There’s a lot of basketball to watch outside of Gilas Pilipinas.
As fun as the Southeast Asian Games was, especially with Gilas PIlipinas reclaiming the gold, it pales in comparison to the FIBA World Cup when it comes to talent.
Come August 25, 2023, the world’s 32 best basketball countries are coming to the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia to vie for the toughest trophy to win in basketball. With Manila serving as host for most of the games, Filipino fans look forward to welcoming dozens of the best hoopers in the world.
The NBA players who are suiting up for home countries certainly take the headlines, but with powerhouse teams like Serbia and Lithuania in the fold, the top-rated international basketball scene will be well-represented—and they will bring excellent play with them.
To help you sort things out as you allocate your limited number of vacation days, here are several games in the group stages in Manila that you might want to mark in your calendar.
Take note: these games do not include those of Gilas Pilipinas—we will follow them, anyway. For this list, we’re focusing on the visitors, which means you get to witness two world-class teams per game. Talk about being efficient, huh? Your leave credits say thank you. You’re welcome.
Serbia vs China – Group B (August 26 | Araneta Coliseum)
If you despise China because of all the losses they dealt Gilas in the past (or for other more serious reasons, you know), this game against Serbia may help entertain you. This European team, one of the proven basketball powers in the last two decades, is ranked sixth in the world.
Of course, there’s that chance that two-time NBA MVP and 2023 NBA Playoffs havoc-wreaker Nikola Jokic will suit up, and maybe some other guys, too, like Atlanta Hawks sweetshooter Bogdan Bogdanovic.
Don’t blame this author if Zhou Qi and China put up a fight and maybe score an upset. The Chinese are no slouch when it comes to basketball. Filipinos should know that.
Italy vs Dominican Republic – Group A (August 27 | Araneta Coliseum)
By this time, Gilas will have already faced Dominican Republic. Italy will already have played against Angola. But what sets this matchup apart is these are the two top-ranked squads in Group A, with Italy at no. 10 and Dominican Republic at no. 23.
This means they are poised to go toe-to-toe against each other, especially if Domicana rolls out with Minnesota Timberwolves’ big man Karl-Anthony Towns.
Greece vs USA – Group C (August 28 | Mall of Asia Arena)
Miss out on all the other games in this list but don’t skip on this potentially star-studded battle. There’s Team USA, who will most definitely send a delegation full of NBA stars, and there’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak.
Giannis may have failed (or not?) in the playoffs this year, but he has one NBA championship, two MVP trophies, and a plethora of highlight plays dunking on all sizes of players in the NBA—proving his capability.
He may need to dunk on them repeatedly in the FIBA World Cup, as the ninth-ranked Greece will bank on every break it can get going up against the second-ranked American squad.
New Zealand vs Jordan – Group C (August 28 | Mall of Asia Arena)
The Kiwis defeated Gilas in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers twice by an average of 35 points. In the same qualifiers, the Jordanians split its record against the Philippine national team, including a 91-90 heartbreaker back in February.
These two teams may have gotten the edge on Gilas, but they're by no means title contenders in the quadrennial meet. Still, it could be fun for the purist fans to see how our neighbors will fare in the bigger stage.
Lithuania vs Montenegro – Group D (August 29 | Mall of Asia Arena)
Domantas Sabonis may not have his Beam Team when he comes to Manila, but the world no. 8 squad will look to come out swinging in the fairly “light” group where the next-ranked team is the no. 18 Montenegro, before 31st-ranked Mexico and 55th-ranked Egypt.
Maybe Domas can also convince his father, Lithuanian legend and Portland Trailblazers icon Arvydas Sabonis, to come over and watch his games live. The basketball titos will surely line up for the older Sabonis' autographs.
What are you waiting for? Get on your email, call your boss, and book those vacation days.