2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup Takeaways
Germany secured the gold medal at the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup on Sunday. The tournament features notable moments, awards, and of course standout players that made the competition more interesting than anticipated. With the competition concluding, we take a look back at the top 2023 FIBA World Cup storylines before basketball fans and bettors move on to the upcoming 2023-24 NBA season starting in October.
A Closer Look at the Aftermath of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup
Germany wins first-ever FIBA Basketball World Cup title
A German squad led by Dennis Schroder overcame Serbia 83-77 to win the 2023 FIBA World Cup title. Despite trailing the game by three points after the first quarter, the Germans recovered well in their first-ever final appearance.
Pumped up by the pace of Isaac Bonga on both sides of the floor and the Raptors’ first-year guard Dennis Schroder, the 1993 EuroBasket winners hit back and took an early four-point lead in the second. The teams went into half-time at 47 apiece, with the lead changing 15 times by this point. This clearly indicates that both sides are equal and expected to deliver intense basketball action.
Germany went full throttle in the second half and opened up the third quarter with a double-digit lead. Scroder’s accuracy from deep and the offensive threat introduced by Orlando Magic star Franz Wagner, the Germans stretched their lead to 69-57 before the final quarter.
Bogdan Bogdanovic kept his team afloat as Serbia battled furiously in the fourth quarter to get back within three points of their opponents. However, Germany stood firm and survived the final minute to close out the match.
Since winning the bronze medal at the 2022 FIBA EuroBasket, this is the first time in German basketball history they brought home major event awards in consecutive years. Furthermore, Dennis Schroder received the prestigious FIBA World Cup MVP award following his 28-point performance against Serbia, which included game-winning shots.
2023 FIBA World Cup awards
FIBA Basketball announced the All-Star Five, consisting of Dennis Schroder of Germany, Bogdan Bogdanovic of Serbia, the stellar Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of Canada, Anthony Edwards of Team USA, and Luka Doncic of Slovenia.
Meanwhile, the All-Second team of the competition features Latvia’s Arturs Zagars, Simone Fontecchio of Italy, Jonas Valanciunas of Lithuania, Nikola Milutinov of Serbia, and 2023 FIBA World Cup gold medalist Franz Wagner of Germany.
Bringing home the Best Defensive Player award is Canada’s Dillon Brooks. The Houston Rockets guard/forward was happy to accept any defensive responsibilities for his nation. His physical one-on-one defense against star forward Luka DOncic and Evan Fournier played a massive role in their campaign to win the bronze medal. Ultimately, he was a crucial component of one of the best defensive units in the tournament.
Taking the Best Coach honors is Latvia head coach Luca Banchi. Not only is he the mastermind of Latvia’s run for fifth place in their FIBA World Cup debut, but he also led the team to an incredible 21-3 record ever since he took on the position for the national team. His Popovich-like style resulted in a brand of basketball that averages 24.4 assists per game as everyone who played for him left it all on the floor against the best players in the world.
Second and third-place teams
Right behind the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup champions are the Serbian national team, who only lost once before their final defeat. Their first-round run was disrupted by a two-point defeat at the hands of the Italians. Nevertheless, they bounced back strong and claimed wins over the Dominican Republic, Lithuania, and Canada. The Serbians can hold their heads up high knowing they withstood the toughest international competitors.
Taking third place are the Canadians, who forged an incredible run to the semis. Their story started with a clean 3-0 record in the first round, featuring a win over heavy favorites France. Canada fell short against Brazil in the following round but recovered well with wins over Spain and Slovenia. However, the Serbians proved too much for the North American squad as they headed to the match for third place against the United States of America. This is where we saw the team play some of the best basketball we’ve seen in the tournament as Dillon Brooks led his team to a 127-118 overtime victory versus Team USA.
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This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more 2023-24 FIBA season previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest basketball betting odds on our online crypto sportsbook.
