The 2019 FIBA World Cup tipped off Saturday, Aug. 31, with the men’s basketball teams of the world battling for gold, silver, bronze and qualification to compete in the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. On top of that, the USA Basketball Men’s National Team (Team USA) is seeking a third-straight FIBA World Cup gold.
Can they do it?
More than in any prior international competition, this year’s national team is surrounded by question marks after several NBA superstars, including James Harden and Anthony Davis, withdrew from the tournament. Thus, national team head coach Gregg Popovich and assistant coach Steve Kerr have their work cut out for them.
Not only is Team USA dealing with a dearth of superstar talent, other countries’ teams — flush with NBA grooming — have caught up in terms of talent and competitiveness. FIBA gold for the third-straight tournament may be a challenge but it’d be a mistake to write off two of the best coaches in the NBA.
Plus, Kerr failed to get his injury-beleaguered Warriors to a Larry O’Brien three-peat in June, meaning he may have something to prove with Team USA.
Win or lose, the experience of trying to elevate a team without superstars to the gold-medal podium should prove beneficial to Kerr ahead of the 2019-20 NBA season in which he will try to keep his Golden State Warriors in the win column without Kevin Durant (Brooklyn Nets) or Klay Thompson (ACL), and with a gaggle of rookies and NBA players new to the Warriors system.
But before Kerr will get the chance to sort out those matters in Golden State, he’s got a FIBA World Cup tournament to get through in China. Here’s what you need to know about the FIBA World Cup, Team USA and how to watch the games:
First: When is the 2019 FIBA World Cup and how can I watch it?
2019 FIBA World Cup
When: Saturday, Aug. 31, through Sunday, Sept. 15
Where: Dongguan, Shanghai and Beijing in China (Final Phase), with earlier rounds played in other Chinese cities
How to watch: Group Phase, Rounds 1 and 2, via ESPN+ and LBTV subscription-based streaming services, with quarterfinals, semifinals and medal games on ESPN Deportes, ESPNews, ESPN2 and ESPN.
Next: How does the FIBA World Cup tournament work?
How the FIBA World Cup tournament works
The tournament begins with 32 men’s national teams divided into eight groups, with four teams in each group. In Group Phase, Round 1, each team plays against the other teams its group, for a total of three games per team. In Group Phase, Round 2, there are four groups of four teams. The results from the first round carry over and each team plays against the two teams they did not face in Round 1, for a total of two games per team.
The quarterfinal, semifinal and final rounds follow standard format. However, teams that do not make the quarterfinals still complete for classification. The results from classification games will determine the seven additional teams to qualify for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
Next: What countries are competing in the World Cup?
Countries in the 2019 FIBA World Cup
The this year’s FIBA World Cup features the following 32 countries (organized by the groups in which they compete in the first round of the Group Phase):
Group A
Ivory Coast
Poland
Venezuela
China
Group B
Russia
Argentina
Korea
Nigeria
Group C
Spain
Iran
Puerto Rico
Tunisia
Group D
Angola
Philippines
Italy
Serbia
Group E
Turkey
Czech Republic
USA
Japan
Group F
Greece
New Zealand
Brazil
Montenegro
Group G
Dominican Republic
France
Germany
Jordan
Group H
Canada
Senegal
Lithuania
Australia
Next: What is the “Group Phase”?
Group Phase, Round 1
The Group Phase is divided into two rounds, Round 1 and Round 2.
Team USA plays in Group E.
Group Phase, Round 1 tips off on Saturday, Aug. 31, and runs through Sept. 5. The USA Basketball Men’s National Team’s first game in Group Phase play is on Sunday, Sept. 1, against Czech Republic.
Group Phase, Round 1 Schedule
Sunday, Sept. 1: USA vs. Czech Republic
Tuesday, Sept. 3: USA vs. Turkey
Thursday, Sept. 5: USA vs. Japan
All games are at 8:30 a.m. ET on ESPN+.
Next: So, there’s a Round 2, too?
Group Phase, Round 2
Round 2 begins on Friday, Sept. 6, and ends on Monday, Sept. 9.
The two teams to come out on top after Round 1 will advance to this second round. If Team USA advances, they will compete in Round 2 against three teams:
- the other team from Group E that finished in the top two in Round 1; and
- the top-two seeds to emerge from Group F (which includes Greece, New Zealand, Brazil and Montenegro).
Round 2, for whichever teams emerge from Groups E and F, will be played in Shenzhen.
Next: When are the medal games?
Final Phase
The Final Phase includes the quarterfinals, semifinals and final game. The Final Phase begins on Tuesday, Sept. 10 and ends on Sunday, Sept. 15, with medal matches played on the final day.
If Team USA finishes first in Round 2 of the Group Phase, they will play in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Sept. 11, in Dongguan, against a team that finished second in Round 2.
If Team USA finishes second in Round 2, they will play in the quarterfinals on Wednesday, Sept. 11, but in Shanghai instead of Dongguan, and against a team that finished first in Round 2.
