Some Random Thoughts On International Basketball

[Durbansandshark]

Normally, except for a brief touch on it occasionally, we don't talk about Jamaican basketball. Hopes exists though for a restart of Jamaica's own NBL after four years of inactivity and false starts during this with respect towards clubs' financial constraints on a subdued 3-month regular season planned on January 20 instead of the normal 6 months, which will 2-3 years to get back into. Jamaica needs to restart at a time when the JAMRockerz won't be in these FIBA World Basketball Qualifications but should be based on the Nike FIBA rankings this past summer--and many of the top Jamaican pro ballers are overseas-based and its diaspora players likely represent other nations:
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/s...0-restart-date

Africa's FIBA World Basketball Championship Qualifiers' competition system is going to be a little different than with many of the other regions when it opens. All the individual group play games will take place at a single arena from one of nations in it. This is done to assure that the participating teams will be present and reduce travel costs for cash-strapped national basketball federations inside Africa across the vast continent. 2015 FIBA African Women's Basketball Championship host venue in Yaounde, Cameroon, the Salle Polyvalente de Sports de Yaounde, will be the site of the Africa Group A men's games (Cameroon, South Africa, Tunisia, and Guinea) with Luanda, Angola's Pavilhao Multiusos do Kilamba will host Group C (Angola, Egypt, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Morocco) on November 24-26:
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...ica-qualifiers

Following their 2019 qualification debut November 23 at Puerto Rico, Jeff Van Gundy's Team USA FIBA Americas champions make their home debut November 26 at the Greensboro Coliseum, one of the largest arenas in the world with its seating that's home to the G-League's Greensboro Swarm and numerous ACC conference tournaments, with his G-League charges versus Mexico during the US Thanksgiving weekend. In February 23 & 26, USA will host Cuba and Puerto Rico, respectively, before heading to Mexico on June 28 and then to Cuba on July 1:
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...on-november-26

[2sc945]

Normally, except for a brief touch on it occasionally, we don't talk about Jamaican basketball. Hopes exists though for a restart of Jamaica's own NBL after four years of inactivity and false starts during this with respect towards clubs' financial constraints on a subdued 3-month regular season planned on January 20 instead of the normal 6 months, which will 2-3 years to get back into. Jamaica needs to restart at a time when the JAMRockerz won't be in these FIBA World Basketball Qualifications but should be based on the Nike FIBA rankings this past summer--and many of the top Jamaican pro ballers are overseas-based and its diaspora players likely represent other nations:
http://jamaica-gleaner.com/article/s...0-restart-date

Africa's FIBA World Basketball Championship Qualifiers' competition system is going to be a little different than with many of the other regions when it opens. All the individual group play games will take place at a single arena from one of nations in it. This is done to assure that the participating teams will be present and reduce travel costs for cash-strapped national basketball federations inside Africa across the vast continent. 2015 FIBA African Women's Basketball Championship host venue in Yaounde, Cameroon, the Salle Polyvalente de Sports de Yaounde, will be the site of the Africa Group A men's games (Cameroon, South Africa, Tunisia, and Guinea) with Luanda, Angola's Pavilhao Multiusos do Kilamba will host Group C (Angola, Egypt, Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Morocco) on November 24-26:
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...ica-qualifiers

Following their 2019 qualification debut November 23 at Puerto Rico, Jeff Van Gundy's Team USA FIBA Americas champions make their home debut November 26 at the Greensboro Coliseum, one of the largest arenas in the world with its seating that's home to the G-League's Greensboro Swarm and numerous ACC conference tournaments, with his G-League charges versus Mexico during the US Thanksgiving weekend. In February 23 & 26, USA will host Cuba and Puerto Rico, respectively, before heading to Mexico on June 28 and then to Cuba on July 1:
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...on-november-26

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2017_F...n_Championship

Mr. Basketball, what happened to this tournament? It’s already December now.

[Durbansandshark]

India's men's and women's Commonwealth basketball teams were ready to head out to Australia in the Gold Coast looking forward for some Commonwealth Games basketball action next month for its rising basketball squads, but 5 including both of their head coaches from its personnel still haven't got visas from the Australian consulate. And the Basketball Federation of India is growing concerned over the potential haywire:
https://www.hindustantimes.com/other...D0wTj6qaI.html

[Durbansandshark]

Just gradually getting back into this thread. Hey, we got that 2018 Commonwealth Games basketball going on in the Gold Coast (bring back the Blaze!)--actually including Townsville (bring back the Crocs!) and Cairns up along North Queensland too coming next week.

And Canada's going to be involved this time unlike during the only time, also in Australia in Melbourne 12 years ago. Comes at a better time for the Canadians because at least the CIS players will get used for this for the men that might as well be a Universiade squad. The Canadian women Commonwealth team is more of a hodgepodge mix with CIS, NCAA, CCAA, some foriegn pro teams, and OSBA:
http://www.basketball.ca/en/news-art...th-games-teams

New Zealand's Commonwealth Tall Blacks and Tall Ferns will be ready. Not as star-studded as they usually are in international tournaments but both have a balanced mix of noted and trusted vets with doses of some younger players. All have NZ international basketball experience. Miko Vukona, Paul Henare, and Pero Cameron are the only holdovers from the 2006 team, although now-head coach Henare and his current assistant coach Pero Cameron were both on that playing roster and played key roles in Melbourne:
http://nz.basketball/News/tall-black...h-games-return
http://nz.basketball/News/tall-ferns...onwealth-games

Boomers and Opals got their Commonwealth rosters set for the Gold Coast/Townsville/Cairns with some familiar names on both coming with NBL and WNBL nods:
http://basketball.net.au/boomers-and...nwealth-games/

Team England name their 2018 Commonwealth men's and women's basketball rosters with the great majority on both playing pro ball domestically in the BBL and WBBL like Team GB guard Steff Collins. Australian-born Adam Thoesby plays for the Sydney Kings:
https://www.basketballengland.co.uk/...etball-squads/

Wish the field would get expanded in the future and South Africa was involved in this again as it would earn further international experience.

