The Spanish Basketball Federation and Municipality of Valencia have officially applied to host one of the four 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. Spain is one of the national teams that will compete in the Olympic Qualifiers for a spot in Paris.

Greece has also submitted its own bid to host a Qualifying Tournament.

Spain has consistently participated in the Olympic Games since 2000 primarily by getting automatic qualification due to ranking high in FIBA tournaments. Next year, they will play in the Qualifiers after finishing 9th in the FIBA World Cup and seventh among European national teams.

Apart from Spain, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia, Montenegro, Greece, Georgia, Finland, Croatia, Poland, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Dominican Republic, Mexico, Bahamas, Egypt, Angola, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, New Zealand, Lebanon, the Philippines and Bahrain will participate in the Olympic Qualifiers. Each Qualifying Tournament will feature six countries and only four out of the 24 national teams will manage to advance to the Olympic Games.

2024 Olympic Games host France, newly crowned world champion Germany, World Cup finalist Serbia, bronze medal winner Canada and fourth-placed Team USA have already booked their ticket, along with South Sudan, Japan and Australia.

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The Greek basketball federation has officially informed FIBA about their intention to host one of the four pre-Olympic tournaments that will decide the final four spots of the Olympic Games basketball tournament in Paris 2024.

Since the recent World Cup, there were indications that Greece will be interested and the official bid comes as no surprise to FIBA. The total cost which is nearly three million euros was a major concern for the Greek side, however, if Giannis Antetokounmpo is present, then the costs are easy to cover just from the possible commercial deals for the event.

So far, other than health concerns, there’s no indication that the Greek Freak will be missing. On the contrary, when he announced that he would not be able to play in the FIBA World Cup, he added in his message  “My personal, and our ultimate team goal is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics games and it will be an honor to represent my National Team next year”.

The Greek bid offers as a venue the “Peace and Friendship” Stadium, while the Athens’ Olympic Complex Arena (OAKA) is also a possibility, but its availability depends on the possible renovation works done by Panathinaikos during the same time.

The pre-Olympics tournaments will be held between the 2nd and the 7th of July, while the Olympic Games start on the 26th of the same month.

The NBA Finals will be over at the latest on the 23rd of June if they get to Game 7, so even if that’s the case for Giannis, there are no conflicting dates as it happened due to COVID in the 2021 pre-Olympic tournaments.

FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis has said during the FIBA World Cup that by the end of November, FIBA will announce the pre-Olympic hosts and also clarified that there’s no rule that prevents more than one tournament from being hosts on the same continent.

Meanwhile, Greece has yet to appoint a new coach after parting ways with Dimitris Itoudis, with the name of EuroLeague legend Vassilis Spanoulis being considered as a candidate.

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The clock is ticking for Joel Embiid who is still undecided about which national team he may represent in the 2024 Paris Olympics.

At this point, he can choose to play for the USA, France, and also for Cameroon, which got a ticket for the pre-Olympic qualifiers.

It’s not a secret that the French basketball federation has approached him and speaking on the “Stephen Time show” on French radio station RMC, federation president Jean-Pierre Siutat revealed that he expects an answer by the 10th of October: “It will happen very quickly in all cases. We hope so and I think he knows it. We may have an answer by October 10. We have set this deadline.”

France after not a disappointing FIBA World Cup, is hosting the Olympics and aims for gold. So adding Embiid in the mix can end up being huge.

Still, Siutat is cautious: “We never communicated anything official about Joel Embiid. There was buzz created from everywhere, and I repeat that I want him to come. However, we made no communication about the fact that he was with us. Today, he is still not with us. We are working on it, we have a firm desire to do it. He knows it. We had the opportunity to discuss it with him and we are awaiting a decision. The American team is very interested in the idea of ​​having him. Cameroon is qualified for the pre-Olympics. It’s a delicate situation for him.”

Per FIBA rules, Embiid can play as a naturalized player both for France and for the USA, having in both cases citizenship. Of course, he can also play for his native Cameroon. So far, Embiid hasn’t played for any national team during his basketball career and that’s why he is permitted to have this choice.

