HONG KONG -There are just two stops left in the regular season of this epic FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2024 and the field is almost set for the showpiece Hong Kong Final on November 22-24.
Fourteen teams, including three part of the qualifying draw, will feature in the biggest event of the season. Let's take a closer look at the 12 teams who have secured their tickets to Hong Kong.
Ub Huishan NE (830 pts, 4 titles)
The spectacular Serbs might not have dominated like in previous seasons, but they are still No.1 after a dominant second half of the season. They have won three of their last six stops and were only knocked out of the other three by miraculous Maurice Lacroix Buzzer Beaters.
Riffa (609 pts, 1 title)
After a slow start to the season, Riffa found their groove during a purple patch where they made the semis in four of five stops. They broke through in Shanghai to notch Riffa's first-ever title as two-way menace Dennis Donkor has become one of the very best players in the world.
Vienna (595 pts, 2 titles)
Led by emerging superstar Nico Kaltenbrunner, the Austrians have been a consistent contender and they reeled off titles in Almaty and Wuxi.
Liman (505 pts)
This legendary 3x3 team, a constant powerhouse for almost a decade, have strangely not won a title this season so far. Glass half-full: they keep making the quarters. Glass half-empty: they keep getting eliminated in the quarters. They have fallen at that stage in eight of 10 stops this season despite sniper Stefan Kojic cookin' all year.
Amsterdam (408 pts, 2 titles)
It's been an incredible year for Dutch 3x3 and that's extended to the World Tour where the country's best team Amsterdam have won two titles. They've been led by superstar Worthy de Jong, who has walked off with two MVPs and made a case to be crowned the best player on the planet.
Miami (468pts, 2 titles)
The Americans started fast with victory at the Utsunomiya Opener and have overcome a season-ending injury to former NBA player Jimmer Fredette to remain a firm title contender with scoring machine James Parrott stepping up big time.
Raudondvaris Hoptrans (460 pts, 1 title)
It's been a historic year for Lithuanian 3x3 having won bronze at the Paris Olympics and Raudondvaris Hoptrans has also made their hoops crazy nation proud. They claimed the title in Marseille and have remained a constant contender ever since.
Paris (434 pts, 1 title)
It's been an unforgettable year for French 3x3 with Olympic silver medalists Franck Seguela and Jules Rambaut inspiring Paris to great heights. The Frenchmen have been amazingly consistent with five finals appearances from six stops. They've only won one title, but Paris have quite clearly been one of the very best teams on the World Tour.
Lausanne (395 pts)
This fan favorite Swiss team came so close to winning a first-ever title on the World Title not once but twice. But they lost both finals and Lausanne have unfortunately fallen off as the season has worn off. Still Lausanne have done enough to qualify for the Hong Kong Final as their quest for a first title continues.
Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (366 pts)
The much-loved Mongolians created history with their first-ever World Tour title in 2023, but have not been able to replicate that success so far this year. Ulaanbaatar have made two semis in the backend of the season to fuel their hope that a title isn't far away.
Partizan Meta Force (290 pts)
Much like Ulaanbaaatar, the Serbs have not been able to duplicate their title-winning success from last year. They have made the semis in three of seven stops as superstar Stefan Milivojevic continues to make the half-court his personal battleground.
The teams on the cusp of qualifying:
San Juan Church's (209 pts) Princeton (207 pts) Chongming (206 pts) The last team will be decided based on the most wins in the pro-circuit. Hong Kong will be the third team on the Qualifying Draw.
FIBA