Basketball

Start Your Countdown: The 2023 FIBA World Cup Tips Off in 100 Days!

By Annika Caniza - May 17, 2023

The clock is winding down to the FIBA World Cup! Here are 3 things to look forward to as we count down to the biggest basketball event of the year.

There are only 100 days left until the 2023 FIBA World Cup. Are you ready for all the action?

While 100 days can seem like both a long and a short time to go until the tournament begins, there is still a lot to look forward to as we count down to the first game of the World Cup in August.

Here are three things left to watch out for!

1. The trophy tour

Before the official competition begins, FIBA always makes sure that every competing nation knows what they are playing for. With this, they are holding the World Cup Trophy Tour, bringing the iconic Naismith Trophy to the shores of every participating country!

The Tour officially kicked off in China on May 8, and from there, the trophy will be hopping from country to country across all the continents.

The Philippines is the last stop on the trophy tour, given that the country will be hosting the Championship rounds of the World Cup. With this, you can expect a national trophy tour here in Manila on August 15, right before the tournament begins!

2. All of the roster reveals

Kevin Durant representing the United States in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers
Kevin Durant representing the United States in the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. (Photo credit: FIBA)

This is perhaps what every basketball fan is looking forward to — every nation’s official roster.

Basketball is a global sport, with icons hailing from many different countries. As one of the host nations of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, this means that the Philippines will get the honor of hosting some of the most talented basketball players in the world.

With this, Filipino fans are eagerly waiting to find out which star players will be coming to play in our local stadiums. Stay tuned to find out the names on the official rosters when they are finally revealed!

3. The fans, the guests, the stars

Dirk Nowitzki at the 2023 FIBA World Cup Draw
Dirk Nowitzki smiling with Filipino basketball fans ahead of the World Cup Draw. (Photo credit: FIBA Basketball World Cup on Facebook)

Another thing that many fans are looking forward to is the stars that will be coming to the Philippines to witness the action of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

In the World Cup Draw that took place in Araneta Coliseum last April 29, many icons were in attendance, including NBA star Dirk Nowitzki, Argentinian basketball legend Luis Scola, American sports reporter Arielle Chambers, and Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, among several others.

And to think, this was only the FIBA World Cup Draw. When the actual action of the tournament goes down, it’s almost certain that even more stars will want to be in attendance to witness history in the making.

With 100 days left to go, what are you looking forward to the most?

Banner image from FIBA.


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