Chris Goulding certainly likes how basketball will be in the 2018 Commonwealth Games program in Cairns as he shares his 2006 Melbourne memories:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dx5aAj83iM4

[Durbansandshark]

USA Basketball's 35-player list of NBA players available for the 2018-20 international campaign:
https://www.usab.com/news-events/new...nouncment.aspx

[Durbansandshark]

Today marks the end of the round robin group play for the 2018 Commonwealth basketball in northern Queensland before the stage goes to the Gold Coast proper. The Boomers and Tall Blacks are unquestionably the class of Commonwealth basketball as the top two teams, earning semifinal byes, with Canada and England and Nigeria not that far behind. This pretty much reflects how Commonwealth nations fare in basketball overall for almost two and a half decades. Cameroon, without the likes of Joel Embiid, Luc Mbah e Moute, and Pascal Siakim all on NBA duty to enlist, and India won't advance, although India has shown major recent strides in men's basketball lately in Asian competition and learned a lot. Only two teams in Group B get to advance for the qualifying finals. Australia will face the qualifying final winners of Nigeria and Scotland with New Zealand taking on Canada-England winners. I pick Nigeria will face Australia--it's also got former NBA player Ike Diogu with them, carrying on the trend of using Nigerian-Americans on the national team. And the CIS Canadians going in a tough one against a veteran and experienced English team, although this one can go either way. Both actually in the Cairns Taipans' Convention Centre home.

Women's Commonwealth Games basketball sees the Opals and Canada earning semifinal byes with the former being THE team to beat as predicted. England and the Tall Ferns are there at least in the qualifying finals stage along with Jamaica and African women's powerhouse Mozambique, the class of women's Southern African basketball with Angola (sorry South Africa). India and Malaysia, which doesn't compete much international basketball even within Asia less so than India, were predictably and incredibly outclassed. Actually Malaysia did defeat India, a team that just advanced into Asian women's basketball Division A as last year's hosts in Bangalore. The Opals will see the Mozambique/New Zealand winner while the Canadians will battle with the England/Jamaica winners. England's Lionesses should face no issues whatsoever against the Jamaicans. NZ's Tall Ferns should ultimately prevail in their fight with Mozambique, though Mozambique could gave the a scare in the early going before its lack of depth and major tough international inexperience reveals itself. Opals will take gold over the Canadians in the end.

[Durbansandshark]

Now the Commonwealth Games basketball truly is in the Gold Coast. The Commonwealth basketball men's semifinals on Saturday, April 14 at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre will have the Boomers facing Scotland--and we should be dead certain Australia with its depth will pummel onward to the gold medal game over the Scots, the one Home Nation still in it and finished ahead of seemingly deeper and more talented England. Canada competes against the Tall Blacks in a game that can go either way, and this perhaps could where the CIS-led relative inexperience versus the NZ's talent and international experience could work against them. I predict an Australia/Canada gold medal showdown Sunday.

Tomorrow sees another chapter in the Opals/Tall Ferns rivalry chapter as the second game with likely a divided GCCEC but more pro-Opals tomorrow for the semis. Should be a solid game but Australia should come out on top. Before that though, Canada will see England in the first semifinal. I'm staying true to the original gold medal match with Canada and Australia here with New Zealand getting bronze; England's Lionesses surely fared better than the men but lack the depth of their Commonwealth basketball sisters.

Those who fared in the men behind the final four are in order since there's no classification games here: 5. England 6. Nigeria 7. Cameroon 8. India. The women has 5. Jamaica 6. Mozambique 7. Malaysia 8. India

Athens will host the second FIBA Champions League Final Four--and don't worry I'll touch on those very soon--at the site of OAKA Olympic Indoor Hall (18,000 seating capacity), AEK Athens' home court with the Final Four is now set with the draw of four clubs from four different nations during the first weekend of May 4-6. Hosts AEK Athens, AS Monaco (France LNB Pro A), MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg (Germany's BBL), and UCAM Murica (Spain's ACB). MHP Risen will face AS Monaco in the first game and AEK plays UCAM Murica afterwards:
http://www.championsleague.basketbal...ings-confirmed
http://www.championsleague.basketbal...gue-final-four

[Durbansandshark]

I was wrong about Canada and Australia eventually meeting up in the Gold Coast for gold in the women. So wrong. See, the Opals did their part in beating New Zealand. But the Canadian wouldn't cooperate when facing an equally experienced England 65-53. Now the English women will face Australia but will be overpowered. And Team Canada just fell short to New Zealand for bronze 74-58 in a game they never really had the lead in to an experienced NZ squad.

But we will actually have an Australia-Canada Commonwealth gold medal basketball game in the men. Australia naturally bested Scotland, but the thriller was Canada-New Zealand with, fresh off of a late timeout, Justus Alleyn finds the Alberta Golden Bears' Mamadou Gueye who buried a three pointer as time expired to give Canada the historic 88-86 victory over the Tall Blacks. Canada will have its hands full against the Boomers for gold, however, because, without their chief Commonwealth basketball rival New Zealand around at this stage, Australia's path for gold gets much easier against a bunch of, on the surface at least, a bunch of relatively inexperienced Canadian college kids. Shattered, the Tall Blacks must claim bronze versus Scotland, which they should accomplish:
http://www.news.com.au/sport/commonw...53eca83c8dbdfa

And EuroLeague, you may ask? It's in quarterfinal mode with CSKA Moscow, Khimki, Panathinaikos, Real Madrid, Fenerbahce, Baskonia, Olympiacos, and Zalgiris that starts April 17-18 for the first leg and continuing on April 19-20, 24-25, 26-27 with 5th and final leg May 1 for the right to play in Istanbul for May 18-20. One thing that's assured is a Russian club will be among this year's Final Four because of CSKA Moscow and Khimki facing each other during the 5-game leg out of Playoff A.