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It comes as no surprise, but one of the biggest names who missed the recent FIBA World Cup clarified that he will play in the upcoming Paris Olympics.

French phenomenon Victor Wembanyama will be in Paris for the 2024 Olympics, as he said in a press conference for the documentary “Un1que”, which follows his last season in France before getting drafted by the NBA.

As he said without hesitation: “Succeeding in the Olympics would be a great story. And there will be no goal other than gold. I will of course be present at the Olympics. I watched the World Cup and the result was very disappointing. However, I am not worried. I have no other criticism to make, I was not in the team and it is in the hands of top-level players. I feel that this does not alter the opportunity to do something big in Paris next year”.

Wembanyama refers to the fact that the French national team ended up not making it past the first round of the FIBA World Cup, a result that shocked everyone.

The young player explained why he couldn’t play this summer for the national team: “It was the first time in my life that I felt tired in my head, because of all the events that happened one after the other. Nothing negative. But the vacation, after the Summer League, was a necessity to continue calmly on a mental level. I took the time to isolate myself. This is the first time I have appeared in the media in three months. It did me good”.

As for his upcoming season in the NBA with the San Antonio Spurs, he added: “The ideal start would already be the playoffs. For the rest… the best thing is not knowing. I hope it will surprise me and it will be beautiful. It’s no secret that it’s hard to win a ring. But I’m patient, and I know it will happen. Not winning my first few years is no barrier to becoming a Hall of Famer or winning five later”.

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Dimitris Itoudis is no longer the head coach of Greece’s senior national team.

Itoudis, 53, was released from his contract, the Hellenic Basketball Federation announced Monday.

The Greek tactician was initially contracted through the following summer. However, Greece being among the participants of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments creates “a scheduling conflict with his duties at the club level”, noted the Federation.

The tenure as the selector of the senior national team of his country was marked by Greece ranking fifth in the 2022 EuroBasket and 15th in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Heading to the OQT and a potential berth in the Olympic Games, a new head coach will take over the reins. Apart from the summer schedule, in the following winter international windows, Greece will face Great Britain, Czechia, and the Netherlands in the Qualifiers of the 2025 EuroBasket.

On his social media coach Itoudis confirmed that his obligation towards Fenerbahce makes it difficult for him to stay on the helm of the national team, adding that he intends to stay close to the team in a consultant role if needed without any pay.

As he wrote: “I gave the last ounce of my strength to represent our country worthily, while I was filled with pride and humility, realizing how small the individual size of all of us is, in front of the greatness of representing the country and the participation in our national team”.

Dimitris Itoudis focuses on Fenerbahce

At the club level, Itoudis remains in charge of Fenerbahce Beko, entering the second season of his three-year contract. The two-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion with CSKA is currently preparing his side for the 2023-24 editions of the EuroLeague and Turkiye Sigorta Basketbol Super Ligi.

After completing the preseason schedule as a guest participant in the VTB United League SuperCup later this week, Fener will switch to official action. Playing host to Cagdas Bodrum Spor and to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in Ulker Sports Arena opens the domestic campaign on October 1 and the continental campaign on October 6.

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Far from a first, Team USA is set to possibly receive numerous upgrades navigating from the FIBA World Cup to the Olympic Games.

LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, and Draymond Green are among the players planning to commit to playing for the United States in next summer’s Olympic Games, according to The Athletic. Devin Booker, Damian Lillard, De’Aaron Fox, and Kyrie Irving were also mentioned as showing interest in being part of the squad.

Besides planning to compete in the Olympics for the third and presumably last time in his career, James has been essentially recruiting the aforementioned players to join him on Team USA next summer, per the report.

The USA was indeed expected to present more household names in the Olympic Games, even before the disappointing showing in the 2023 FIBA World Cup. The team coached by Steve Kerr was held to fourth place missing out on the podium for a second straight edition of FIBA’s flagship event, following the seventh-place finish in 2019. In contrast to recent World Cup struggles, the United States captured gold medals over the last four Olympic Games.

