By Vangelis Papadimitriou / info@eurohoops.net
From 25/8 to 10/9, the heart of world basketball will beat in the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia. The 32 best teams in the world will gather in these three Asian countries, in order to emerge at the top.
Always the talk before major tournaments is about the stars, who will be on the pitches and compete with their National Teams. This year, unfortunately, two of the top players in the world will not be present.
Neither Giannis Antetokounmpo nor Nikola Jokic will travel to Asia. The absences do not stop there, as we are talking about a large number of players.
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But, there is also the other side. That is the one that concerns players who had time to strengthen their homelands and will now do so in the World Cup. Eurohoops presents five big names, which will be of particular interest and the unique situation with the presence of Karl Anthony Towns in the tournament.
Moritz Wagner
Country: Germany
Team: Orlando Magic
Age: 26
Last Tournament: 2021 Olympics
Germany will enter the 2023 FIBA World Cup as the third-best team in Europe, following the bronze medal captured at EuroBasket 2022 despite Moritz Wagner missing the tournament due to injury. This time, however, he will strengthen his team.
The 26-year-old Orlando Magic player has the potential to take the German team even higher and the talent to stand out at the most anticipated competition of the year. The Germans will be a very dangerous team, especially with the addition of Franz’s brother. It only remains to be seen on the floor in Japan.