FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023: Who to Watch and How to Watch
The 19th edition of the men’s FIBA Basketball World Cup tips off on Friday August 25, with the trio of co-hosts Philippines, Japan and Indonesia the focus of the basketball world from August 25 to September 10. Find out more about which star players to watch, when they will be playing and how you can watch them over the next two weeks.
Players to watch at 2023 FIBA World Cup
No less than 60 NBA players, from 25 of the 30 franchises, will be representing their country at the FIBA World Cup. Utah Jazz, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder and Orlando Magic will each contribute the most players to the tournament – at least 5 each. Here are just five to keep a close eye on:
Luka Dončić – Slovenia
When it comes to star players, they don’t come much bigger at this World Cup than Slovenia’s number 77, Luka Dončić.
The 24-year-old, 6 ft 7 inch, four-times NBA All-Star guard has lit up the world stage since his debut season as a 16-year-old for Real Madrid in 2015. Success on the international stage came early when at the age of just 17 he helped Slovenia go unbeaten in FIBA EuroBasket 2017 to win the country’s first gold medal at a FIBA global tournament and was named to the competition’s All-Tournament Team.
On his Olympic debut in Tokyo 2020, Dončić made history scoring 48 points in victory over Argentina, the most in a men’s basketball debut, before recording only the third triple double in Olympic men’s basketball history in the semi-finals against France. EuroBasket 2022 saw Dončić make history once again when he became the first player in the tournament’s history to score 30+ points in three consecutive games.
Dončić and Slovenia will be looking to go deep into this tournament, which begins with an opening Group F game with Venezuela on Saturday August 26 in Okinawa, Japan. Their other two Group F games will be against Georgia and World Cup debutantes Cape Verde.
Anthony Edwards – USA
Source: Getty Images
When USA Basketball announced their roster without some household names that some might have hoped for, one name stood out as a potential breakout candidate – the 2020 NBA first draft pick – Anthony Edwards.
The Minnesota Timberwolves shooting guard’s stock rose considerably last season, including his first NBA All-Star selection. He’s coming-in hot for his World Cup debut following USA Basketball’s undefeated streak through their World Cup warm-up games (5-0). This included Edward’s signature performance, where he finished with 34 points in a comeback victory over Germany. These were crucial as Team USA were down as many as 16 points well into the second half.
Edwards and USA Basketball get their World Cup campaign started against New Zealand in Manila, Philippines on Saturday August 26. They will also face Greece and Jordan in their other Group C fixtures.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Canada
Canada have shown they’re all-in for this World Cup when they announced their roster packed full of established NBA talent, including one name that is expected to light up the tournament: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (SGA).
The Oklahoma City Thunder star showed what he can bring to this Canada team when he turned out for the national team during windows 3 and 4 of the FIBA World Cup Qualifying campaign with a number of MVP performances.
SGA and Canada start their Group H World Cup campaign with a huge match-up against France on opening night in Jakarta, Indonesia (Aug. 25), followed by Lebanon and Latvia to round out their first round group games.
Karl Anthony Towns – Dominican Republic
The announcement of the Minnesota Timberwolves big man to the Dominican Republic roster has got the Caribbean nation island dreaming big for their best FIBA World Cup performance.
The 27-year-old, 7ft center has the size and weapons to take the Dominican Republic to a new level alongside other young stars in a loaded roster that also includes Liga Endesa’s Best Young Player Jean Montero. The question will be how the new star additions will blend with the consistent performers who defeated former World Champions Argentina twice on their way to qualifying for the tournament.
KAT and the Dominican Republic start their Group A campaign in Manila against co-hosts Philippines on Friday August 25 in front of a packed-out Philippine Arena.
Lauri Markkanen – Finland
Lauri Markkanen - a name that lit up FIBA EuroBasket 2022 with phenomenal numbers and performances as he took the Susijengi to the Quarter-Finals and finished second overall in scoring with 27.9 points per game. The tournament set up what become a stand-out season for the Utah Jazz forward, earning himself the 2022-23 NBA Most Improved Player award and an All-Star appearance.
The 26-year-old will need to bring this A-game to Okinawa, Japan if Finland wish to progress to the second round, having been drawn in “group of death” Group E alongside Germany, Australia and co-hosts Japan. Finland will open their World Cup campaign against Australia on Friday (Aug. 25).
How to Watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023
Courtside 1891 will be the home of FIBA Basketball World Cup streams this summer, with live and extensive on-demand coverage of all 92 games available on the platform in over 180 countries around the world. Access will be made available through our Max Annual Pass and specially created Max World Cup pass which can be purchased here. Existing Max Annual subscribers will already have access to games* through their current subscription.
* Blackout restrictions will apply in certain countries so please check our blackouts listing for specific restrictions that might be in place where you live.
How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup in the USA
In the United States, Courtside 1891 will offer live coverage of 86 of the 92 FIBA World Cup games – excluding USA games and 1 game from each of the Quarter-Finals, Semi-Finals and Finals rounds due to these games being shown on ESPN2.
Coverage will be available with both English and Spanish commentary throughout the tournament.
How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain
In Spain, Courtside 1891 will stream all 92 FIBA World Cup games live and on-demand including all Spain games, which will also be available to fans through the national network RTVE.
Coverage will be available with both Spanish and English commentary throughout the tournament.
How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup in France
In France, Courtside 1891 will stream all 92 FIBA World Cup games live and on-demand including all France games, which will also be made available through France Televisions and BeIN who share the rights.
Coverage on Courtside 1891 will be available with English commentary only.
How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Mexico
In Mexico, Courtside 1891 has you covered for all 92 games live and on-demand but will only be available with English commentary due to local broadcast restrictions.
How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup in the UK
Courtside 1891 is the exclusive home of the FIBA Basketball World Cup in the United Kingdom, with extensive live and on-demand coverage of all 92 games available on the platform.
How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Canada
Sportsnet will be screening all Canada games in Canada, but for everything else Courtside 1891 is your home for live and on-demand streams during the FIBA World Cup. Live Canada games will be unavailable on Courtside 1891.
How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Slovenia
In Slovenia, Courtside 1891 has you covered for all 92 games live and on-demand but will only be available with English commentary due to local broadcast restrictions.
How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico
In the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico, Courtside 1891 has you covered for all 92 games live and on-demand but will only be available with English commentary due to local broadcast restrictions.
How to watch the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Australia
No live coverage of the FIBA Basketball World Cup will be available on Courtside 1891 in Australia with all live games available on ESPN. Courtside 1891 will have an extensive range of on-demand full game and condensed game highlights from all 92 games that will be made available rapidly after each game.
