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Aug 02, 2023

FIBA World Cup: Format, list of NBA players and how to watch

Top talent around the world will compete for the crown that Spain currently holds. Brian Martin, for NBA.com Reigning world champion Spain and Team USA are considered 2 of the favorites to win the

Top talent around the world will compete for the crown that Spain currently holds.

Brian Martin, for NBA.com

Reigning world champion Spain and Team USA are considered 2 of the favorites to win the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

The 2023 FIBA World Cup tips off Friday with 32 teams playing in 92 games over 16 days of competition, all of them vying for the title of world champion as well as qualification for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.

This is the 19th edition of the competition, which began in 1950 and was known as the FIBA World Championship until 2010. This is the first time that the event is being hosted by multiple countries as the two rounds of Group Phase play will be split between the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia before the top eight teams convene in Manila for the Final Phase. The competition returns to the basketball-crazed Philippines for the first time in 45 years.

The Format

Here is a breakdown of the competition format:

Group Phase 1st Round (Aug. 25-30): Eight groups of four teams, with each team playing against the other three teams in the group for a total of 48 games. The top two teams from each group qualify for the second round, while the bottom two teams will play in the Classification Round to determine places 17-32.

Group Phase: 2nd Round (Aug. 31-Sept. 4): Four groups of four teams, with each playing against the two teams in their group that they did not face in the 1st round. Results from the 1st Round carry over to the 2nd Round. The top two teams from each group advance to the Final Phase. The bottom two teams from each group are eliminated and ranked in places No. 9-16, according to the Official Basketball Rules.

Final Phase: Quarter-Finals (Sept. 5-6): Eight teams play in a bracket-style tournament to determine the champion, with all games played at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Manila. The winner of each Quarter-Final advances to the Semifinals, while the loser plays in the Classification Round for places 5-8.

Final Phase: Semifinals (Sept. 8): The winner of each semifinal advances to the Final, while the loser of each semifinal will play in the third-place game.

Final Phase: Final and Third-Place Game (Sept. 10): The world title will be determined as the winners of the two semifinals meet in the Final.

The Field

As the game of basketball has continued to grow and expand internationally, so has the field for the FIBA World Cup. What began as a 10-nation competition in 1950 has now reached 32 teams vying for the title of world champion.

Spain enters the 2023 competition as the defending champion – having won their second FIBA World Cup in 2019 – as well as the top team in the FIBA world rankings. The Spanish squad, led by Willy and Juancho Hernangomez as well as Rudy Fernandez and Santi Aldama, is the favorite to emerge out of Group G in the Group Phase.

Below are the group draws with the teams listed in order of their FIBA World Ranking. Click each country to learn more about the team and view their Group Phase 1st Round schedule.

The United States enters the FIBA World Cup with a No. 2 FIBA ranking, but is seen as the tournament favorites. Team USA boasts a 12-man roster full of current NBA players, led by All-Stars Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton and Jaren Jackson Jr., as well as reigning NBA Kia Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero.

But what the United States boasts in talent, they lack in international experience. The FIBA World Cup will be the first competition at the senior level for every member of Team USA. The team began training in early August and posted a perfect 5-0 record in an exhibition showcase to prepare them for the competition, including a win over top-ranked Spain and an impressive come-from-behind win over 11th-ranked Germany.

The United States is tied with the former Yugoslavia for the most FIBA World Cup titles in the history of the competition with five, winning in 1954, 1986, 1994, 2010 and 2014. However, Team USA is coming off its worst outing in World Cup history in 2019 when they finished seventh.

Team USA Finishes at the FIBA World Cup

Of course, the United States isn’t the only roster to boast a lot of NBA talent. In total, 22 of the 32 national teams competing at the FIBA World Cup feature at least one NBA player. At least one-third of the rosters for Canada, Serbia, France and Australia are comprised of NBA players.

A total of six 2023 NBA All-Stars are featured in the competition with Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) and Lauri Markkanen (Finland) joining the trio from Team USA; Doncic and Gilgeous-Alexander were also named All-NBA First Team last season. For more on some of the marquee players at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, check out our 12 players to watch in the competition.

There are some notable international stars missing from this year’s competition due to either injury or rest, including Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Jamal Murray (Canada), Kristaps Porzingis (Latvia), Ben Simmons (Australia) and Jose Alvarado (Puerto Rico).

NBA players on FIBA World Cup rosters

Group A

Group B

Group C

Group D

Group E

Group F

Group G

Group H

How to watch

Courtside 1891’s FIBA World Cup Pass will offer fans in 20 countries and territories access to live and on-demand games, as well as replays, extended highlights, and top plays.

Fans in the following countries and territories can purchase Courtside 1891’s FIBA World Cup Pass: Angola, Argentina, Cape Verde, Cote D’Ivoire, Czech Republic, Dominican Republic, Greece, Indonesia, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Mexico, Poland, Puerto Rico, Serbia, Slovenia, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, and United Kingdom.

For viewers in the United States, games will be available live on ESPN platforms, such as ESPN2 and ESPN+. Six games will air exclusively on ESPN2, including three in the first round that feature Team USA. All other 86 games will be carried by ESPN+.

The Schedule

Check out the full Group Phase 1st Round schedule here. This page will be updated daily with results and as games in the further rounds are determined.

For fans of Team USA, here is the Group Phase 1st Round schedule for the Americans:

Keep track of every NBA player expected to compete for their country in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, beginning Aug. 25.

Courtside 1891's FIBA World Cup Pass gives fans access to all 92 games live and on-demand.

Whether it's Luka Doncic and Slovenia, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander leading Canada or Lauri Markkanen representing Finland, here are 12 players poised to have a great tournament.

With pressure coming into the FIBA World Cup, Team USA is poised to bring home gold.