As the 2023 International Basketball Federation World Cup came to a close, Germany took home its first-ever gold medal, defeating Serbia in the championship final, 83-77. This year’s competition also marked the first in its history to be hosted in multiple nations: The Philippines, Japan and Indonesia. The tournament lasted from Aug. 25 to Sept. 10, and was the first World Cup to feature Cape Verde, Georgia, Latvia and South Sudan.
Occurring every four years, FIBA organizes a competition with 32 participating senior men’s national teams. Since its establishment in 1950, 19 tournaments have been held globally in nations such as the United States, Canada, Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Puerto Rico, Spain and Greece, as well as many others.
“For me, it’s just an extension of the NBA with even more of the world’s best players. It’s amazing watching the different strategies of countries all across the world,” senior and Varsity basketball player Josh Lipson said. “Luckily, the USA tends to win most of the time, but the game has expanded much more globally with talent coming from everywhere nowadays.”
The teams found out what groups they would play in at the FIBA Basketball World Cup Draw in Araneta Coliseum, Manila in the Philippines — the first of the three countries to host the games.
This competition also served as the qualifying tournament for the 2024 Summer Olympics, with two teams each from the Americas and Europe, and one each from Africa, Asia and Oceania.
This year, FIBA welcomed three past champions as the global ambassadors of the Basketball World Cup: Luis Scola, Pau Gasol and Carmelo Anthony. Scola, who played for Argentina, won two World Cup medals in 2002 and 2019 and two Olympic medals in 2004 and 2008. Gasol, who played for Spain, was named Eurobasket MVP twice and won one World Cup medal in 2006 and three Olympic medals in 2008, 2012 and 2016. Anthony, who played for the U.S., is ranked in the top 10 NBA scorers of all time, with one World Cup medal from 2006 and four Olympic medals from 2004, 2008, 2012 and 2016.
In 2019, FIBA revealed a newly designed trophy for the Basketball World Cup Competition. The new cup, made entirely from gold, features a list of all past world champions. Standing 60 centimeters tall, the trophy ranks among one of the tallest sports trophies and is awarded to the final champions.
“My favorite part of basketball is watching the ball go in the basket and just listening to the cheers of the crowd,” Lipson said. “It gives me a sensation in my body that makes me feel like I could do anything.”
