By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Countless buckets made on courts all around the world over the last 12 months shaped a spectacular year for basketball.
The countdown to 2024 is about to finish. A New Year projecting plenty more iconic basketball moments, especially considering a meeting of the best players in the world next summer via the Olympic Games. But 2023 was pretty special as well.
Getting ready for more, Eurohoops sits back recalling the best basketball moments of the year, and presents the top ten.
European stars spreading dominance across the best league in the world and Germany winning gold in the 2023 FIBA World Cup naturally stand out alongside more interesting events.
Career highlights for Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Greek Freak has been the franchise cornerstone for several years. Leading the Milwaukee Bucks to an NBA championship was not the case in 2023. But pouring in a career-high 64 points marked December.
Closing out a year packed with additional records, including becoming the all-time rebounds leader in Bucks history, he set his new individual best in points against the Indiana Pacers, the best scoring performance of a European player in a single NBA game.
Signing a contract extension in October, Antetokounmpo committed to staying in Milwaukee for the foreseeable future. Teaming up with Damian Lillard certainly sets up the opportunity for a second championship ring.
Make room for the Bahamas
2024 is an Olympic Year. Yet 2023 introduced Pre-Qualifying Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.
Initially missing the chance to compete in the World Cup, 35 countries earned an additional opportunity to advance to the 2024 Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. Intense competition across Nigeria, Argentina, Syria, Estonia, Poland, and Turkiye once more highlighted the globalization of basketball. Bahamas, Bahrain, Cameroon, Croatia, and Poland ended up making the cut, while Argentina and Turkiye were among the favorites eliminated.
The next step for the five advancing countries would be more upsets next summer to clinch a berth in the Olympic Games. Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and Eric Gordon suiting up for the Bahamas make the next step seem probable. Successful or not, basketball is a global sport.
Gran Canaria skips EuroLeague eligibility
The BKT EuroCup winner earns a spot in the next edition of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. However, Dreamland Gran Canaria opted against leaping into the top-tier club continental competition of Euroleague Basketball, despite capturing the EuroCup title for the first time in team history.
The team based in Las Palmas defeated Frutti Extra Bursaspor, Paris, Joventut, and Turk Telekom in the knockout stage of the tournament. Eager for the first back-to-back in competition history, dominating Group B of the 2023-24 Regular Season shapes a strong championship bid. Not knowing for sure, but considering the quality and experience of the roster, Gran Canaria would likely be competitive in the EuroLeague.
Budgetary concerns were behind the reason for preferring to stay in the EuroCup. The underlined issue would be the distance between EuroLeague participants and remaining clubs growing to the point of avoiding any kind of clash altogether. This particular example can be alarming for fans expecting fair competition or can instead lead to suggesting a closed league with the EuroLeague possibly taking a page out of the NBA.
Latvia ranks fifth in the World Cup
The World Cup was the biggest international event of the year. Lacking many standout players, the competition produced upsets like France and Spain failing to meet expectations, but also improbable runs, including Latvia.
Kristaps Porzingis was a late scratch. The first appearance in FIBA’s flagship event seemed doomed. However, Italian mastermind Luca Banchi and his players ended up ranking fifth overall with six wins over eight games. A Cinderella story for the ages.
Shortly after being named Best Coach of the World Cup, Banchi went to the bank, specifically returning to the EuroLeague, taking over Virtus Segafredo Bologna. Multiple members of the history-making squad also benefited. Basketball in Latvia is on the rise.
Luka Doncic returns to Madrid
In 2023, a return to Madrid was a dream come true for Luka Doncic. The Slovenian sensation did not leave the Dallas Mavericks to reunite with Real Madrid, but settled for the next best thing, facing his former team in an exhibition game held in WiZink Center.
After leading all scorers in the World Cup and his country ranking seventh, switching to the NBA Preseason included a friendly game versus his former team on October 10. In a quick turnaround from two prep games opposite the Minnesota Timberwolves in Ab Dhabi, he was limited to five minutes. But receiving a standing ovation from the fans and being honored by Los Blancos were the main points of a warm reception.