While Cameroon was conducting its 2018 Commonwealth Games campaign just now over that ultimately saw them earn one win, Pascal Siakim keeps plying his trade with the Toronto Raptors in his breakthrough season there. Nonetheless, Siakim looks forward to enlisting with Cameroon's Indomitable Lions in the African Qualifiers come the second African leg in Group A in late June-early July and join his older brother Boris:
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...national-level

In more than two weeks, Dawn Staley and her staff and the Team USA women will take its act to Seattle on April 26 for an exhibition date with China at the Key Arena and select the 34 player pool who will get selected to wear USA in a training came for its third intense and lengthy preparation stage for the Spain 2018 World Championship campaign:
http://www.fiba.basketball/womensbas...-against-china

[Durbansandshark]

Istanbul's Galatasaray wins the 2018 EuroCup Women title defeating Reyer Venezia 155-140 on aggregate score both in Istanbul and Venice legs:
http://www.fiba.basketball/eurocupwo...omen-champions

Later this week the EuroLeague Women's Final Four brings further attention to women's European pro basketball in Sopron, Hungary with defending champions Dynamo Kursk battling UMMC Ekaterinburg, and hosts Sopron Basket play Yakin Dogu Universitesi in Friday's semis. The third place and final games come Sunday:
http://www.fiba.basketball/euroleagu...c-ekaterinburg
http://www.fiba.basketball/euroleagu...u-universitesi
http://www.fiba.basketball/euroleagu...-sopron-basket
http://www.fiba.basketball/euroleagu...e-dynamo-kursk

500 days to go from the start of the 2019 FIBA World Basketball Championship in China with a mascot just introduced in Son of Dreams with his magical horns quickly forseeing future basketball developments before they happen selected over two other finalists QiuQiu and Speed Tiger after narrowed down from 10 out of hundreds around the globe:
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...world-cup-2019

[Durbansandshark]

Out of the 29 Team USA basketball players used in those FIBA Americas and FIBA Americas Basketball Championship (aka FIBA AmeriCup), 15 of them eventually wound up with NBA call-ups this season, which prevented them from further playing. Only Travis Wear played all 4 FIBA qualifying games. With the constant change and retooling going on until USA Basketball calls up the big guns (coaches included) when they make it to China next year, this is a testament to the United States' tremendous basketball depth ranging even outside the NBA proper who are good enough to crack NBA rosters, even if expansion happens:
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...rs-move-to-nba

[Durbansandshark]

All the EuroLeague quarterfinal series this year didn't even make it to the fifth game. Your EuroLeague Final Four Belgrade participants next weekend at the Stark Arena are: CSKA Moscow, Real Madrid, Zalgiris Kaunas, and Fenerbahce. CSKA guard Sergio Rodriguez will face his former team Real Madrid, where he was really successful just a few years ago and is in its 4th Final Four in five years, as CSKA Moscow makes its seventh consecutive Final Four appearance in the first semifinal. The second semifinal involves two teams that currently have coaches that are national team playing legends in a former life in Zeljko Obradovic and Saurunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce and Zalgiris, respectively. Zalgiris returns to this for the first time in 20 years when it was the last winners.

CSKA Moscow beats Khimki. Real Madrid takes care of Panathinaikos. Zalgiris wins against Olympiacos. And Fenerbahce overcomes Kirolbet Basket. No Greek team in it. Got half of Spain in this with an assured Russian club involved from the all-Russian QF, as noted earlier.

[Durbansandshark]

This Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Belgrade at Stark Arena--and this season--belonged to Real Madrid and its 19-year old Slovenian wunderkind Luka Doncic. Real Madrid, starting a tremendous Euro championship week with its higher-profile soccer brethren winning the UEFA Champions League Final. Doncic won not just the 2018 EuroLeague Rising Star Award and regular season MVP, but also winning the EuroLeague Final Four MVP, becoming the youngest to do so. Needless to say, Doncic certainly more than increased his NBA lottery stock. Real Madrid wins its record 10th EuroLeague championship, even when it had battled injuries during the regular season, as Sergio Llull, Ognjen Kuzmić, and Rudy Fernández missed most games as an eventual #5 seed. Doncic led the Performance Index Rating with that stock being so high, his Real Madrid Final Four games were shown here on NBA TV. It was also a crowning moment for Mexican (and ex-NBA) player Gustavo Ayon in his second EuroLeague title.

Opening show presentation in Belgrade's Stark Arena:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7kgGAr4TbP0

Semifinal: Real Madrid 92 CSKA Moscow 83
http://www.euroleague.net/final-four...vs-real-madrid
http://www.euroleague.net/main/resul...=E2017#!report
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIqLW3TBEQM
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3rz65Es3sk (English-language presentation on Viasat)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BWXx-niDgQ (Russia's Match TV presentation)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2Ez2oLbFeKY (Russian highlights on Match TV)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xx_LOcOLLhg (Moveistar Deportes 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X0bBTLXtUw (Turkish BeIN Sports)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jleI1xT5xHc (postgame media zone interviews on BeIN Sports)

Semifinal: Fenerbahce Zalgiris Kaunas
http://www.euroleague.net/main/resul...=E2017#!report
http://www.euroleague.net/final-four...ce-vs-zalgiris
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0VVyPYmd2Gc (Polsat Sports Extra)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAGuS-vSYu4 (Nova Sport 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mVJO1R4T0Dk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvrOK91O9Vg (BeIN Sport Turkey)

Euroleague Final Championship press conference:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a11e3wpoCwU

Third place game: CSKA Moscow Zalgiris Kaunas:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZXMpk2COYY (Nova Sports 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6r3GwkMFR20 (Match TV Arena)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmyoVvgXLyY (PolSat Sport Extra)


Real Madrid 85 Fenerbahce 80--EuroLeague Final
http://www.euroleague.net/main/resul...=E2017#!report
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eSrzw9SPpNA (Spanish coverage on Movistar Deportes 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1w8e5SYVYE (Greek coverage on Nova Sport 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=55eznBcvqTw (Super Euroleague postgame coverage on Greece's Nova Sports)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MMDRFnldgeI (Match TV Arena)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1LMUkMP4rVY (mini-movie)

Luka's been getting some North American basketball love with the NBA Draft right around the corner as we here in the USA and Canada start to get to know him. I hope the Phoenix Suns, a team that knows some things about non-US college European players, would select him at #1 with his Eurobasket 2017 coach Igor Kokoskov now there. Doncic with his EuroLeague hardware on his still-young resume certainly has the tools to be an incredible NBA Euro game-changer in the footsteps of Sarunas Marciliuonis, Dirk Nowitzki, Drazen Petrovic, Pau Gasol, Kristaps Porzingis, Toni Kukoc, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Manu Ginobili, and Vlade Divac all were, clearly showing he can even outplay the more mature adults, teammates and opponents alike--and take charge of the game. As ESPN's awesome Mina Kimes (I like her laugh) notes, Luka "Wonder Boy" Doncic is way too good and talented to be end up like a Darko Milicic. If there's a serious flaw in him, it's that he may not be quite as athletic. He's also the Slam magazine cover boy with an accompanying article for its Future Issue he shares with Ben Simmons (his second). No matter, Phoenix, pick him anyway:
http://www.espn.com/espn/feature/sto...-player-europe
https://www.slamonline.com/nba/luka-doncic-slam-cover/

