American ‘Dream Team’ and ‘Greek Monster’ Giannis Antetokounmpo meet again after 4 years.
The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) held the 2023 FIBA Philippines-Japan-Indonesia Basketball World Cup draw ceremony in Manila, Philippines on the 29th (Korean time).
The most notable was the reunion of Dream Team and Antetokounmpo. The United States and Greece are drawn in Group C along with Jordan and New Zealand.
The USA and Greece met in the second round of the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup held in China four years ago. At that time, Greece, which was aiming for the championship with Antetokounmpo at the forefront, suffered a blow from the United States and was eliminated early.
At that time, Greece lost 53-69 despite Antetokounmpo’s 15 points and 13 rebounds. With Kemba Walker (15 points, 4 rebounds, 6 assists) and Donovan Mitchell (10 points, 5 rebounds, 3 assists) at the fore, the power of the United States was stronger.
Of course, America didn’t end well either. They confidently advanced to the quarterfinals with a 5-game win, but fell to Serbia and France in a row and ended up in 7th place, their worst ever record. Unlike the Olympics, the Basketball World Cup (including the predecessor World Basketball Championship) was a miserable end to a tradition that did not feature the best of the best.
While Antetokounmpo’s participation in the Basketball World Cup is likely, the United States is also expected to prepare properly to wash away the pain of the past. It remains to be seen whether they will be able to come equipped with a different power this time, as they have mainly recruited young and promising players to prepare for the Olympics.바카라사이트
Meanwhile, hosts Philippines, Angola, Dominican Republic, and Italy were drawn in Group A, while Serbia, South Sudan, China, and Puerto Rico were drawn in Group B. Group D is Egypt, Mexico, Montenegro, and Lithuania; Group E is Japan, Germany, Finland, Australia; Group F is Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Venezuela; Group G is ‘defending champions’ Spain, followed by Iran and Ivory Coast; Brazil and finally Group H were joined by Canada, France, Latvia and Lebanon.
There was no ‘Joe of Death’. However, as most of the groups have no clear second place other than the first round, it is expected that it will be a fierce group stage. Excluding Group E of Germany and Australia and Group H of Canada and France, all are competitive enough to expect second place.
The Basketball World Cup will be held in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia for the first time in history from August 25 to September 10. The tournament is held in the Philippines.