The 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2023 is back for its 12th edition beginning this weekend in Utsunomiya, Japan (29-30 April).
Launched back in 2012, the annual 3x3 men's basketball competition sees teams representing cities from across the globe aiming to qualify for Masters events and a Final through a worldwide network of qualifying tournaments. It is widely held to be the flagship competition of the FIBA 3x3 men’s professional season with many of the top half-court hoops stars in action.
The season-opener in Japan will be the first of 14 World Tour stops taking across the 2023, which will lead to a concluding Final to be held in December.
In addition to delivering high-octane action, the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Tour will also serve as an opportunity for teams to earn points towards qualification to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.
The Federation Ranking list, calculated based on the points collected by a National Olympic Committee’s top 25 national players competing in FIBA-endorsed events, will be used to determine the first three quota spots for Paris and eligibility for subsequent Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, meaning everything is to play for when the season gets underway.
2023 FIBA 3x3 World Tour: Event competition calendar in full
Here is the season schedule for the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Tour:
- Utsunomiya Opener - 29-30 April
- Manila Masters - 20-21 May
- Marseille Masters - 30 June - 1 July
- Macau Masters - 8-9 July
- Edmonton Masters - 28-29 July
- Prague Masters 5-6 August
- Lausanne Masters 18-19 August
- Debrecen Masters 26-27 August
- Constanta Masters 9-10 September
- Cebu Masters 23-24 September
- Amsterdam Masters 6-7 October
- Chengdu Masters 21-22 October
- Abu Dhabi Masters 27-28 October
- Asia Masters - 16-17 November
- World Tour Final - 9-10 December
The precise location of the World Tour Final will be announced later in the year.
2023 FIBA 3x3 World Tour: Key off-season transfers
2022 was an unforgettable year for last year’s Tour winners Ub of Serbia.
The quartet, led by No.1 player Strahinja Stojacic and the legendary Olympic bronze medallist Dejan Majstorovic, won five titles on the World Tour including the Utsunomiya Opener and the Abu Dhabi Final.
The returning defending champions touch down in Japan eager to mount their title defence but the field before them will have a much different look to last year’s.
The headline news in the transfer window was the departure of Tokyo 2020 Olympic gold medallists Nauris Miezis and Karlis Lasmanis from Riga (LAT) to Beijing (CHN).
Miezis and Lasmanis, familiarly known as Batman and Robin, will be joining Yan Peng and Zhu Yuanbo for the season ahead, and the team look to be in promising form having already recorded a victory at the 3x3 Thai Super League
Also moving to the People’s Republic of China to link up with the newly-formed team Futian, are Dutchman Dimeo van der Horst, formerly of Amsterdam, and Belgium Thibaut Vervoort, once the leading man for Antwerp.
Vervoot and van der Horst, ranked sixth and eighth in the FIBA 3x3 World Rankings respectively, both finished in the top six of scoring on last year’s World Tour, meaning Futian has acquired significant fire-power as they enter the fray for 2023.
Newcomers Miami also made waves in the offseason by revealing an exciting squad for the upcoming World Tour.
Underpinned by United States’ Paris 2024 Olympic ambitions, the Americans have assembled a team that they hope will see them challenge the current world’s best and qualify for the Games.
Leading their signings is former NBA player Jimmer Fredette who will make his debut on the professional circuit when he steps out for the side.
Known for once upon a time wreaking Jimmer-mania, Fredette will be joined by Dylan Travis, formerly of Omaha, and ex-Princeton stars, Kareem Maddox and Canyon Barry. The foursome won gold for the USA at last year’s AmeriCup.
Other off-season transfers:
- Worthy de Jong moves from Utrecht to Amsterdam
- Maksim Kovacevic moves from Amsterdam to Utrecht
- Miroslav Pasajlic moves from Liman to Riga
- Dominique Gentil moves from Versailles to Jeddah
- Malik Hluchoweckyj moves from Omaha to Jeddah
- Aleksandar Ratkov moves from Liman to Sansar
How to watch the 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Tour
The 2023 FIBA 3x3 World Tour season will all be televised and available for digital livestreaming, with action live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com in many territories, starting with the opener in Utsunoymiya, Japan from 29-30 April.