The 2018 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four festivities in Belgrade began with the customary opening press conference at the historic Kalemegdan Fortress (hence this year's logo) that welcomed players, coaches, legends, dignitaries, and the media:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a8yjQZzbK-Y

Euroleague Awards Ceremony that Luka Doncic was the big winner in:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfTFOPVw6tA

Athens a couple of weeks before EuroLeague held the second annual FIBA Champions League Final Four at OAKA Sports Hall, the home of Panathinaikos and an excellent venue for basketball. It was hometown AEK Athens from the Greek Basket League winning the title over France's AS Monaco Basket 100-93. Regardless of the AS Monaco outcome, this was incredible given that they've been in France's Ligue Pro B a short time ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WE47jDv_JLs

AEK Athens defeats UCAM Murica in the semifinals in Athens to into the championship game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3QxEkFkZDh4

AS Monaco knocks off MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg in the other semifinal:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cSiqy597l9g

Third place goes to UCAM Murica:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lxMh9FbkbeQ

[Durbansandshark]

Going to be lots of international basketball stuff coming up very soon on this very thread. But for now we must first acknowledge the passing of the last surviving member of the women's basketball pioneers Edmonton Grads, the team fellow Canadian and basketball inventor Dr. James Naismith gave high praise to and won 502 games, Kay McGrath from Saskatchewan at the age of 96 on Saturday. She was 17 when she joined as one of the 38 official players in 1936 during its 25-year existence. Funny, I happened to watch an Edmonton Grads video with McGrath interviewed on You Tube this weekend:
https://www.cbc.ca/sports/kay-macbet...t-96-1.4758391
http://www.basketball.ca/en/news-art...of-fame-induct

You can watch this Heritage Canada video on the Edmonton Grads in her memory with this recreating them facing the Cleveland Favorite Knits for the 2-game so-called 1923 World Championship and the CBC News The National piece:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qxJcXsFxyLI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoVikt1vjxs

[Durbansandshark]

India, after a period here in not talking about the basketball scene, actually does have a top-flight pro basketball league now. Its first one is actually called the United Basketball Alliance that began play in 2015 and grown consistently in these 4 years since. With its headquarters in Pune, India, where a team already exists in the Pune Peshwas, the UBA is a 8-team league with two divisions in the North (Mumbai Challengers, Delhi Capitals, Punjab Steelers, and Haryana Gold) and South (Pune Peshwas, Chennai Slam, Hyderabad Sky, and Bengalore/Bengaluru Beast). The UBA further lends cred with A.C. Green, the NBA ironman at 1192 games, serving as its Director of Sport last year. Seems right for India at a time when it's rising globally and getting wealthy, particularly in Mumbai.

What's interesting is that, like with South Africa's BNL, all of its games are played at times entirely at one arena, although two of those 4 seasons were in two legs in two different arena in Pune, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Goa. Interestingly, Kolkata isn't part of this even when it's one of the biggest cities in all of Asia not just India. This is likely because Kolkata (or Calcutta) isn't known for its basketball culture. Mumbai has won the latest title last year, but Chennai has won the most at 2 titles. Delhi won in 2016:
http://ubaindia.in/news/uba-season-4...aised-the-bar/
http://www.ubaindia.com/news/raising...een-joins-uba/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/UBA_Pro_Basketball_League

This first article, published back in 2000, suggests that the Mumbai basketball scene was "fading away" even with its rich basketball history behind the Indian financial capital city being discussed thanks to demographic shifts, lack of time invested towards basketball players in their development, lack of hunger towards financial/material gains and real estate changes. But the popular appeal there certainly has picked up in the subsequent years thanks in no part to India's surprising performance in the second to last Asian Championship, the NBA has its offices in Mumbai, strong grassroots program with year-round tournaments and camps, celebs getting into the act, the new UBA existing, and having some of the best new basketball infrastructure and facilities, including newly inaugurated bball courts. Only thing is, no NBA-ready upscale arena currently exists there yet. But likely will in the future as the city accumulates more wealth
https://www.mansworldindia.com/from-...etball-mumbai/
http://hoopistani.blogspot.com/2010/...ball-city.html

India can now claim some NBA executive-ship in Sachin Gupta just being hired by Detroit as assistant GM after stints in Houston and Philadelphia as special advisor and at ESPN before that:
http://hoopistani.blogspot.com/2018/...-hired-by.html

The Asian Games already are here with further good times hoped for the women as the 12-women strong team continue their Asia climb from Division B in Bangalore following a quiet period but looking forward to Jakarta, Indonesia as the only Indian basketball team there flying the Indian flag with the men oddly staying home. Missing a couple of players and are relatively young but a semifinals birth is quite likely:
http://hoopistani.blogspot.com/2018/...as-womens.html

[Durbansandshark]

FIBA, Argentina's national basketball federation known as CABB, and basketball players and coaches all around the world, and his wife Many Orono all pay homage to the legend from Argentina's premier basketball hotbed Bahia Blanca known as Manu Ginobili, who announced his retirement from basketball yesterday. One of the greatest players ever to come from Latin America, definitely from Argentina, his international career lasted for 18 years at the senior level culminating with guiding his homeland's gold medal at Athens 2004 in basketball. Over the years donning those colors through Adidas, Topper, Li Ning Sportswear, Puma, and Kappa:
http://www.fiba.basketball/news/arge...rom-basketball
https://www.argentina.basketball/ver...ro-del-basquet
https://twitter.com/cabboficial/stat...rom-basketball

