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Team USA arrives for camp in Las Vegas ahead of Paris Olympics

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FILE–Team USA head coach Steve Kerr, left, talks to his assistant coaches Erik Spoelstra and Tyronn Lue during the Fiba World Cup in Manila. Team USA is back together again, this time eyeing a fifth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics later this month.–MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

LAS VEGAS — There’s something that Kobe Bryant once said that has stuck with U.S. men’s Olympic basketball coach Steve Kerr and seems especially important now.

It was about how other nations have made big strides in basketball, how the gap between the rest of the world and the U.S. is closing and how that’s been a great thing for the NBA. And Bryant’s response, paraphrased, was basically, “so what?”

His point: If everyone else is getting better, then the U.S. better find ways to do the same.

READ: LeBron, Steph Curry ‘excited’ to join forces for Paris Olympics

“Maybe we’ll show that one to the guys,” Kerr said. “I love that. And it has to be our attitude this summer.”

After months of planning, it’s time for the U.S. Olympic team — one that will go to the Paris Games later this month seeking a fifth consecutive gold medal — to take the floor. The first practice for the squad is Saturday, the start of a four-day training camp before its exhibition opener against Canada on Wednesday.

Players began arriving Thursday in Las Vegas; Stephen Curry was the first to check in for camp, perhaps underscoring how anxious he is for what will be his first Olympics. The 12 players have all known each other for years, but the task of becoming a team starts in earnest Saturday.

“I feel like it starts when it gets there, because that’s when you really see each other eye-to-eye,” said Bam Adebayo, who is seeking his second gold medal after winning one at the Tokyo Games three years ago. “You have those conversations, you have those many conversations within what we’re going through, what we’re trying to do. And that’s when it’s time to really be honest about what we want to do.”

That part is easy: Win gold.

The how-to-do-it part, that’s the key.

Last year brought another humbling World Cup experience for the U.S.; after finishing seventh in 2019, the Americans were fourth at Manila. But the argument — or justification, for lack of a better word — for those stumbles was that the U.S. wasn’t sending the best possible roster to those tournaments. Getting the big names like Kevin Durant and LeBron James for the Olympics, that’s one thing. Getting them for the World Cup and asking them to represent their country in back-to-back summers, that’s something else.

Tyrese Haliburton and Anthony Edwards were on that World Cup team last summer and were picked for this Olympic team as well.

“Obviously, last year we didn’t do what we wanted to do,” Haliburton said. “And that was frustrating because any time you get to represent USA Basketball, the expectation is to win. And we weren’t able to do that.”

READ: Wembanyama ‘can’t wait’ for France-USA showdown at Paris Olympics

This team was put together with a very different ending in mind. James is back on the Olympic team for the first time since 2012 and seeking a third gold, Durant is going for what would be a men’s Olympic record fourth basketball gold, and five other players — Adebayo, Devin Booker, Jrue Holiday, Jayson Tatum and Anthony Davis — each have one. The first-time Olympians are Haliburton, Edwards, Curry, Kawhi Leonard and Joel Embiid, someone who the U.S. convinced to play despite a strong push by France for the Philadelphia star to represent the host nation in Paris.

As far as choosing a starting lineup, good luck.

“It’s a good problem to have,” Kerr said. “I’m guessing that all 12 players on this roster will be in the Hall of Fame someday. So, how do you pick five out of 12? The idea is, you find combinations that click, and you find two-way lineups that can be effective at both ends. Our big job in Las Vegas is to find five-man combinations that fit and to just ask all 12 guys to fully commit to the goal of winning a gold medal no matter what it looks like, no matter who’s playing.”



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The Americans play their first exhibition against Canada in Las Vegas, then have games at Abu Dhabi (against Australia and Serbia) and London (against South Sudan and Germany) before the Paris Games start. The U.S. opens Olympic play July 28 against Serbia and will also have group games against South Sudan and the winner of Sunday’s qualifier in Puerto Rico — either Mexico, Lithuania, Italy or Puerto Rico.

“We’ve got 39 days or so to get locked in to go get this gold medal, 12 amazing, talented guys ready to come together for one goal,” Curry said when he arrived to check in for camp. “I’m hyped for it all.”

Luka’s Slovenia, Giannis’ Greece meet in KO duel

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FILE–Slovenia’s Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks and Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks embrace after the game at American Airlines Center on February 03, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. The two international superstars meet again, this time in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament. Sam Hodde/Getty Images/AFP

Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo have faced off nine times in their NBA careers, and those games have never disappointed.

They go head-to-head again Saturday — but like never before.

Doncic and Slovenia will play Antetokounmpo and Greece in one of the eight semifinal games of the Olympic qualifying tournaments that are taking place to determine the last four berths in the men’s basketball field for the Paris Games. The game in Piraeus, Greece, is the first time the two megastars will face one another while representing their senior national teams.

READ: Fiba OQT: Doncic, Antetokounmpo shoot for last shot at Paris Olympics

“We’re looking forward to this,” Slovenia coach Aleksander Sekulic said.

The last time Doncic and Antetokounmpo played head-to-head was Feb. 3, when Antetokounmpo scored 48 points for Milwaukee, Doncic finished with 40 for Dallas, and the Bucks prevailed 129-117.

