By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Germany star guard Dennis Schroder claimed MVP after leading his national to the title for the first time in the history of the country.
Schroder, averaged 19.1 points and 6.1 assists while scoring 28 points in the championship game against Serbia. He also drained the dagger with a layup in the final seconds.
Serbia captain Bogdan Bogdanovic joined Schroder on the All-Star Five team after posting 19.6 points, 4.6 assists, and 3.3 rebounds as his team made the Final. This is the second straight All-World Cup nod for the Atlanta Hawks guard after 2019.
Canada finished with a first-ever bronze medal and team leader Shai Gilgeous-Alexander made the All-Star Five thanks to a phenomenal tournament. In his first World Cup appearance, the Oklahoma City Thunder star guard had 24.5 points, 6.4 assists, and 6.4 rebounds, being the leading scorer among players who made the Top 4.
Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards‘ performances also booked him a spot in the All-Star Five. He posted 14.6 points, 4.6 rebounds and 2.8 assists in a fourth-place finish for Team USA.
The only player who was voted to the All-Star Five despite his team not making the semifinals was Slovenia’s Luka Doncic. He led all scorers with 27.0 points while also notching 7.1 rebounds and 6.1 assists as his national team finished seventh overall.
Also for the first time, there are awards for the Best Defensive Player, Best Coach, and an All-Second Team in this men’s national team competition.
The All-Second Team honors go to Arturs Zagars of Latvia, Simone Fontecchio of Italy, Jonas Valanciunas of Lithuania, Nikola Milutinov of Serbia, and Franz Wagner of Germany.
The Best Defensive Player is Dillon Brooks, who was more than glad to accept any defensive responsibilities for Bronze medalists Canada.
The Best Coach honors go to Latvia head coach Luca Banchi. Not only is he the author of Latvia’s run for the 5th place in their first-ever World Cup, but he’s also led the team to a fantastic 21-3 record ever since he took over before the World Cup Pre-Qualifiers.
Last but not least 20-year-old Josh Giddey earned the Wanda Rising Star Award at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Throughout the competition, Giddey averaged 19.4 points, 6.0 assists, and 5.0 rebounds per game for the Boomers.
In the history of the FIBA Basketball World Cup, there have only been six players – Drazen Petrovic, Wilfredo Ruiz, Kevin Durant, Yao Ming, John Lucas, and Leo Rautins – to average more points than Josh Giddey before turning 22 years old.