“I was waiting for this game all summer,” he confessed, “Except for not being able to play more, it was all very special. The whole day was very special.”
Bonn dominates the Basketball Champions League
The seventh edition of the Basketball Champions League concluded in Malaga last May. Capping off a brilliant campaign, Telekom Baskets Bonn became the first team from Germany to go all the way.
After dropping the opener to UnaHotels Reggio Emilia, T.J. Shorts II confidently guided his side to 15 wins over the next 16 outings, including overpowering host Unicaja and Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem in the Final Four. Narrowly missing the opportunity to double-up by winning Germany’s easyCredit BBL left a sour taste to the 2022-23 campaign.
Moving to the 2023-24 season, Bonn is an entirely different team, unlikely to reach similar success, but carrying a championship vibe around Telekom Dome and on the road. Such an exceptional season, nobody can take it away from the club.
Real Madrid is back
The winningest team in EuroLeague history returned to the throne last May. Real Madrid became the champion of Europe for the 11th time in team history by edging out Olympiacos in the championship game of the 2023 Final Four in Kaunas.
Coming out of the controversial ending of Pablo Laso’s successful stint as head coach before the tipoff of the 2022-23 season, the team located in Spain’s capital was on a roll in 2023. From finishing third in the Regular Season to coming back from a 2-0 deficit against Partizan Mozzart Bet in the Playoffs. Missing out on adding to the long list of titles could not be the endgame.
After knocking out FC Barcelona in the Semifinals, Madrid went on to overcome relentless Sasha Vezenkov and spoil the championship bid of Olympiacos. Barca replied with a three-game sweep to win the ACB championship, but the archrival was the EuroLeague champion. A near-perfect run to start the 2023-24 campaign labels the team coached by Chus Mateo as the odds-on favorite in all competitions.
Victor Wembanyama excites the NBA
The future belongs to Victor Wembanyama. But 2023 included his ascension to the top of the NBA draft and his debut in the league. It also included promising showings in France’s Betclic Elite as the leading player of Metropolitans 92 to convince all involved about the top pick of the draft.
Wemby’s impact on the NBA and basketball all around the world has yet to make significant strides. But he seems to have the complete package. Players of exceptional height with such skills can certainly change the game.
Playing under Gregg Popovich at the San Antonio Spurs makes him a safe bet, despite early struggles in the NBA cowling the bottom end of the year.
The World Cup goes to Germany
In a World Cup packed with surprising results, predicting Germany to win all eight games and capture the gold medal was beyond any wild imagination. And Dennis Schroder was named tournament MVP.
Settling in Japan for the preliminary round, the team coached by Gordon Herbert defeated Japan, Australia, Finland, Georgia, and Slovenia. Heavy hitters, probably with better players on paper, were on the list. But Germany was flying under the radar even after besting Latvia in the Quarterfinals.
In an instant classic, the big win was against the United States in the Semifinals. Refraining from immediately celebrating, taking down Serbia completed the trip to the Philippines with gold. Success later translated into being voted Germany’s Sportsteam of the Year. And what a year it was for basketball in Germany.
It’s all about Nikola Jokic
Among all the legendary achievements, momentum shifters, and special moments of 2023, Nikola Jokic being crowned NBA champion tops the list, without question. Not bad for a chubby kid from Sombor.
A season MVP in 2021 and 2022, he wanted more and indeed took more in 2023 despite falling short in a bid for a third MVP in a row, perhaps undeservedly. The Joker instead earned the Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award.
Leading the Denver Nuggets to the first championship in team history, the Serbian superstar proved an unstoppable force in the 2023 NBA Playoffs. Taking down the Miami Heat in five games landed championship rings for him and the remaining members of the team. And surely more to come in Mile High City.
Photo Credit: Getty Images/ FIBA.BASKETBALL / EuroleagueBasketball.net