Team USA avoids top teams in Fiba World Cup group play
Luis Scola, left, and Dirk Nowitzki during the Fiba World Cup draw at Araneta Coliseum. MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER
The United States will face Greece, New Zealand and Jordan in group play of the FIBA World Cup this summer as Team USA seeks to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
The draw, held Saturday, was favorable for the US, which will avoid the world’s top teams in the opening round of the 32-nation tournament.
Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokoumpo has yet to confirm whether he’ll play for Greece, though he has expressed his desire to do so.
The World Cup runs from August 25 to September 10, with games played in a trio of host nations: the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan.
The United States, in Group C, opens play August 26 against New Zealand, followed by games with Greece on Aug. 28 and Jordan on Aug. 30. Those contests will be held in Manilla, Philippines.
Spain is the defending champion and is expected to challenge again for the tournament title. France and Canada, both strong contenders, are two of four teams in Group H.
The tournament marks the tournament debut of Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr as the head coach of Team USA. He replaces the retired Gregg Popovich, who led the U.S. to a gold medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. USA Basketball named NBA head coaches Monty Williams (Phoenix Suns) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat) and Gonzaga coach Mark Few as Kerr’s assistants.
The roster makeup is being led by Grant Hill, the national team’s managing director. Training camp will be held in August before the start of the tournament.
“We’ll have some players who are seasoned in international play but also some players new to it,” Hill told ESPN. “Now that we know what our opposition looks like, we can put our head down and try to put together a roster that gives us a chance to win.”
Groups for the Fiba World Cup:
Group A: Italy, Dominican Republic, Philippines, Angola
Group B: South Sudan, Serbia, China, Puerto Rico
Group C: United States, Jordan, Greece, New Zealand
Group D: Egypt, Mexico, Montenegro, Lithuania
Group E: Germany, Finland, Australia, Japan
Group F: Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, Venezuela
Group G: Iran, Spain, Ivory Coast, Brazil
Group H: Canada, Latvia, Lebanon, France
