By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
With the competition entering a new era – the upcoming edition will feature the reigning champions from the NBA G League, Basketball Champions League and DIRECTV Liga de las Americas for the first time in the tournament’s history – a heightened sense of prestige comes along with it and this is perfectly reflected/captured in the newly-designed piece of silverware.
The trophy’s design utilizes a contemporary mix of gold and silver. Its defining feature is a sweeping curved upright which rises to support a polished basketball. It was designed by TwelfthMan’s Michael Berthon and crafted by Bertoni, the workshop responsible for the FIFA World Cup trophy.
Trophy characteristics
Height: 55 centimeters (1ft 9in)
Weight: 9.6 kilos (21 lbs)
The FIBA Intercontinental Cup takes center stage in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, from February 15-17. The participating teams are: 2018 NBA G League champions Austin Spurs; DIRECTV Liga de las Americas 2018 champions San Lorenzo de Almagro (Argentina); 2017-18 Basketball Champions League champions AEK (Greece); tournament hosts Flamengo, the last Brazilian team to win the DIRECTV Liga de las Americas and FIBA Intercontinental Cup in the same year (2014).
The competition will be played at Carioca 1 Arena, the iconic venue that hosted the Olympic Basketball Tournament during the Rio 2016 Games. It will be played in a Final Four format, with two Semi-Finals on February 15, followed by a 3rd-Place Game and Final two days later.