Next: Are Final Phase games televised nationally?
FIBA World Cup Final Phase | How to watch
Should Team USA advance in the tournament, where Team USA finishes will determine game time, location and viewing options in the Final Phase of the FIBA World Cup, which includes quarterfinals, semifinals and final game matches.
Here are the possible game times and television stations (but check listings as the tournament progresses to know which of the game times and channels listed below will apply to Team USA):
Quarterfinals
Wednesday, Sept. 11, at 7 a.m. ET or 9 a.m. ET, Dongguan or Shenghai (ESPNews or ESPN+)
Semifinals
Friday, Sept. 13, at 4 a.m. ET or 8 a.m. ET, Beijing (ESPN, ESPNews or ESPN)
Bronze medal game
Sunday, Sept. 15, at 4 a.m. ET (ESPN2)
Silver & gold medal game
Sunday, Sept. 15, at 8 a.m. ET (ESPN2)
Next: No James Harden? No Anthony Davis? Who’s on the Team USA roster anyway?
Team USA roster
The 12-man USA Basketball Men’s National Team roster features players from eight NBA teams. Of these, one has a Warriors connection, four play for the Boston Celtics and two are Milwaukee Bucks. They are:
Harrison Barnes (Sacramento Kings)
Jaylen Brown (Boston Celtics)
Joe Harris (Brooklyn Nets)
Brook Lopez (Milwaukee Bucks)
Khris Middleton (Milwaukee Bucks)
Donovan Mitchell (Utah Jazz)
Mason Plumlee (Denver Nuggets)
Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics)
Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)
Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers)
Kemba Walker (Boston Celtics)
Derrick White (San Antonio Spurs)
Coaches
Gregg Popovich, head coach (San Antonio Spurs)
Steve Kerr, assistant coach (Golden State Warriors)
Lloyd Pierce, assistant coach (Atlanta Hawks)
Jay Wright, assistant coach (Villanova University)
Next: What other NBA players are competing in the FIBA World Cup for other countries?
Other NBA players in the FIBA World Cup
The NBA is filled with international talent. So, when it comes to international competition, those players represent their home countries. Here are the NBA players competing in the 2019 FIBA World Cup for other countries:
Australia
Aron Baynes (Phoenix Suns)
Andrew Bogut (Golden State Warriors)
Matthew Dellevedova (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Joe Ingles (Utah Jazz)
Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs)
Brazil
Bruno Cabloclo (Memphis Grizzlies)
Cristiano Felicio (Chicago Bulls)
Canada
Khem Birch (Orlando Magic)
Cory Joseph (Sacramento Kings)
Czech Republic
Tomas Satoransky (Chicago Bulls)
France
Nicolas Batum (Charlotte Hornets)
Evan Fournier (Orlando Magic)
Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz)
Frank Ntilikina (New York Knicks)
Vincent Poirier (Boston Celtics)
Germany
Dennis Schroder (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Daniel Theis (Boston Celtics)
Greece
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
Italy
Marco Belinelli (San Antonio Spurs)
Danilo Gallinari (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Japan
Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards)
Yuta Watanabe (Memphis Grizzlies)
Lithuania
Domantas Sabonis (Indiana Pacers)
Jonas Valanciunas (Memphis Grizzlies)
Montenegro
Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic)
Nigeria
Al-Farouq Aminu (Portland Trail Blazers)
Chimezie Metu (San Antonio Spurs)
Josh Okogie (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Serbia
Bogdan Bogdanovic (Sacramento Kings)
Nemanja Bjelica (Sacramento Kings)
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
Boban Marjanovic (Philadelphia 76ers)
Spain
Marc Gasol (Toronto Raptors)
Juancho Hernangomez (Denver Nuggets)
Willy Hernangomez Geuer (Charlotte Hornets)
Ricky Rubio (Phoenix Suns)
Tunisia
Salah Mejri (Dallas Mavericks)
Turkey
Ersan Ilyasova (Milwaukee Bucks)
Furkan Korkmaz (Philadelphia 76ers)
Cedi Osman (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Last: Which of these teams will be the biggest challenge for Team USA?
Toughest competition for Team USA
With more foreign athletes entering the NBA year-over-year, the level of competition in international tournaments like the FIBA World Cup and Olympic Games has increased because those players take their NBA seasoning to their national teams. Thus, Team USA will need to be wary of old foes, like Spain, which has put the men’s national team to the test in the past. But Team USA needs to be serious about Australia’s ability to spoil their three-peat plans, too.
During exhibition play, Australia handed Team USA its first loss in international competition in nearly 13 years.
With five confident players on the Australia national team — including three NBA champions in Mills (2014, Spurs), Bogut (2015, Warriors) and Dellevedova (2016, Cavaliers) — the path to FIBA gold will not be easy should Team USA face the Aussies in the later rounds.
But difficult does not mean impossible.