We got the 2018 Asian Games going on right now in Jakarta, Indonesia with its basketball competitions in the traditional 5 players format and the fast-popular 3x3 game. Gotta be the first time in senior Asian international multisports competition that we got both of them with one of which is being played at a future venue for the tri-hosted 2023 FIBA World Basketball Championship. The basketball one just completed its quarterfinal stage and onto the semis/medal round with the 3x3 version having already awarded its medals. Usual suspects in Asian basketball at this stage in both men and women with it almost entirely East Asian sides except for Iran making it on the men's semis. Some interesting things have occurred: Mongolia enters both teams in the Asian Games when it usually doesn't send teams for other Asian, much less international, basketball events with the Mongolian women advancing onward to the quarterfinal stage. Both Palestine and the United Arab Emirates withdrew from Group B and D, respectively. The Philippines at first pulled out in the men's but later changed its mind and were quickly placed into Group D with China and Kazakhstan. No reason was actually given as to why the United Arab Emirates and Palestine left, but a clue can be found when it is reported that the Asian Games basketball isn't organized by FIBA with little incentive for multiple teams to compete and thus make it low rent. Now that UAE pulled out of Group B, Iran and Syria didn't have to face each other as both automatically advanced for the quarterfinals but eventually did for seeding against the Group C teams. Also, a united Korean team is only playing in the women's game just like with their female ice hockey counterparts historically did in February in Pyeongchang--apparently the basketball talent gap between the South and North in the men's game is wider. Also China sends its Team Red squad led by Zhou Qi and Ding Yanyuhang to compete in Jakarta:
https://news.cgtn.com/news/3d3d514d7...4/share_p.html

In 3x3 Asian Games ball, China succeeds with having the golden sweep in both men and women. And both teams just dominated not just in group play as the heavy faves but on their respective ways towards gold. Save for the fact that the Chinese men had to beat South Korea for gold by a score of 19-18. 16 women's teams with 22 for the men's field, although the Maldives were disqualified in both competitions. This also sees Iran in the women's 3x3:
https://www.insidethegames.biz/artic...18-asian-games

Another major development emerged out of the Jakarta ball is that the Japanese Olympic Committee delegation swiftly expelled four of its men's basketball players back home in disgrace--Takuya Hashimoto, Keita Imamura, Yuya Nagayoshi and Takuma Sato--after their 82-71 game win against Qatar for spending overnight in Jakarta with 4 women at a hotel (very likely having sex with them) for bringing Japanese sports into disrepute and failing to be "role models". JBA also plans to punish them soon afterwards with international competition and BJ play coming up. This saga saw Team Japan reduced to just 8 players where they couldn't practice 5-on-5. The turbulence ended at the quarterfinals with the Iran thumping Japan 91-67:
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-g...-idUSKCN1LC0OV
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/20...ght-with-women

Yes, it was "embarrassing" paid sex at a hotel with 4 prostitutes they had met at a notorious Jakarta red light district called Blok M after dinner and being at a bar. Surprisingly and luckily for the Japanese sports authorities, this didn't garner the mainstream Japanese sports headlines to the public like the National High School Baseball Championship commonly known as Summer Koshien right now. More on that next time:
https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-spo...ing-sex-during
https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-spo...rs-forced-show

Cleveland Cavaliers star Jordan Clarkson got clearance from the NBA to play for the Philippines at the Asian Games after his January naturalization for being drafted sixth by the Ulsan Mobis Phoebus--and he faced his ex-Mizzou teammate Ricardo Ratliff repping for South Korea:
https://www.scmp.com/sport/other-spo...faces-fight-ex

The Central American and Caribbean Games in Baranquillia, Colombia saw 7 men's teams and 8 women's teams competing that started in late July and ending in early August. Many of these nations we won't see competing at the highest level in the near future, so this will be their Olympic/WC-like glory. Jamaica could've evened out the field in the men. Or Trinidad & Tobago, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, BVI, Suriname, Barbados, and Panama. Top two in each group advanced to the semis with the third-place team in Group B automatically going to the 5th place game with the last place group finisher in a classification round to determine finishing 5th-7th. For the nations currently in the FIBA World Basketball Championship qualifying like Mexico, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, US Virgin Islands, and Dominican Republic, they'd send B-teams for this. Not a priority for them and wasn't likely worthy of predictions. This also explains why the US Virgin Islands didn't win a game in Group A against Colombia and Puerto Rico. Over in Group B, Cuba tops the pack with the Dominican Republic, Mexico, and winless Bahamas finishing behind the Cubans (though they did get a win over USVI to avoid the cellar).

Hosts Colombia didn't disappoint here. Both the men and women making it to the gold medal game. The Colombian women won gold 67-65 in a thrilling overtime game against Cuba to loud, proud delight of the many Colombian fans and avenging their final group game with the Cubans. The men took silver following a 91-68 Puerto Rican blowout with Cuba getting bronze fending off the Dominican Republic 75-73 in overtime after another very close game DR was involved in with Puerto Rico in the semis 75-74. Jamaica was present in the women's field in Group A with the veteran Cubans, Colombia, and the USVI. But the Jamaican women weren't equipped for even regional competition and scored shy of 100 points total during group play to giving up 221 against stacked and more experienced opposition. Somehow, the Jamaicans proved some respectability by reaching 6th by beating Guatemala and falling short to the US Virgin Islands in the classification round. Puerto Rico and Guatemala without question were head and shoulders and them some ahead of Guatemala and Barbados, neither of whom get to compete much outside of their region if at all. Not to mention youth on the lesser teams. And showed with serious blowouts until the final round in group play with the scores being more competitive with Mexico-Puerto Rico and Guatemala-Barbados games. Eventually, Guatemala showed how much better they are than Barbados again to avoid last place for 7th and give BAR their first win despite falling in an upset to another Commonwealth West Indies nation Jamaica. US Virgin Islands finished 5th. Cuba took care of business on Mexico and Colombia had to barely scrap away from Puerto Rico in the semis. PR later claimed bronze.

[Durbansandshark]

Yes, the NatWest Island Island Games brought back basketball for the latest edition, held last year in Gotland, Sweden at ICA Maxi Arena and the A7 Visby with 11 men's teams--Saaremaa, Menorca, Gotland, Faroe Islands (Group A), Guernsey, Jersey, Froya (Group B), Gibraltar, Isle of Man, Isle of Wright, and the Cayman Islands (Group C)--and 7 women's teams--Gotland, Cayman Islands, Gibraltar, and Jersey (Group A) Isle of Man, Guernsey, and Menorca (Group B). Very evident just on the island rosters that the British areas are further advanced in their basketball development in terms of who is participating and compete more frequently however their low international level--many compete independently as their own teams during Commonwealth action. Though the Swedish island and Norway's Froya can hold its own here.

