Meanwhile in China …
By Guillaume Mahot
When a big competition is replaced by another one in China. The 2019 NBA playoffs are barely over that another huge basketball event is peeping around the corner. With the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, basketball fans will have the occasion to chill out and have some fun before the NBA and its incredible free agency starts again.
Taking place in China (in eight cities) from August 31st to September 15th, the World Cup already knows its favorite, the United States of course, even though the winners in title will be deprived of many stars for the upcoming tournament. On the African side, five squads will stand for the continent: Angola, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Senegal and Tunisia.
A special wink for Greece as well, since the Antetokounmpo siblings, Nigerian roots, will lead the selection in the F group (Brazil, Greece, New Zealand and Montenegro). It is a second world cup after 2014 for Giannis, MVP in title, and a first one for his brothers Thanasis and Kostas.
Let us write a few words about Team USA, the favorite Number One of the competition. In 2014, the US could rely on players like Klay Thompson, Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, DeMarcus Cousins or Derrick Rose for a final victory 129-92 against Serbia. This one year, names do not sound that prestigious but talent remains.
As a matter of fact, many players turned down the call to concentrate on the next NBA season. Gregg Popovich, who will run the squad in China, will then have to do without James Harden, Anthony Davis, Kevin Love, Paul Millsap, Damian Lillard, Tobias Harris, CJ McCollum, Eric Gordon and Bradley Beal.
Instead, he should be able to work with Kyle Lowry, NBA champion with Toronto, new Celtic point guard Kemba Walker or Milwaukee center Brook Lopez. A bunch of individualities does not make a team, and all those NO may just be a blessing in disguise.
Africa Global News Publication