The United States along with Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Serbia, and South Sudan clinched a berth in the 2024 Olympic Games through the World Cup held in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. Previously, host France got an automatic berth. The remaining four spots will be decided in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

Photo Credit: Getty Images

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The first meeting of the new FIBA Central Board included noting updates on preparations ahead of the 2024 Olympic Games.

Starting the term of the Central Board in Manila on Saturday, one day before the medal games concluding the 2023 FIBA World Cup, additionally confirmed the plan to announce the hosts of the four FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments at the end of November. The OQT, determining the remaining four entries to the Olympics, will be held in early July.

Per the press release: “The newly appointed FIBA Central Board for the cycle of 2023 to 2027 convened today for their first meeting under the leadership of FIBA President Sheikh Saud Ali Al Thani.

A new Central Board was recently appointed during the XXII FIBA Congress, held in Manila prior to the tip-off of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. Thirteen members were announced, along with a new President and Treasurer.

Today, the Central Board appointed FIBA Oceania President David Reid as FIBA First Vice-President, and also FIBA Europe President Jorge Garbajosa and FIBA Africa President Anibal Manave as FIBA Vice-Presidents. The Central Board approved the reappointment of Mark Tatum, NBA Deputy Commissioner & COO as representative of the NBA, Dirk Nowitzki as representative of the Players and Patrick Hunt as President of the World Association of Basketball Coaches (WABC).

The continuation of the mandate of the Central Board co-opted members was also confirmed for Richard Carrion, Erick Thohir and Andrei Kirilenko (the decision on the latter will take effect subject to the decisions of the International Olympic Committee and FIBA in relation to the war in Ukraine), while Al Panlilio and Sonja Vasic were also co-opted.

The Central Board proposed to appoint newly named FIBA Honorary President Hamane Niang as the new President of the FIBA Foundation. The FIBA Foundation Board will confirm the appointment of the new President and the new members at its first board meeting.

The Central Board also heard updates on the preparations for the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympic Games and appointed the hosts of the FIBA Women’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024. They will take place from February 8 to 11, 2024, in Antwerp, Belgium; Sopron, Hungary; Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; and Xi’an, China.

The hosts of the four FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments will be appointed at the end of November.

The Central Board extended the current status quo regarding the war in Ukraine until the next Executive Committee meeting on November 27.

The meeting concluded with a special ceremony with long-standing Global Partner Molten to mark the extension of its historic partnership with FIBA.”

Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL

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The 2023 FIBA World Cup Quarterfinals have concluded, with Serbia set to face Canada and Germany to play against the USA in the semifinals. With these matchups, all direct tickets to the 2024 Paris Olympics have been secured.

Serbia and Germany will occupy spots reserved for the two highest-ranked European teams at the World Cup, while the USA and Canada have secured the two Americas quota spots.

They will join the hosts, France, and the best-ranked national team from Asia, Japan, the best-placed team from Africa, South Sudan, and Australia, which claimed the spot reserved for the highest-ranking team from Oceania.

Four more places will be filled after Qualifying Tournaments, where 24 countries will compete, including the winners of the Pre-Qualifying Tournaments: Bahamas, Bahrain, Cameroon, Croatia, and Poland.

Among the remaining 19 participants are the highest-placed teams from each region of Africa, the Americas, and Asia/Oceania, following the eight directly qualified teams: Egypt, Puerto Rico, and New Zealand.

The remaining spots will be filled by the next 16 highest-placed teams at the World Cup: Angola, Brazil, Cote D’Ivoire, Dominican Republic, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Montenegro, Philippines, Lebanon, Mexico, Slovenia, and Spain.

Photo: fiba.basketball

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The classification round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup has concluded, and Japan and South Sudan have earned their spots alongside Australia and host nation France at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

In the fight for rankings from 17th to 32nd place, eight more teams have secured their spots in the pre-Olympic qualifiers: Egypt, New Zealand, Finland, Philippines, Lebanon, Mexico, Angola, and Cote D’Ivoire.

Four additional teams will directly qualify for the 2024 FIBA Olympic Tournament: the top two European and the top two national teams from the Americas.

