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.”