The Basketball World Cup, the largest competition in the FIBA, begins on Friday. The first two rounds are split between three nations, but the championship match will be contested in Manila on September 10 to determine which country will take home the Naismith Trophy and gold medals.
Spain has held the title since winning in China four years ago. In that competition, the United States’ poorest placing at a significant international competition was merely eighth. However, the Americans are the tournament favorites and have big expectations.
With 34 points in a victory over Germany last weekend, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves has earned the title of best player after a string of exhibition games.
Mikal Bridges and Cam Johnson of the Brooklyn Nets, Jaren Jackson Jr. of the Memphis Grizzlies, Brandon Ingram of the New Orleans Pelicans, Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers, and Jalen Brunson and Tyrese Haliburton, two developing point guards, are among the other notable players on the roster.
Everyone in the room, according to Haliburton, “has a little bit of a chip on their shoulder,” because I believe we all understand that the world is watching us and thinking, “This is the time that we’re going to beat the United States.” And that irritates everyone to high heaven.
How will the Americans bounce back from their most recent FIBA World Cup experience?
There were eight separate groups of four teams made up of the 32 teams. Each group’s top two teams advance to the second round. The quarterfinals are reached by the top eight teams following the second round.
The schedules for each of the 32 teams’ first games are listed below:
FRIDAY, 25 August
Group A (at Manila): Dominican Republic vs. Philippines, and Angola vs. Italy
Group D (at Manila): Egypt vs. Lithuania, and Mexico vs. Montenegro
Group E (at Okinawa): Germany vs. Japan, and Finland vs. Australia
Group H (at Jakarta): Canada vs. France, and Latvia vs. Lebanon
SATURDAY, 26 August
Group B (at Manila): Serbia vs. China, and South Sudan vs. Puerto Rico
Group C (at Manila): United States vs. New Zealand, and Jordan vs. Greece
Group F (at Okinawa): Slovenia vs. Venezuela, and Cape Verde vs. Georgia
Group G (at Jakarta): Spain vs. Ivory Coast, and Iran vs. Brazil
How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup in the United States:
ESPN2 will air the first three American games on August 26, August 28, and August 30. The games on August 26 and 28 will start at 8:40 a.m. EDT, while the game on August 30 will start at 4:40 a.m. EDT.
Other games include streaming options.
Which NBA players will compete in the 2023 FIBA World Cup?
There are two All-NBA players on the court: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander from Canada and Luka Doncic from Slovenia, both of whom play for Dallas. They are two of the six All-Stars from the previous season in the World Cup lineup, together with Lauri Markkanen of Finland (Utah) and the American athletes.
How should you bet on the World Cup of basketball?
According to FanDuel Sportsbook, the U.S. is the clear favorite to win the World Cup with odds of minus-130 (a $130 gamble on the Americans would pay out $230 if they won). The second choice is a tie between France and Canada, both at plus-950 (a $100 wager would pay out $950). Want some good stuff? Try Slovenia; Luka Doncic’s team has a plus-2,100 starting position.
2023 FIBA World Cup schedule
First Round: August 25–30
Second Round, and classification for positions 17–32: August 31–September 3
No games: September 4
Quarterfinals: 5-6 September
Playoffs for places 5 through 8: Sept. 7
Semifinals: September 8
Playoffs for places 5 through 8: Sept. 9
Bronze-medal game and the gold-medal game: September 10