Kobe Bryant to attend Fiba World Cup 2019 draw next month

FILE: Kobe Bryant attends the 90th Annual Academy Awards Nominee Luncheon at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on February 5, 2018 in Beverly Hills, California. Kevin Winter/Getty Images/AFP

Kobe Bryant, still one of the biggest stars in basketball even years after his retirement, will headline the star-studded Fiba Basketball World Cup 2019 draw on March 16 in Shenzhen, China.

The NBA great, who is also the World Cup’s global ambassador, will help carry out the draw that will determine the groupings for the 32-country event slated this August in eight cities in China.

Singer Jason Derulo has been tapped to perform at the event, which will be open to public for the first time, while Yao Ming, China’s biggest basketball star, is expected to attend.

The draw procedures will be made public in the days leading up to the event.

Fourteen spots for the World Cup are still up for grabs and the Philippines is hoping to occupy one of the slots.

The Filipinos must win their next two games in the final window of the Asian Qualifiers happening this week to get a shot at the Worlds.