Top two teams in each group advance to the quarterfinals with the two best third-place teams likely in terms of point differential. Certainly it wasn't the Faroe Islands among them who finished tied for 9th with Isle of Man and Gotland. Basketball clearly isn't a big sport there with soccer dominating with that national team trying in vain to advance with bluebloods and mid-level Euro teams ahead of them. During group play, the Faroes gave up 276 points to their 105 in a net total of -171 points and endured major blowouts from Gotland and Saaremaa. Group B was evenly matched among the three teams that had all three of them advance and a more balanced point differential. Gibraltar, Cayman Islands, and Isle of Wright all saw to that Isle of Man won't advance. And Isle of Man's team wasn't much better than the Faroe Islands with a better PD. Quarterfinal play further displayed the gap between the top teams from the ones just good enough to advance with further blowouts as Saaremaa, Gibraltar, Cayman Islands, and Guernsey advancing. Competition improved in the semis with much closer one as the Cayman Islands defeats Saaremaa 77-71 and Gibraltar taking care of Commonwealth mates Guernsey by 20 95-75 for an all-Commonwealth and Group C rematch gold medal final. The Caymans take the gold 82-80 over Gibraltar as earlier Saaremaa took the bronze 75-54 on Guernsey. The quarterfinal losers and 9-11th classification teams played separate games for pride but didn't really matter with the standings.

Cayman Island vs. Saaremaa semifinal 77-71:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvYHNxDF8Eo (1st half)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iW1ChJFFzBk (2nd half)

Highlights from the Cayman Islands-Gibraltar gold medal game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ITRFwwoI1Y

Interview with Håkan Eriksson, basketball's vice sport coordinator during the NatWest Island Games on Gotland 2017, at the new ICA Maxi Arena with better improvements on what to expect last summer:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yo0dPiTymWA

Cayman Islands vs. Isle Of Man Group C game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E4nl2zvIlpo

The 2OT footage of Gibraltar-Cayman Islands opening Group C game:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzhCswL7qWA

The Gibraltar men's basketball gold medal game report by Robin Sheppard-Capurro is at 0:44-1:50 as part of the GBC News' Island Games Friday 4-minute highlights sports segment from June 30, 2017:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTuT_MzdL_Q

Catching up with an small and (mostly) aged Isle of Man team with coach Paul Ellison and player Paul Kilic following their 102-51 defeat to Gibraltar from Isle of Man TV with hopes of how they'll progress later while continue being outclassed and basketball's future development overall in the Isle of Man with hopes of greater female participation:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWQV9BMaXt4

[Durbansandshark]

A week after Manu Ginobili announces his retirement from basketball, his former Spurs teammate (and ex-Phoenix Suns along with Atlanta Hawks, Charlotte Bobcats, and the Utah Jazz) and equally decorated and illustrated Boris Diaw decides to follow suit and made it public in style through his social media account by relaxing on his boat discussing his career in a 20-minute video called Bromance with pals Ronny Turiaf and Tony Parker, both of whom have accompanied Diaw for many years donning the France jersey at both the senior and junior levels with Parker now moving on to Charlotte. It's almost like a casual, intimate talk show between friends. The son of Elisabeth Riffiod, one of France's greatest women's basketball players ever at center and donned the France jersey 247 times that her son eventually equalled and didn't want to eclipse, Diaw completes his basketball career by playing back in France for Levallois Metros this past season. Like with Argentina's greatest basketball player, Boris Diaw is paid numerous tributes upon his retirement, mainly coming from the French basketball community like Turiaf, Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, the FFBB, national team coach Vincent Collet, Parker, Nicolas Batum as well as the Spurs, Jazz, Levallois Metros, and Tiago Splitter, NBAPA. His fun and open personality and smile and his love of coffee will be missed. I still view him more as a Phoenix Sun in the NBA--should've got a title back in 2007 (we all know how that turned out):
http://www.fiba.basketball/news/bori...rom-basketball
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i9ujf-2M3Ps

Onward to the 2017 NatWest Island Games women's basketball in Gotland. Hosts Gotland showed itself very dominant in its group with an eye towards the gold in Group A, winning all 3 of its games. The Cayman Islands held their own, even though its most competitive games came in the first one, a 93-78 win, with Gibraltar, a British island directly off Spain with some recent and consistent low-level Euro basketball experience and I thought to be the best women's team of them all here, that was the most competitive. Poor Jersey. After hosting the previous one in 2015. The women's basketball game obviously isn't very developed along the Channel Islands and perhaps have very young and inexperienced players. They were the story of that tournament for all the wrong reasons and got embarrassed with a depth deficiency (lacking offense was certainly an understatement): a 106-18 loss to Gotland, a 111-23 losing to Gibraltar, and ending with more competitively losing to the Cayman Islands 79-14. They later got defeated 65-19 to Isle of Man and another defeat to Gibraltar as they finished 5th to the exact same score as in group play.

Menorca in Group B displayed their dominance in winning by 40 to Guernsey and by 57 on Isle of Man. Controversy arrived in the form of when the Cayman Islands actually had to forfeit their first fixture match against Gibraltar due to former's players getting food poisoning that prompted Gibraltar to unsuccessfully appeal their made-up match the next day with the Caymans in the hopes of not playing. Menorca and Guernsey, who weren't as overmatching as Menorca, advanced out of Group B as Gotland and the Cayman Islands from Group A. Both top finishers of their groups--Gotland and Menorca--won their semifinal games in very convincing fashion for a chance to claim gold (Gotland wins 77-36 against Guernsey and Menorca blasts the Cayman Islands 121-61). Guernsey claims bronze beating the Caymans 60-55 with later the Menorcan women shattering the host's hearts and dreams 76-51 at a sold out ICA Maxi Arena.

Only two of the videos on YouTube I could find regarding 2017 Island Games women's basketball. I'll find more when I can a short time later and place them here. First vid comes from the GBC again with the daily Island Games report from June 27 with the Gibraltar basketball report for the men and women coming at 2:38-3:17 on where they were in ending their group stages, including the Gibraltar-Cayman Islands controversy:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m9RLfqE2eME

36 seconds of Menorcan Island Games montage highlights from Day 6 last year with the Menorcan women winning gold from hosts Gotland at 0:24-0:32 from Menorca.info TV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sn6I21RHahg

[Durbansandshark]

Regarding a little bit more into the 2017 Island Games basketball. There actually was some local connection to them from my neck of the woods with Gibraltar. Sam Buxton was on that team and formerly played years ago at UMSL in college.

