MIES (Switzerland) - It's a new year, but the best in the business have to be rewarded for what they did in 2024 with the top 10 teams earning hard-seeds for this season's World Tour. Let's find out which cities they've booked tickets to.
Ub Huishan NE: Utsunomiya Opener, Chengdu, Hong Kong, Marseille
Being ranked No.1 does come with more than mere prestige. They are the only team to receive a hard-seed at four events in 2025.
As one of the top 10 ranked teams in the world, they will start the season at the Utsunomiya Opener having made the final there the last three years. It's little surprise they want to visit Chengdu having memorably won it last year.
But they will want to improve in Marseille and Hong Kong having exited in the quarters at those stops last year.
Toulouse: Utsunomiya Opener, Vienna, Hong Kong
Underlining their rise over the past 12 months, the Frenchmen formerly known as Paris weren't at the Utsunomiya Opener 2024. But they will arrive in Japan as the No.2 seed and they'll also be a hard-seed in Vienna and Hong Kong.
Vienna is a new stop on this year's World Tour, while Paris fell agonizingly short of winning last year's Hong Kong Final after losing to Amsterdam.
Miami: Utsunomiya Opener, Amsterdam Hong Kong
The Americans will be aiming to go back-to-back in Utsunomiya and start the season with a statement just like they memorably did last year. They return to Amsterdam having missed out on playing there last year after making the final in 2023.
Miami reached the quarters at the Hong Kong Final last year and they'll be back in the famous Asian locale in July.
Amsterdam: Utsunomiya Opener, Vienna, Hong Kong
The Dutch Masters finished 2024 with a higher approval rating than Kendrick Lamar and they will hope the momentum spills over to the season-opener in Utsunomiya, where they reached the semis.
They are keen to be part of the first World Tour event in Vienna, while arriving in Hong Kong will bring back great memories after taking out last year's World Tour Final.
Vienna: Utsunomiya Opener, Amsterdam, Marseille
The Austrians will be looking to start the season better than in 2024 when they flamed out at the quarters of the Utsunomiya Opener.
Vienna will make their first appearance in Amsterdam since winning the title in the Dutch capital in 2023, while they made the quarters in Marseille last year but are determined to do even better this time around.
Raudondvaris: Utsunomiya Opener, Chengdu
The lethal Lithuanians are out for revenge like Drake after they crashed out on Day One at last year's Utsunomiya Opener. They are also a hard-seed in Chengdu and will be determined to do better than their quarter-final appearance in 2024.
Riffa: Utsunomiya Opener, Ulaanbaatar
Riffa will be back in Utsunomiya, where they made the semis, while they journey to Ulaanbaatar having not played there in 2024.
Liman: Utsunomiya Opener, Ulaanbaatar
The legendary Serbs will make their first appearance in Utsunomiya since 2022 when they made the quarters. You know Liman will be extra pumped after going through last year titleless on the World Tour. Liman will also journey to Ulaanbaatar as hard-seeds after not playing there last year.
Partizan: Utsunomiya Opener, Edmonton
The Serbs will be hoping for more luck in Utsunomiya after a tough campaign last year when they flamed out early. But Edmonton has been a happy hunting ground with Partizan making the semis there last year.
London: Utsunomiya Opener, Vienna
The artists formerly known as Princeton haven't been sighted at the Utsunomiya Opener since a runner-up finish in 2022. But they will be back and in new colors, while London should be well and truly their own brand by the time they arrive in Vienna.
FIBA