29 Jun 2023
MARSEILLE (France) - The FIBA 3x3 World Tour returns after a month's break and a new exciting destination awaits at the first-ever Marseille Masters.
Here is all the important information you need before the third Masters of 2023.
Where can I watch the Marseille Masters?
The action runs from June 30-July 1, and you can follow it live on the FIBA 3x3 YouTube, Facebook and FIBA3x3 social media accounts.
Who is competing in Marseille?
This loaded draw has a total of 12 squads: Ub Huishan NE, Vienna, Antwerp TOPdesk, Amsterdam HiPRO, Paris, Dusseldorf LFDY, Warsaw Lotto, Fribourg, Jeddah, Marseille, Haarlem, Plunge
What are the pools?
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Who are the favorites?
You guessed it. Yep, unstoppable Ub Huishan NE (SRB) are the team to beat having won the two opening Masters to start the season and are a perfect 10 of 10.
They've never looked better and have their awesome foursome here after muscular Nemanja Barac missed in Manila.
So should we just crown them a third straight title? Not so fast because there are a host of contenders hungry to take the No.1 seeds down.
Antwerp TOPdesk (BEL) will have revenge on their minds after losing to Ub in the final at the Utsunomiya Opener and these brilliant Belgians are loaded with a team that can absolutely go all the way.
Vienna (AUT) were also impressive in Utsunomiya, but haven't been seen since on the pro circuit.
You just know the No.2 seeds have been in the lab working on a few new tricks, while Amsterdam HiPRO (NED) have had a couple of heart-breaking defeats in Masters quarter-finals.
The Dutch Masters face an early test against crazy talented Paris (FRA) who will be fuelled by the passion of their compatriots in the crowd excited about watching top tier 3x3 in their city.
Dusseldorf LFDY (GER) might be the ultimate dark horse contender with Niklas Kropp a 3x3 unicorn while Alan Boger is not only a Luke Doncic doppelganger but this dude can flat out ball!
Who are the players to watch?
It would just not be right if we didn't start with Strahinja Stojacic who is the center of the 3x3 multiverse right now as he aims for a third straight MVP.
But there are others gunning for his crown starting with No.1 ranked American Quincy Diggs and Polish sharpshooter Przemyslaw Zamojski who can melt down Marseille if they heat up.
There will be a number of players fighting to be in the top 5 plays of the tournament - we just know excitement machine Worthy de Jong, French star Franck Seguela and Swiss bulldozer Natan Jurkovitz will be among them.
If you want some 3x3 unicorns - well, we already mentioned Kropp but he's not the only one with freakish skill-set with 23-year-old Caspar Augustijnen the complete package thanks to his massive wingspan.
Oh and I almost forgot, young guns Dylan Van Eyck and French prodigy Lorenzo Thirouard-Samson are dudes who play above the rim and ready to show off their nasty dunking skills.
And we can't forget those performing jaw-dropping dope moves like Nico Kaltenbrunner and Malik Hluchoweckyj who will do things you've never before seen on the half-court.
FIBA