First dominoes in qualifying fell over the weekend for the 2019 FIBA World Basketball Championship (or FIBA Basketball World Cup). The first six qualifiers came from Africa and Europe to join automatic host qualifier China in this. Africa presented the first ones with African powerhouses and second round hosts Nigeria and Tunisia winning their groups Saturday night by both finishing at 9-0 with three additional tickets left reserved for African nations. Tunisia and Nigeria had very easy clinching victories in Rades and Lagos with 2012 London qualifiers Tunisia beating Egypt 69-47 and reigning African champs Nigeria's D'Tigers demolishing the Central African Republic 114-69, respectively. When both won their 8th games, it assured both they wouldn't finish no worse than second mathematically. Nigeria was actually the first qualified team in terms of time and then followed by Tunisia:
http://www.fiba.basketball/en/basket...orld-cup-spots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t9_o3OXVYWw

Europe gave us international basketball fans the first 4 European teams ready to make their way into China next year with during this period--all coming with thrilling games down the wire. Greece was the first Euro team to accomplish this with thanks to Kostas Papanikolaou last-second layup from a Nick Calathes pass (in addition to his career best of 31 points in an amazing performance) to break the 9000 Georgians' hearts 86-85 following a furious start at the Tblisi Sports Palace after coming back into play from a 17-point deficit that FIBA.com compared to an Alfred Hitchcock thriller. Did it with some games to spare and were missing Ioannis Bourousis and Georgios Printezis for personal reasons against Georgia for head coach Thanasis Skourtopoulos. 2019 will be Greece's 8th World Basketball Championship appearance in the last 9 WC:
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...games-to-spare
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...rld-cup-ticket
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4BH7tPBo6M
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7DvqtylCEM

Short time later that night, Germany joins as the second European team going to be welcomed into China after punching its ticket following an 112-98 overtime win over Israel in Leipzig, Germany with Robin Benzing, Dennis Schroder, Ismet Akpinar, Maximilian Kleber and Maik Zirbes for Henrik Rodl.
https://www.basketball-bund.de/news/...up-2019-191744
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ie8BiXEvb4w

Then came the Tomas Satoransky and Jan Vesely-led Czech Republic making its first-ever appearance in the FIBA World Basketball Championship in its history as the third European nation in following the 85-80 victory on Bosnia-Herzegovina in Sarajevo:
http://www.fiba.basketball/en/basket...orld-cup-spots
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7KGItx-L8Y

Just last night Lithuania's Musukrepsinis became the 6th team confirmed and expected as another top European basketball power beating The Netherlands in its own tight and suspenseful 95-93 double overtime victory at the Siemens Arena in Vilinius to a packed, loud, and very pro-Lithuania crowd:
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...d-in-september
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmkyc1u2PZ4

We're only days away from the 2019 FIBA Women's World Basketball Championship in Tenerife, Spain at the Canary Islands. Fresh from the WNBA season, though lots of teams of course weren't having players, outside of the USA and Canada, who had just played in the WNBA this year. No matter, this is pretty much whether the ever-dominant and stacked United States will finally get that upset defeat that will prevent them the gold. Don't forget: it's been over 20 years from the mid-1990s, about as long as the WNBA's existence, since the USA women largely went through either the World Championships or the Olympics and not won both--did happen in 2006 when Russia beat them in the semis and were lucky and thankful (along with the eventual champs Opals) to have My Stupid Evil Pony sidelined with a pregnancy. Will this reign end? I doubt very seriously that will happen. Not with that lineup coming out Dawn Staley and her staff (Jen Rizzotti, Dan Hughes, and Cheryl Reeves) has put out that's filled with WNBA stars like Delle Donne, Stewart, Bird, Taurasi, Kelsey Plum, Charles, A'ja Wilson (Dawn Staley's former star player at South Carolina), Morgan Tuck, Kelsey Mitchell, Nneka Ogwumike, and Jewel Lloyd. Got UCONN star Napeesha Collier as the lone college player on it. I'll look into this much later. Like to see Canada perform well--they're younger and more athletic now. Belgium, South Korea, Argentina, and Greece are like what I want to see compete well. Latvia just got Gunta Basko back, 10 years forward from that nation's Olympic debut in Beijing 2008, in what will surely be her international swansong.

[Durbansandshark]

That upcoming Basketball: A Love Story ESPN multiseries project mentions that international basketball will be a part of it--and it's a great thing that aspect will be included. Obviously it can't include everything from that--many separate outlets do exist for that, especially given that ESPN's project will be US-centric Among the international figures involved (that is, non-Americans) are Steve Nash, Dirk Nowitzki, Arvydas Sabonis, Kristaps Porzingis, and Sarunas Marciulionis. Surely with the Lithuanians have something to do with mentioning how they at last were playing for their breakaway Baltic nation instead of the Soviet Union and that of the 1988 Soviet gold medal team. Notice that Oscar Schmidt is not part of this in those interviewed. He may still be considering his role in Brazil's upset win over the USA in the 1987 Pan American Games in Indianapolis and how that's still remembered in US basketball circles along with his shooting. Neither are Vlade Divac, Manu Ginobili, Luc Longley, Andrew Gaze, Yao Ming, and Toni Kukoc just to name several. Nor are there a lot of international women's basketball players in this.

The just-now-released companion book could be very well different. Need to check that out when I see and read it. From Google Books, international basketball chapters include the Basketball World is Flat, The Greatest Team Ever Assembled (obviously about the Dream Team), Have Game Will Travel (the abundance of Americans playing overseas?), and From Unbeatable to the Unthinkable: Team USA and the Olympics from 1956-72.

[Durbansandshark]

Quarterfinals are coming after a couple days from of 4 QF entry games between second and third place group teams. A more detailed look will come later. But the QFs are all set in Tenerife as Belgium takes on France, Australia faces China, Canada battles hosts Spain, and the heavy faves USA will surely put an end to the Nigerian D'Tigresses' dream run.

Today in the quarterfinal qualification matches, Nigeria upsets Greece 57-56 in incredible fashion. China stops Japan's 7-year winning streak on them 87-81. France ends Turkey's disappointing campaign 78-61. Lastly, Spain gets back on track following their shock loss to eventual group winners the Belgian Cats in convincingly downing Senegal 63-48 with a strong second half effort in restricting the Lionesses to just 14 points to Spain's 29.