Regarding the Qualifying Tournaments, Egypt, New Zealand, Finland, Philippines, Lebanon, Mexico, Angola, and Cote D’Ivoire are joining the winners of the pre-Qualifying tournaments: Bahamas, Bahrain, Cameroon, Croatia, and Poland.

Another 11 national teams ranked from 1st to 16th place that won’t be going directly to Paris will join them, completing a total of 24 participants who will compete for the final four spots at the Olympic Games.

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Following the decision announced by the Turkish Basketball Federation regarding himself and fellow naturalized player for Turkiye Scottie Wilbekin, experienced combo guard Shane Larkin opened up on his side of the story explaining why he could not play in the recent Olympic Games Pre-Qualifying Tournament held in Istanbul.

Larkin, 30, shared his view and overall approach during the ongoing offseason in a story on his personal Instagram account on Saturday evening.

“I’ve remained silent on the situation involving the national team this summer out of respect for the players who were there working hard and getting ready to compete in the qualifiers, but I feel as though now I must. It is heartbreaking how all of this is being handled and disrespectful to my character as a person based on the TRUTH of what has occurred.

So the truth is: the national team asked me to join the team for camp even though it was already known that my body was in a bad place and it would have been risky for me to play in the qualifying games. I was in the USA working on my body and trying to recover from a season full of injuries and to train for the upcoming season. The national team still asked me to come report to camp and come get an MRI on my knees to get a proper diagnosis. I flew from Miami to Istanbul and the national team doctor told me that I was in bad shape and that if I were to push myself, I would be at risk of severe damage to my knee for the short and long-term. Word for word, I was told ‘if you push yourself and don’t give it time to heal, you will potentially need surgery that will keep you out for months.’ I was informed to stay off my knees and to stop working out anything lower body. I then started treatment with different medications in order to help myself heal and was asked to come back a week later for another MRI. I did exactly what was asked of me and when came back for the second MRI, the bone was healing but still not in a place where I would be safe to go and play in the games.

Injuries are a part of basketball and some are unavoidable. It is unfortunate but there is always the risk. One of my fellow teammates, Dogus Ozdemiroglu suffered a torn ACL and just today, another player who recently signed in Turkey, Raul Neto, suffered a torn patella. I’m not sure what their health situations were going into the tournaments, however both of those guys will now miss large parts of the season and you never want to see those kinds of injuries. I wish both of them the best of luck on their road to recovery and hope to see them on a court soon. I say that because my knee being at 70% currently would put me at a much higher risk than them if I were to put myself out there.

Last year, playing for the national team, I suffered two torn ligaments in my hand and was told I could continue to play. I played three more games with that injury and at the end of the last game, I could not move two fingers on my right hand – my shooting hand – and I couldn’t feel the ball as my hand was going numb. Yet I did everything I could – injections, pills, treatment – in order to be out there for the team. I had nothing left to give, me being at 50% with no right hand was only going to hurt the team more, so I decided to go and have surgery. I then missed four months with Efes and we ended up having a terrible season, as we all witnessed.

I am truly sorry to all of the fans that wanted to see me play for the national team this summer and it hurt me that I was not able to be there to help the team.

I have always been grateful for the opportunity to be on the national team. And I had conversations with different people within the federation about the future and how good I think we could be. It is truly heartbreaking to see how I am being thrown under the bus when I’ve done everything asked of me except go and put my health at risk by playing with a knee at 70%. I truly do appreciate everything that this country has meant to my life. I feel like this is a second home to me and I genuinely can’t bring myself to understand how we are even in this situation right now, but I guess that is just how things work. I love Turkey and will always love Turkey. And regardless of how any of this plays out, I’m still going to do my best to give back to the country. At this point, my love for Turkey goes way beyond basketball. No amount of fine or punishment can change that. My heart is here and with the people and I PROMISE you will see that.”

Earlier Saturday, TBF announced a five-game suspension to be served at the start of the 2023-24 Turkiye Sigorta Basketbol Super Ligi Regular Season and a fine of approximately 3,000 euros for both Larkin and Wilbekin.

