The excitement is building up for the much-awaited FIBA World Cup.
In exactly 100 days, the highly anticipated FIBA World Cup will tip off in Manila, Tokyo, and Jakarta.
While many Filipinos are excited to see Gilas Pilipinas take on its opponents in Group A, they will also have a chance to see some of the best and brightest talents in the world—especially from the NBA.
Come August 25, the Philippines will host some of the top-ranked basketball teams in the world, including the United States, Serbia, Lithuania, and Greece.
In addition, Angola, Dominican Republic, Italy, South Sudan, China, Puerto Rico, Jordan, New Zealand, Egypt, Mexico, and Montenegro will also be in the Pearl of the Orient for the group stage.
Some of these nations include some of the best players in the world, including Nikola Jokic of Serbia, Giannis Antentokounmpo of Greece, Domantas Sabonis of Lithuania, Karl-Anthony Towns of Dominican Republic, and of course, the entire Team USA squad.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio expressed how big of a deal this will be for Filipinos to see some of their favorite players in the flesh.
“The event will be tremendous—the fan experience will be unprecedented, unmatched in its impact and truly memorable for all,” said Panlilio in a statement.
The games will take place at the SM Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay and the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Quezon City, where visiting teams will also experience world-class Filipino hospitality.
Several FIBA executives have already said that fans can expect generation-defining moments in the tournament.
As each day passes, the FIBA World Cup fever is definitely getting higher and higher.