MANAMA (Bahrain) - The FIBA 3x3 World Tour's return to Manama was bigger and better than the original after a dazzling stop on November 2-3.
Here's all we learned from the 14th stop of 2024.
History for Chongming
You felt this was brewing for some time. And led by deadly duo Cameron Forte and Karlis Lasmanis, prized recruits this season, Chongming (CHN) claimed their first ever title on the World Tour after a spectacular run in Manama.
Forte made a statement from the get go with an insane 11 points and 9 rebounds in their upset over top seed Miami (USA), but Chongming thudded back to earth after losing to Hangzhou (CHN).
They did enough to reach the knockout stage and went up a gear with victories over Lausanne (SUI) and Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL) before edging Paris (FRA) in a final for the ages.
Forte has been a revelation in his debut season with his sheer strength making him impossible to stop. He played bully ball all tournament to finish No.1 points (45) and player-value (55.8) as Forte was an easy choice for MVP.
The American had plenty of support from partner-in-crime Lasmanis, who is relishing playing in new colors, while ZhiChao Xiang hit an all-time two-point Maurice Lacroix Buzzer Beater.
Chongming celebrated in style as this formidable team hit their straps.
Suhard continues his heater
Who has been the hottest player in recent weeks. It might just be Hugo Suhard, who continued his heater with an insane performance to almost clinch another title for powerhouse Paris.
The speedy Suhard finished second in player-value (36.9) and fourth in points (28). He combined brilliantly with Paris Olympic silver medalist Jules Rambaut, who was second overall in scoring (32).
Their heroics made up for somewhat modest showings from dynamic duo Franck Seguela and Paul Djoko. Suhard is fast becoming one of the best players in the world in his own right as he showed with the Maurice Lacroix Buzzer Beater in OT to down Hangzhou in the semis.
And then in the final he was the star of stars with game highs of 10 points and 5 highlights.
Liman are running out of time
It seems unfathomable that Liman (SRB) could go through a season titleless on the World Tour. But the unthinkable is becoming a sad reality for this legendary 3x3 team, who have been a constant force for almost a decade.
After a tough first up loss to Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU), Liman mustered their best to beat new American team Orlando (USA) and that was enough to get them back into Day Two.
But Liman once again struggled in the quarters - this time they fell to Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy. It was the eighth time from 10 stops this season that Liman have been knocked out at this stage.
Sniper Stefan Kojic was cookin' once again, but it wasn't nearly enough as Liman have quite clearly been overtaken by a number of teams on the World Tour.
That's a bitter pill to swallow for one of the GOAT teams. But there was some cheer for Kojic, who cemented his legendary status after becoming the second highest scorer overall in World Tour history.
3x3's unpredictability rears
You well know that this has been the most unpredictable season ever on the World Tour. The depth and talent levels have never been deeper. And that's led to crazy results like what we saw in Manama.
Paris were the only top six seed to make it to the semis, while top seed Miami and No.4 Raudondvaris Hoptrans exited on Day One. It's all led to a compelling end of season fight to make the Hong Kong Final.
The sequel was better than the original
After an amazing debut last year, Bahrain's capital of Manama went into overdrive with a sequel that was somehow even better than the original.
The fans were treated to an incredible atmosphere at the Bahrain Harbour North. It was a perfect showcase for 3x3 complete with an amazing light and music show under the spectacular Magic Sky roof. Manama is now firmly on the 3x3 calendar.
FIBA