The two-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion with Anadolu Efes has focused his club career in Turkiye and Efes since 2018, apart from playing for the senior national team of the country in the 2022 EuroBasket and Qualifiers of both the 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2022 EuroBasket.

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Upon the completion of the investigation conducted by the Turkish Basketball Federation on Shane Larkin and Scottie Wilbekin failing to report for international duty earlier in August, both players were suspended and fined.

The combo guards of Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahce Beko, respectively, missing five games to start the 2023-24 Turkiye Sigorta Basketbol Super Ligi Regular Season and paying a fine of approximately 3,000 euros, specifically 90,000 Turkish lira, will be the direct impact of the sanctions issued by TBF on Saturday.

Guided by experienced tactician Ergin Ataman, Turkiye won four straight games before falling to Croatia in the deciding contest of the recent Olympic Games Pre-Qualifying held in Istanbul. Ranking second overall fell short of securing a ticket to next summer’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.

Federation president Hedo Turkoglu previously committed to clarifying the situation after the tournament.

Both Larkin and Wilbekin are eligible to represent Turkiye by covering the single naturalized slot available for every national team in each major international tournament, according to FIBA rules.

Larkin, 30, previously made his way to the final stage of the 2022 EuroBasket and Qualifiers of both the 2023 FIBA World Cup and 2022 EuroBasket. At the club level, playing for Efes since 2018 has been highlighted by capturing the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship in 2021 and 2022.

Wilbekin, 30, was a member of the final roster in the 2019 World Cup, after helping Turkiye clinch a berth in the previous edition of FIBA’s flagship event, and was also capped in the 2023 World Cup Qualifiers. The Florida product went from Darussafaka Dogus between 2015 and 2018 to Fener since last offseason.

Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL

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Bahamas is through to the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, after defeating Argentina for the second time in the week, this time in the final of the Pre-Qualifying Tournament in Santiago del Estero, thanks to Eric Gordon’s heroics – 82-75.

Phoenix Suns veteran hit three consecutive three-pointers in the last couple of minutes, turning the score around and paving the way for his team’s victory. Gordon finished the match with 27 points, shooting 6/7 from beyond the arc.

Two other NBA players joined him for the tournament, with Buddy Hield adding 15 points, and Gordon’s teammate from Arizona, Deandre Ayton, recording a double-double of 10 points and a monstrous 21 rebounds in the final.

ERIC “CLUTCHTIME” GORDON

Eric Gordon goes 𝐛𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐤 against Argentina at #FIBAOQT final to steal the game in Argentina pic.twitter.com/tnc3bAmXVx

— FIBA (@FIBA) August 21, 2023

Argentinians suffered another heavy blow this year, as they didn’t make it to the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Even another extraordinary game from Facundo Campazzo, the Real Madrid point guard, couldn’t help, as he finished the match with 14 points and 17 assists. Gabriel Deck added 21, and 40-year-old Carlos Delfino scored 15 points.

Bahamas is now on its way to a historic Olympic Games, and they could even add Charlotte Hornets’ talented center, Kai Jones, to the mix for the Qualifying Tournament.

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Led by Dario Saric’s strong performance, Croatia defeated Turkey 84-71 in the 2024 Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament held in Istanbul, with the Golden State Warriors forward recording a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds.

Turkey was a solid favorite to win the tournament they were hosting; they made it to the finals led by Alperen Şengün, but Croatia also had a great tournament and in the end proved to be too strong for Ergin Ataman’s team.

Mario Hezonja followed Šarić with 16 points, Jaleen Smith added 14, while Goran Filipovic scored 10 for the winning side. LA Clippers big man Ivica Zubac almost had a double-double with eight points and 10 rebounds, as Croatia secured a place in the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.

For the hosts, who were down 25-45 in the second quarter and never recovered, Furkan Korkmaz had 19, Sahmus Hazer 16, and Şengün scored 14 points off the bench.

CAMEROON ALSO SECURES A SPOT FOR OQT

Poland defeated Bosnia and Herzegovina earlier in Gliwice to be the first team to book a place at the Olympic Qualifying Tournament, but Cameroon also punched their ticket thanks to an 80-74 win over Senegal in the Pre-Qualifying Tournament held in Nigeria.

