New teams qualified as draw almost set for FIBA 3x3 World Tour Jeddah Final 2023

JEDDAH (Saudi Arabia) - There is just one stop left in the regular season of this epic FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2023 and the field is almost set for next month's showpiece Jeddah Final.

After Ub Huishan NE, Liman Huishan NE and Vienna were the first teams to book their spots, nine other teams secured qualification for the season-finale on December 8-9.

Let's take a closer look at the latest teams to qualify. 

Amsterdam HiPRO (540 pts)

The Dutch Masters have had a mixed season. Amsterdam will be bitterly disappointed that they have so far been unable to break through on the World Tour despite excellent form on the pro circuit. 

Amsterdam have one more chance to end their drought in the regular season in Hong Kong.

On the positive side, scoring machine Worthy de Jong has had an individual season for the ages complete with the most ridiculous dunks. 

 

Antwerp TOPdesk (535 pts; 1 title)

Antwerp have remained among the top tier even after losing superstar Thibaut Vervoort. 

Jonas Foerts has taken his place brilliantly as he showed in a MVP performance to lead Antwerp to the title in Lausanne. He's formed a deadly duo with defensive menace Dennis Donkor as they proved during Antwerp's runners-up finish in Manama. 

The brilliant Belgians are hitting their straps at the right time and that spells trouble for opponents in Jeddah. 

 

Miami (455 pts, 2 titles)

The Americans - who double as Team USA - have more than lived up to the hype. After a slow start to the season, Miami have been red-hot of late and were oh so close to winning three straight Masters titles.

They had to settle for two, but Miami will arrive in Jeddah with swagger led by flamethrower Jimmer Fredette with the former NBA player and college star bringing 'Jimmer Mania' to the half-court.

 

Partizan (410 points; 1 title)

A new force from Serbia have arrived and Partizan mean business. They've been boosted by sizzling Stefans - Milivojevic and Torbica.

Big fella Marko Stevanovic has been the man in the middle and he showed he can be the strongest player on the half-court after walking off with the MVP in Manama. 

Partizan are running hot at the right time of the season and will be hard to stop for the rest of 2023. 

 

Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (398 pts, 1 title)

After years of blood, sweat and tears, the Mongolians finally broke through on the World Tour with a memorable victory in Shanghai. 

Ulaanbaatar have been consistent all season  with Steve Sir still cash from deep, while no one is stronger on the half-court than Delgernyam Davaasambuu aka 'The Bull'. 

There's defensive beast Dulguun Enkhbat, whose hair remains perfectly in place, while Marko Dugosija has proven a miracle worker in the clutch. 

Mongolia started the 3x3 season with a title at the FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup and they might finish 2023 with their No.1 team claiming the ultimate success on the World Tour. 

 

Beijing (373 pts) 

Armed by Latvian superheroes Karlis Lasmanis and Nauris Miezis, Beijing predictably soared to great heights but a first-ever Masters title proved elusive. 

They did make the semis in 4 of 7 stops and were highly successful on the pro circuit to suggest that Beijing aren't far away. If 'Batman' and 'Robin' put their capes on, Beijing might finish the season on a high. 

 

Raudondvaris Hoptrans (353 pts, 1 title)

The lethal Lithuanians have all bases covered. They've got maybe the most underrated duo going around - Aurelijus Pukelis and Marijus Uzupis who smack a mighty one-two punch. 

When they're not firing off uzis from downtown then Modestas Kumpys is activating 'Flight Mode' and playing above the rim. 

They've already tasted success on the World Tour after a memorable title in Debrecen, but Raudondvaris aren't finished just yet. 

 

Lausanne Sport LS (312 pts)

The Swiss had long been harder to understand than a Christopher Nolan film. They had always been strong at their home Masters, but struggled on the road.

Once again they put on a show in Lausanne with a runners-up finish, but the Swiss maestros have become more consistent and are a formidable team all over the world. 

Their stunning recent form has included their first-ever pro circuit title and two semi-final finishes on the World Tour. 

And, of course, speedy Gilles Martin has been fooling opponents much taller than him as he unleashes new tricks every time he steps on the half-court. 

 

Paris (213 pts, 1 title)

The Frenchmen earn a spot as the team with the most games won on this season's pro circuit (including Challengers and Masters) from those who hadn't qualified.

They certainly deserve it after becoming the first French team to win on the World Tour having taken out Wuxi in style. 

And they'll be tough to beat in Jeddah, especially with superstar Franck Seguela making a case to be one of the very best players on the planet. 

 

FIBA