7 Oct 2016
GUANGZHOU (FIBA 3x3 World Championships) - With the third edition of the FIBA 3x3 World Championships approaching on 11-15 October, we look at the 10 men to watch in China.
Ilya Alexandrov (Russia)
The Russian star is one of the few players who have played in all 3 editions of the World Championships. He may be 35 but he looked 10 years younger when he nailed that jaw-dropping buzzer-beater at the European Championships.
Mark Belo (Philippines)
The versatile big man has shined for the Philippines basketball team in the last couple of years. Can he help the 3x3-crazy Philippines win a medal on their first-ever World Championships appearance?
Dusan Bulut (Serbia)
The #1 player in the world broke into the 3x3 scene at the first-ever 3x3 World Championships back in 2012. Mr Bullutproof says he will do whatever it takes to regain the crown he lost in the final against Qatar in 2014.
Myke Henry (USA)
The former DePaul university standout made a smooth transition to 3x3 this summer. He was named MVP of the World Tour Americas Masters after leading his team Chicago to victory in Mexico City. Now he gets a chance to bring USA Basketball their first-ever medal at the World Championships in the men’s category.
Jesper Jobse (Netherlands)
The lefty Jobse was named on the European Championship Team of the Tournament after leading the Orange to the bronze medal. Freshly recovered from an ankle sprain, can he lead a taller stronger Dutch team to new heights in China?
Tomoya Ochiai (Japan)
The lefty Japanese is a member of an exclusive group of players who have played in all 5 editions of the 3x3 pro season (the FIBA 3x3 World Tour). And you never get bored when he’s on the court: his all-time idol is Dennis Rodman.
Gasper Ovnik (Slovenia)
The European Championships MVP is 11-1 wearing the Slovenian national team jersey. He would become the first-ever player to win both the European and World Championships.
Fandi Andika Ramadhani (Indonesia)
The Indonesian sharpshooter is a regular of the Indonesian national basketball team. After shining on the 3x3 pro circuit with Team Jakarta, he finally gets an opportunity to represent his country at the 3x3 World Championships.
Erfan Ali Saeed (Qatar)
The powerful big man was the top scorer for the experienced Qatari team that shocked the world at the 2014 World Championships. He’s back with a faster, younger team to become the first-ever player to win the 3x3 World Championships twice.
Tanalp Sengün (Turkey)
Turkey are turning to the future with the crafty Sengün, who shined at the U18 European Championships the last 2 years, winning MVP in 2015 and making the Team of the Tournament this season.
FIBA