Samir Gbetkom led the winning side with 19 points, while Philippe Jordan Bayehe with 15, Paul Eboua with 13, and Jeremiah Hill with 11 and 14 assists followed him.

Youssou Ndoye led the losing side with a double-double of 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Moustapha Diop added 14 points with seven boards, and Brancou Badio scored 16 points with six assists.

Photo: fiba.basketball

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Poland secured their place in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualification Tournament by defeating Bosnia and Herzegovina with a score of 76-72 in the pre-qualifier final held in Gliwice.

Michal Sokolowski led the winning side with 16 points and seven rebounds in this crucial game, while Aleksander Balcerowski followed closely with 14 points and seven rebounds as well. Mateusz Ponitka also came close to achieving a double-double with 10 points and eight boards, in addition to contributing five assists.

Unfortunately, Balcerowski, who had been a driving force for Poland throughout the tournament, suffered a fall on his back while attempting a dunk in the final moments of the game, and it appears that he sustained an injury.

This was the alley-oop play I was talking about earlier. What a beauty it would have been. And prayers up to Olek Balcerowski.

Nobody deserves a severe back injury, and after his tournament, it would be the worst possible icing on the cake. Looks scary.pic.twitter.com/tiVHeLrZOQ

— Cesare Milanti (@cesaremilanti) August 20, 2023

On the Bosnia and Herzegovina side, Aleksandar Lazic scored 16 points and grabbed eight rebounds, Edin Atic nearly achieved a triple-double with 15 points, nine assists, and eight boards, while Jusuf Nurkic accomplished a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. Dzanan Musa followed suit with 10 points.

Photo: fiba.basketball

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Two host countries against two ex-Yugoslavian countries will have the chance to fight for one spot in next year’s Olympic qualifiers. With Bahrein already getting the ticket in Asia, the Bahamas stealing the show so far in Argentina and host nation Nigeria being already out in Africa, the five Olympic pre-qualifiers have their share of upsets.

Not in Europe, however, as things are heating up with hosts Turkey facing Croatia and host Poland squaring up with Bosnia on Sunday.

Croatia recorded an 85-70 victory over Ukraine as Mario Hezonja scored 22 points and Turkey with Korkmaz finishing the night with 18 points prevailed 105-84 over Sweden.

Ivica Zubac had 10 of his 20 points for Croatia and also had 7 rebounds and an efficiency of 24, while Dario Saric added 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 assists.

In Poland, the hosts beat Estonia 93-83 with Michal Sokolowski scoring 19 points, shooting 3/4 from beyond the three-point line. Bosnia prevailed over Israel with Jusuf Nurkic (20 points, 14 rebounds) and Luke Garza (24 points, 11 rebounds) leading the way to the 86-77) win despite 28 points by Roman Sorkin for the losing side.

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On the fourth day in Damascus, Bahrain secured a spot in the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments after winning the Group by staying flawless.

Their success was not only founded on their own victory with a day to spare, but also because Saudi Arabia paved the way for them to get it done by beating India earlier in the day.

Unbeaten Bahrain defeat Indonesia to take OQT ticket

Bahrain defeated Indonesia, 95-72, and successfully qualified for the 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. This is uncharted territory for them and heralds a new era of basketball in the country.

Dwayne Chism led Bahrain with 20 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 steals. Muzamil Hamooda added 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 triples. Widyanta Putra Teja was the top scorer for Indonesia with 15 points and 3 rebounds.

Bahrain shot 44.8% from beyond the arc, while Indonesia shot just 27.3%. Bahrain also won the rebounding battle 46-38.

With this win, Bahrain is now 4-0 in the tournament. They will face India on Day 5 for a chance to finish with a clean sweep in the competition. Indonesia falls to 1-3 in the tournament. They will face Syria on Day 5.

Saudi Arabia on a roll as they improve to 2-2

Saudi Arabia defeated India, 92-75, for their second tournament win. Meanwhile, India suffered their third loss in a row.

