Filipino fans are surely up for a treat as global giant Team USA takes the spotlight when Manila becomes a basketball hotbed in the 2023 FIBA World Cup in August.
Expected to be bannered by NBA stars for the world meet, USA will be playing in the Philippines for its group stage games as confirmed by FIBA Central Board following consultations with the three host nations on Monday, Dec. 12.
The Philippines, along with co-hosts Japan and Indonesia, were asked to select their preferred team, based on commercial reasons, which will play in the groups that they will be hosting in the preliminary rounds. World No. 7 Slovenia will be travelling to Japan while Canada is set to take part in the groups in Indonesia.
As was the case at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 with China, the Philippines, as tournament host for the Group Phase and Final phase, will be placed in Pot 1, where it will be joined by the best ranked teams in the FIBA World Ranking Men, during the official draw set on April 29.
Despite playing in Manila, Team USA is not expected to play Gilas Pilipinas in the preliminaries as the two teams will be placed in two separate groups out of the four that will be held in Smart Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena.
Team USA could still be led by current NBA stars in the likes of Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard, Anthony Davis and Donovan Mitchell,to name a few.
The Rui Hachimura-led Japan and Slovenia, which will be spearheaded by current NBA MVP candidate and Dallas star Luka Doncic, will play their group phase in Okinawa, where two groups will be played.
Canada, which is expected to be led by Andrew Wiggins and RJ Barrett, will play in Jakarta, Indonesia, with two of the eight top teams in the world ranking joining it in the two groups.
Aside from the hosts and the three chosen teams, current top ranked Spain along with Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Greece, and other European powerhouses in Germany, Latvia, Italy, Lithuania, Finland and France already booked their tickets to the World Cup.
China, New Zealand, Lebanon and third-ranked Australia are the teams from Asia while Ivory Coast is the lone team who have qualified so far from Africa.
The complete FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 Draw Principles will be defined after the conclusion of the sixth window of the qualifiers in February and once all 32 qualified teams are known.