MIES (Switzerland) - The FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024 are just about here and the stars will be out for sure in Greece, Latvia, Puerto Rico and Spain as 24 teams still dream of reaching the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Some of the best basketball players in the world have July 7 marked on their calendar as the day they celebrate their Olympic dream - when the final four spots for Paris will be determined.
Here is a look at the Top 10 players playing in the OQTs.
10. Yago Santos - Brazil - OQT Latvia
Santos has taken over the reins as point guard for Brazil and the lightning quick playmaker knows how to win and really excels playing with his teammates. Santos will be the key to Brazil's chances in Latvia.
9. Davis Bertans - Latvia - OQT Latvia
Speaking of Latvia, the OQT hosts were just one Davis Bertans missed three-pointer from knocking off eventual champs Germany in the Quarter-Finals of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023. Bertans will be ultra-motivated after missing that very good luck and will have the home fans behind him.
8. Willy Hernangomez - Spain - OQT Spain
Spain will be hosting the OQT Spain in Valencia and Willy Hernangomez should be the main factor in Spain making their seventh straight Olympics. The Iberians will face the pressure of being favorites, and a strong showing from Hernangomez would help counter that. He's the last EuroBasket MVP in 2022.
7. Mario Hezonja - Croatia - OQT Greece
Hezonja will team up with Croatia's best and is ready to throw a monkey wrench into everybody's thoughts of Greece versus Slovenia in the OQT Greece Final. Hezonja remains one of the most lethal scorers on the European continent. He just dropped 39 yesterday against Brazil and knows what it takes to win at the club level and wants to show it again at the national team level.
6. Deandre Ayton - Bahamas - OQT Spain
Ayton is probably the biggest reason for the sudden success of Bahamas as he gives the islanders a massive threat around the basket at both ends to complement the country's impressive stall of scorers.
5. Nikola Vucevic - Montenegro - OQT Latvia
Montenegro have never made the Olympics and the only way they could make it out of the OQT in Riga is for Vucevic to have a massive tournament. The NBA big man is 33 years old but hasn’t slowed down at all.
4. Karl-Anthony Towns - Dominican Republic - OQT Greece
Towns really shined last summer playing for the Dominicans at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 - his first time playing for the country since 2013. Towns has been given a good supporting cast and the NBA big man knows he is basically three wins from the Olympics.
3. Domantas Sabonis - Lithuania - OQT Puerto Rico
Sabonis returns after missing the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 and will be hungry to get the country back to the Olympics after missing out on the Tokyo Games. He will be the main driver for Lithuania's impressive power in the post.
2. Giannis Antetokounmpo - Greece - OQT Greece
Antetokounmpo made the tough decision to sit out of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 with an injury and the two-time NBA MVP is back in the mix for Hellas. Antetokounmpo will not want to let the home fans down though it will be a major challenge and the OQT in Piraeus.
1. Luka Doncic - Slovenia - OQT Greece
Doncic enjoyed the longest possible NBA season - losing out to Boston in the NBA Finals. But the urge to get back to the Olympics was too great to sit out of the OQT and the Slovenia star is ready to show the world why he's one of the greatest at the moment.
*This Top 10 is entirely subjective and is in no way a true and accurate FIBA ranking system. All comments are purely those of the author for the entertainment of the fans.
FIBA