CHENGDU (China) - After an unforgettable season launch at the Utsunomiya Opener, the FIBA 3x3 World Tour moves quickly to fan favorite Chengdu. Here are the players you just have to watch on May 3-4. Strahinja Stojacic (Ub)
'Doctor Strange' is in the fight of his life to win back the crown. He couldn't quite get it done in Utsunomiya with top seed Ub (SRB) falling short in the semis to Amsterdam RABOBANK (NED).
He will have extra motivation after losing an individual battle with the dude who stole his crown last season - Worthy de Jong. Stojacic had a fine game of 4 points, 7 rebounds and 3 highlights but was outpointed by de Jong's 9 points, 4 rebounds and 4 highlights.
But he's not far off finding his absolute best. We saw glimpses, notably a two-point Buzzer Beater in the quarters that showed why he is such a bad dude with the Wilson in his hands.
Watch out for 'Doctor Strange' in Chengdu as he looks to rediscover his GOAT powers.
Worthy de Jong (Amsterdam RABOBANK)
He may have fallen short of a title and another MVP, but de Jong retains the status as the best player alive. He was simply jaw-dropping as 'Hype Worthy' led Amsterdam RABOBANK to a deep run.
No one can fill the bucket quite like de Jong as he finished top in overall scoring in Utsunomiya in a dazzling performance filled with trademark dunks and acrobatic moves. But you just know the Olympic MVP won't be satisfied until he walks away with the trophy, so you better be sure that he will be extra determined in Chengdu.
Fabian Giessmann (Baskets Bonn) Get ready for the encore. There won't be any second year blues for this young German superstar, who was the rookie of the year last season after lighting up much older dudes. Giessmann looms as the future of 3x3. It's easy to see why. He's a two-way force and ultra athletic, blessed with great genes at 6ft.9in (2.07m). He's still a teenager and doesn't turn 20 until late May. We can't wait to see what he's been working on in the lab during the off-season. The future has arrived and his name is Fabian Giessmann.
Karlis Lasmanis/Nauris Miezis (Chongming) Nanananana! Batman. Y'all haven't forgotten about 3x3's caped crusader Karlis Lasmanis, one of the best to ever lace them up. He's ready to start another season and add a new chapter to his legendary career. But no mention of Lasmanis can be complete without his trusted sidekick Nauris Miezis aka Robin. They are basically joined at the hip, twins who always share the half-court together. No duo has ever had chemistry like this. They are so synonymous with one another that they roll off the tongue like Jordan and Pippen or Leo and Marty. To watch them in sync is like poetry in motion and we can't wait to see Batman and Robin - Tokyo Olympic gold medalists - perform their latest superhero deeds.
Aleksandar Lazic (Hangzhou) This scoring machine has already started the season red-hot having led Hangzhou (CHN) to glory at the Lausanne Mega Quest. No one could stop him. Not even Ub or host Lausanne (SUI) could stop him as he went on a heater to prove that he has been hard at work over the off-season. The 28-year-old uses his towering height to dominate the paint, but also has a sweet stroke to score anywhere on the half-court. Every season there are always players who make the leap and we are tipping Aleksandar Lazic will be on the shortlist.
Ryo Ozawa (Shinagawa)
Talk about making a statement. Ryo Ozawa announced himself as 3x3's Steph Curry with the greatest scoring performance ever on the half-court after an insane 20 points - 20! - against Iran at the recent Asia Cup.
It wasn't just a fluke with Ozawa dominating all tournament long and he also dropped spectacular dimes to prove that he is unstoppable when he has the Wilson in his hands. Having now emerged as a legit star, it's time for Ozawa to go wild on the World Tour.
FIBA