We all know about the trophy and the celebrations. But after the confetti settles, how much money do the FIBA World Cup winners take home?
The FIBA World Cup is arguably the biggest international basketball tournament. With 32 countries competing, every game throughout the entire competition has a lot at stake, as every team will be fighting for the championship title, for the trophy, and for, perhaps above all else, international pride for their country.
But, what is not as widely discussed is the prize pot involved in such an endeavor. For many, the FIBA World Cup is not just a chance to bring one’s country’s name on the Naismith Trophy. Apart from this, it is also a chance to provide for their nation and their players through prize money. The payout for reaching the very pinnacle is a huge incentive in itself.
So, how much money do the players take home from the FIBA World Cup?
How much do the winners get?
Unlike the Football World Cups, where the prize pots are usually already set before the tournaments start, the prize money of the FIBA Basketball World Cup is largely dependent on how the tournament goes. This means that the size of the pot is usually determined by amounts of sponsorships, broadcasting deals, and the like.
Given this, people can only speculate how much the 2023 FIBA World Cup prize money will be as we are just about to head into the start of the tournament. But, it is not too difficult to predict using the prize pots of previous editions.
In 2014, the prize pot of the entire tournament reached a record high of $15 million. From this, the winners went home with $1 million, the runners-up received $600,000, and the second- and third-runners-up took $350,000 each.
2019 also had the same prize pot of $15 million. However, this time around, the winners received a bigger chunk, taking home $2.5 million. Meanwhile, the runners-up received $1.5 million, and the third and fourth placers took $1.2 million.
Based on these numbers from previous years, many expect that the prize money for the 2023 FIBA World Cup will likely be around $15 million again, if not more, especially given the fact that three nations will be hosting the prestigious event. And if this should be the case, then we can expect the winners to take home around $2 million or more.
Who are the favorites to win the prize?
Winning millions of dollars in prize money for winning the 2023 FIBA World Cup is a big deal. This is especially true for the countries that will be looking to use these funds to grow the sport locally. Thus, we can expect the competition to be fierce, especially heading into the latter stages of the tournament, given that even the runners-up stand to win a lot.
But, there are clear favorites to advance.
Team USA is one of the biggest favorites to win the tournament, given their roster made up entirely of NBA players. However, given their squad’s lack of experience on the national team, other strong nations may rise to the occasion. Apart from the United States, Canada, France, Australia, and the defending champions, Spain, are all expected to advance far into the competition.
But favorites and predictions can only take us so far. There are many other variables, unexpected outcomes, and shocking results that come with every sporting tournament, which is what makes the World Cup such an exciting endeavor.
Even with favorites, the prize pot could be anybody’s. Who do you think will win it this year?
Banner image from FIBA.
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