-room work to the rehab work to the basketball skills development was to prepare him for summer league and then potentially have an opportunity to play for his national team.”

During that stretch of four games, he averaged 21.7 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per 36 minutes for Miami.

Jovic has stated that he hopes to stay with the Heat because the organization has helped him a lot, but he also acknowledged that whatever happens will happen.

The reality is that Jovic is an ideal trade centerpiece for a move involving Lillard. He is 6-foot-10 and yet he is capable of hitting jumpers off the dribble, connecting on all three of these opportunities during exhibition play for Serbia before the World Cup officially began.

Unlike other rumored trade pieces from Miami for Lillard (like Tyler Herro), Jovic doesn’t have the same positional overlap with the foundational players already on Portland’s roster like Scoot Henderson and Anfernee Simons. He can complement what the Trail Blazers are already building.

If his hot streak continues, perhaps a trade between Portland Miami happens sooner than later after all.

[lawrence-related id=2125547,2093454,2090571,2127974,2124351]