Time has come for expansion in the field to say at least 24 teams in the women's game. Some really solid national teams got left out like, say, New Zealand, Italy, and Chinese Taipei. That too I'll touch on a far more detailed look at the 2018 Women's World Basketball Championship.

[Durbansandshark]

Once again the United States women dominates the international basketball scene with its incredible depth beating the Opals 73-53 in Tenerife, Spain over in the Canary Islands for gold. With this win, Team USA automatically qualifies for the Tokyo 2020 with hosts and reigning Asian champs Japan. The rest of the 12-team field will be determined by a series of WOQTs in 2020 prior to the Summer Olympics. Not only that Tokyo being in the bag, this win marks the USA women's 100th victory in either the Olympics, Americas Championship, or World Basketball Championship since 1996 with its only loss coming at the hands of Russia in 2006 in Brazil at the Women's World Basketball Championships semis. And this dominance doesn't seem to be stopping even at Tokyo in two years' time. A more detailed review is coming very shortly among other things...

[Durbansandshark]

FIBA Secretary General and IOC member Patrick Baumann dies from a heart attack while at the Youth Olympic Games at Buenos Aires, Argentina yesterday at the young age of 51. A tremendous visionary who loved the sport and was a tremendous friend to everyone in the basketball world and many sports with expanding the participation of basketball nations competing to 3x3 basketball to Youth Olympics with lots of talent and passion:
http://www.fiba.basketball/news/fiba...atrick-baumann
http://www.basketball.ca/en/news-art...tary-general-p
http://www.fiba.basketball/news/baum...morial-service
http://www.fiba.basketball/news/worl...atrick-baumann

[Durbansandshark]

EuroLeague's 2018-19 season already is through 3 rounds. 16 teams from 9 European nations are taking part in a single division with the top 8 teams advancing into the postseason starting with a best of five before ultimately leading to a the Final Four in the Fernando Buesa Arena, in Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain. Adriatic League champs, KK Budućnost VOLI from Podgorica, Montenegro joins the league with German Basketball Bundesliga champs being once again Bayern Munich. Darüşşafaka Tekfen is there by virtue of being EuroCup champs. Herbalife Gran Canaria Qualifies as the highest-placed ACB team without a longterm EuroLeague license. Darussafaka and coach David Blatt parted ways at the end of his contract. Blatt has since joined Olympiacos.

Defensing champs Real Madrid, CSKA Moscow, and Fenerbahce are undefeated each at 3-0. KK Buducnost VOLI and Khimki remain winless.

[Durbansandshark]

Eurobasket Women 2019's field now altogether set. Aside from co-hosts Latvia and Serbia, your finalists are Great Britain*, France*, previous hosts Czech Republic*, Russia*, Italy*, Sweden, Belgium, Hungary, Montenegro*, Turkey*, Belarus, defending Euro champs Spain*, Slovenia, and Ukraine.

Greece and Bosnia-Herzegovina were severely unlucky in missing out as the last two second place group finishers in accordance to FIBA official basketball rules regarding rankings. Another reason why the Eurobasket Women's field must be re-expanded back to at least 24 nations. Particularly in Greece's case since it just appeared in the Women's World Basketball Championships in Spain. Damn shame:
http://www.fiba.basketball/womenseur...ield-confirmed

*denotes group winners

Nassau Bahamian sports writer Fred Stirrup pits WNBA player Jonquel Jones from the Phoenix Mercury as having the best season ever for a Bahamian basketball player ahead of Mychal Thompson, Dexter Cambridge, Chavano "Buddy" Hield, Rick Fox, Klay Thompson, Eric Gordon, Kendall "Tiny" Pinder, and Osborne “Goose” Lockhart (last two actually played for the Harlem Globetrotters although I of course know Pinder later played for the Perth Wildcats, Sydney Supersonics, and Illawarra Hawks):
https://thenassauguardian.com/2017/0...etball-player/

[Durbansandshark]

Congrats to both the Boomers and France's Les Bleues in joining the list of FIBA 2019 World Basketball Championship qualified teams to 8 (with China automatically in as hosts). Australia is the first Asia/Pacific team in and France is FIBA Europe's fifth team in with Germany, Greece, Lithuania, and the Czech Republic (whom France defeated to officially get in). Australia soundly cruises Iran 76-49 in Melbourne, in a better situation between those two than what took place 21 years ago at this time crosstown in soccer:
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...-2019-to-eight

Tunisia wants to stay undefeated with the top Group E placer getting automatic entry out of Africa. Egypt, Tunisia's upcoming opponent, needs this far more to beat them in a must-win with Cameroon looming next for the Pharoahs and avoid third place qualification; they must contain Tunisia's three-point shooting prowess and disrupt their defense. Last time with Tunisia was not a good encounter in Tunis two months ago being outclassed:
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...ainst-cameroon

As it presently stands for third place Africa FIBA qualification, according to Wikipedia, Egypt and the Central African Republic are in a fight as the best third-place team coming from different groups with Egypt ahead in point differential, although Angola with its rich African international basketball pedigree surely has something to say about this.

Argentina convincingly wins in La Rioja, Argentina over a Team USA filled with talented G-League players with a member of the famed Golden Generation (Luis Scola) still showing the way and taking another important step in qualifying. No doubt both will eventually qualify for China. Both finish their qualification campaigns in February with each other in the USA (place TBA):
http://www.fiba.basketball/basketbal...-defeat-anyone

Canada falls to qualification nemesis Venezuela 84-76 in a hostile and passionate Caracas road crowd in this same fifth window. Tough shooting woes did them in too. Brazil's up next in a couple of days still on the road further south in Sao Paulo. So far Canada used 35 players overall during the qualification season:
http://www.basketball.ca/en/news-art...etball-world-c
https://ca.nba.com/news/fiba-canada-...e1e88wo73v2hk3

In addition to the St. John's Edge NBL Canada home games that local residents are eating up with enthusiasm, more basketball is coming to St. John's Mile One Centre with two games this February 21-24 in a more international kind with Team Canada playing the final two Group F FIBA Americas games there with soon-to-eliminated Chile and Venezuela. Tickets are on sale right now there. Canada should qualify by this stage as among the top three in Group F:
http://www.basketball.ca/en/news-art...basketball-wor