Khalid Abdel Gabar led Saudi Arabia with 15 points, 9 assists, and 7 rebounds. Musab Tariq Kadi added 15 points and 9 rebounds. Amaan Sandhu was the top scorer for India with 14 points and 9 rebounds.

Saudi Arabia shot 48.1% from beyond the arc, while India shot just 22.7%. Saudi Arabia also assisted on 27 of their 33 field goals made. The Saudis led by as many as 31 points and cruised to victory. They will face Kazakhstan on Day 5 for a chance to improve their record to 3-2.

Kazakhstan dominate Syria

Kazakhstan defeated Syria, 85-70, for their second win of the tournament. On the other end, the hosts suffered their third loss.

Robert Pan exploded for Kazakhstan with 30 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 three-pointers.

Shaim Kuanov added 18 points and 4 assists. Brandon Peterson tried to carry Syria with 19 points and 9 rebounds.

Kazakhstan were red-hot from long range here, hitting 14 triples en route to 53.8% three-point shooting. They led from start to finish and never looked back. This was a dominant performance from Kazakhstan, and they will be looking to build on this win in their next game against Saudi Arabia.

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Phoenix Suns center Deandre Ayton and Team Bahamas are off to a hot start in their quest to qualify for the next Olympics. Ayton scored 22 points (11-of-16 shooting) and snagged 15 rebounds in 22 minutes in the 101-89 win over Argentina.

Ayton was doing a little bit of everything on the court, not only scoring but also impressively finding new Suns teammate Eric Gordon out of a triple team.

Gordon finished the game with 24 points (game-high) and three assists and one rebound in 24 minutes.

Nicolas Brussino paced Argentina with 21 points while Facundo Campazzo added 18 points and 10 assists.

Watch the upcoming World Cup on the official streaming service of FIBA! Join Courtside 1891 and never miss a second of the action! 

The semifinals are Saturday and the finals are Sunday. Bahamas must win the tournament to advance to next year’s FIBA Olympic qualifying tournaments July 2-7, 2024.

The winners of those tournaments will earn a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.

The Bahamas have never been to the Olympics in men’s basketball, but just pulled off one of its biggest wins ever behind the play of Ayton, Gordon and Hield.

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At the beginning of the 2023 FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament, with Group A hosted in Tallinn’s Tondiraba Ice Hall, nobody was expecting Estonia to advance against two traditional powers like Israel and the Czech Republic.

However, being forced to beat the former in front of its fans, Estonia miraculously pulled the upset to get the 67-65, coming back from a 12-point deficit in the third quarter against the Israeli national team.

Dinamo Sassari’s own Kaspar Treier was crucial in Estonia’s win with 16 points, 7 rebounds, and 4 assists, closing things up at the end with a clutch two-point play. On the other side, Roman Sorkin went close to a double-double with 18 points and 9 rebounds, while Bar Timor added 15 points.

Despite North Macedonia’s defeat against the Czech Republic earlier in the day, Estonia, and Israel managed to therefore advance to the semifinals, likely waiting for Poland and Bosnia and Herzegovina in the final phases of the tournament to book a ticket for next year’s FIBA Pre-Olympic Tournaments.

The newest Paris Basketball player TJ Shorts tried his best to keep North Macedonia afloat with 27 points and 5 assists while shooting 10/15 from the field, but Vit Krejci’s all-around game made of 16 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists was crucial for the final 94-82 win by Diego Ocampo’s team.

PHOTO CREDIT: 2023 FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament

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With two tickets to next summer’s Olympic Qualifying Tournaments to be delivered in Europe, all 16 countries participating in the Pre-Qualifying Tournaments were in action Sunday.

Players the likes of Mario Hezonja, Yam Madar, Dzanan Musa, and Ivica Zubac were in action delivering standout showings across Istanbul, Tallinn, and Gliwice.

In the battle for seedings, two teams clinched a berth in the next round as Turkiye and Ukraine secured their spots in the final stage of the eight-team tournament in Istanbul.

Turkiye and Ukraine advance

Turkiye routed Bulgaria, 104-66, in Sinan Erdem Dome Sunday and will face Ukraine for the top spot of Group C Tuesday. Similar to Saturday’s comfortable win against Iceland, points were spread among all players available for head coach Ergin Ataman. Furkan Korkmaz sinking three triples made out a team-high 14 points and Omer Yurtseven posted an 11-point, 11-rebound double-double.

Ukraine also registered a clinching second win in Istanbul, overcoming a sluggish start to take down Iceland, 82-69. Youngster Oleksandr Kovliar packed a 23-point, 10-assist double-double to share a team-high efficiency rating of 21 with center Andrii Voinalovych, following with 18 points. For Iceland, Tryggvi Hlinason scored 18 points but to no avail.

Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament Group C standings

1. Turkiye 4 (2-0)
2. Ukraine 4 (2-0)
3. Bulgaria 2 (0-2)
4. Iceland 2 (0-2)

Croatia and Sweden grab wins

Earlier in Sinan Erdem Dome, Croatia routed Belgium, 86-55. Mario Hezonja dropped a game-high 22 points and Ivica Zubac posted an 18-point, 14-rebound double-double.

Melwin Pantzar scored 28 points, including a triple early in overtime, as Sweden edged out the Netherlands, 91-89, in the other game of Group D.

Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament Group D standings

1. Croatia 2 (1-0)
2. Sweden 2 (1-0)
3. Netherlands 1 (0-1)
4. Belgium 1 (0-1)

Dzanan Musa stars for Bosnia-Herzegovina

At Arena Gliwice, Dzanan Musa poured in 21 points, five assists, three rebounds, and two steals for Bosnia-Herzegovina in the comeback win, 84-75, against Portugal. Luka Garza threw in a 15-point, 12-rebound double-double.

In the first game, hosting Poland narrowly held on to defeat Hungary, 83-81. Olek Balcerowski went for 22 points with 9/13 from the field, including 8/9 two-pointers.

Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament Group B standings

1. Bosnia-Herzegovina 2 (1-0)
2. Poland 2 (1-0)
3. Hungary 1 (0-1)
4. Portugal 1 (0-1)

Yam Madar paves the way for Israel

Moving from Turkiye and Poland to Estonia and Tallinn’s Tondiraba Ice Hall, Israel dominated Czechia en route to the 80-67 victory. Yam Madar was the top performer with 27 points to go with five assists.

Also, Estonia made short work of North Macedonia, 83-59.

Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament Group A standings

1. Israel 4 (2-0)
2. Czechia 3 (1-1)
3. Estonia 3 (1-1)
4. North Macedonia 2 (0-2)

Photo Credit: FIBA.BASKETBALL

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Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young discussed how he wants to be part of USA Basketball’s team that will compete in the 2024 Olympic Games.

“Obviously, I definitely want to [play in the Olympics with Team USA],” Young said during an appearance at Gilberto Arenas’ Gil’s Arena. “I’ve talked about playing for Team USA a couple of times. I definitely want to and it’s up to them if they want me to.”

In 2019 and after a stellar rookie year in the NBA, Young didn’t make see his name among the 44 players that were called ahead of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. He specifically said that he’s “hurt” to be absent from that list and that he believed he deserved a spot.

“I would love to play with those guys and show off my passing even more and not have to go out and score a lot. Just be there if they need me to,” Young also mentioned about next year’s Olympic tournament.

Young refers to possibly having a different kind of role and responsibilities than with the Hawks since Team USA will likely be packed with some superstar scorers. One of them could be Golden Warriors’ Steph Curry, who has yet to compete in an Olympic tournament.

Curry has also been challenged by Steve Kerr, the head coach of both the Warriors and Team USA, to play in Paris so that he’ll “have a complete resume.” He’s one of the veterans that are expected to be present in the Olympics.

“I respect the OGs and understand that you got to take your turn,” Young added. “But I believe I should be on the team.”

Young has yet to make his debut with the senior team of USA Basketball. As a youngster, he became a world champion with USA in the FIBA U18 World Cup of 2016.

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