It was the seventh consecutive time in a Luka vs. Giannis matchup that both played and finished with at least 27 points. Antetokounmpo has scored at least 28 in all nine of his outings against Dallas when Doncic plays.

“Both teams have the same goal,” Sekulic said. “Of course, the home team is the favorite. But I think we can also go into this game knowing we have chances to win. As I always say, you’ve got to show it on the court.”

The game is also a chance for Doncic to play against a team coached by one of his heroes. He has called Greece coach Vasilis Spanoulis one of his idols; Doncic wears jersey No. 77 now because Spanoulis wore No. 7 as a player.

READ: Wembanyama steals show for France in Paris Olympics warmup

“He just showed a lot of players how to play basketball,” Doncic said.

The winner of the Greece-Slovenia game takes on either Croatia or the Dominican Republic in Sunday’s tournament final, with the Paris Olympics berth going to the winner.

A look at the other semifinal matchups, broken down by site:

Riga, Latvia

The matchups: Latvia vs. Cameroon, Brazil vs. Philippines.

Outlook: All six teams in the Latvia qualifier went 1-1 in group play. Montenegro and Georgia were eliminated before the semifinals because of the point differential tiebreaker. Brazil last made the Olympics in 2016, the Philippines last made it in 1972, Latvia’s last appearance was 1936, and Cameroon has never reached the Olympic stage in men’s basketball.

Quotable: “We’re very process-driven. You know, we want to just stay on what’s right in front of us. We don’t want to look at the end game and think, ‘Wow, what happens if we can make it to Paris?’ Obviously, the country would go bonkers. They would go absolutely crazy. But you know, that’s a long way away.” — Philippines coach Tim Cone.

Valencia, Spain

The matchups: Spain vs. Finland, Bahamas vs. Lebanon.

Outlook: Spain and Bahamas went 2-0 in group play and would seem favored to advance to Sunday. Spain is seeking a seventh consecutive Olympic berth. Finland hasn’t gotten there since 1964, while Lebanon and the Bahamas have never qualified. But the Bahamas — with NBA players Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield and Eric Gordon leading the way — has easily its best shot.

Quotable: “The chance to play in an Olympics would be a dream come true.” — Hield.

San Juan, Puerto Rico

The matchups: Puerto Rico vs. Mexico, Italy vs. Lithuania.

Outlook: These four nations have a combined 34 past Olympic appearances, and this one might be the most unpredictable bracket left. Puerto Rico hasn’t qualified since 2004 and the home-court edge could be the deciding factor; seven of its last eight games with Mexico have been decided by 10 points or less. Italy and Lithuania haven’t met at the senior national level since 2019.



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Quotable: “We’ve had a rivalry for a lot of years and we have to know this team of Mexico maybe doesn’t have the big names, but they have warriors.” — Puerto Rico coach Nelson Colon.

Courageous Alas Pilipinas runs smack into brick Vietnam wall to bow out

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Sisi Rondina leads Alas Pilipinas in scoring in the loss. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Alas Pilipinas gave it a gallant go on Friday night but still fell to powerhouse and world No. 34 Vietnam, 25-14, 25-22, 25-21, to bow out of contention after just one game in the FIVB Challenger Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Thi Bich Tuyen Nguyen demolished the Philippine defense and came away with 30 points, all but three of them on attacks as the Vietnamese closed the doors on the Filipinos while advancing to another knockout game opposite the Czech Republic slated Saturday.

Sisi Rondina had 15 points, Angel Canino contributed 12 and the Filipinos played their hearts out defensively but still couldn’t solve the Vietnamese puzzle. Vietnam, the recent AVC Challenge Cup champion where Alas finished an all-time best third place, has beaten the Philippines in all of their matches for the last three years running.

“During a huddle, Jia (de Guzman) told us to not think of anything else and just show what we can do,” Rondina said in Filipino as the squad bowed out with its head held high. “Even if we fell short, our fight was still there and we gave it our best until the end.”

Still a good fight

The 24-year-old Nguyen was a one-woman wrecking machine that the Filipinos had no answer to as she drilled the cross court kill that put the Vietnamese at match point.

Still, it was a good fight that the Philippines put up, as it even led by a point late in the third set with De Guzman orchestrating the offense well and Fifi Sharma and Thea Gagate manning the net with some authority.

The loss ended Alas Pilipinas’ bid to qualify for the Volleyball Nations League next year, even as the Czechs will have a chance to keep on playing after scoring a 25-15, 25-22, 25-16 win over Argentina in the first game.

Belgium and Puerto Rico will battle it out in the other semifinal pairing after sweeping their respective opponents on opening day.

Canino looks at the loss in a different way.

“Like what I always say, we really didn’t lose,” said Canino, the AVC Challenge Cup Best opposite spiker. “We won’t be going home defeated because we always learn something, especially now that we fought Vietnam [hard].

“So we feel like we know where we are at and what else we can improve on as a team.”

Alas’ next tournament will be the Southeast Asia V.League in August where it would be looking to bounce back.



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“We really wanted [to continue playing in the next few days] because we were given time to prepare even though it was [still] short,” Canino added. “You may not see it, but the dedication of everyone was there so we really wanted to play in this tournament longer.”

Thompson bids farewell to Warriors after exit

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Klay Thompson #11 of the Golden State Warriors reacts after missing a shot against the Sacramento Kings in the second half during the Play-In Tournament at Golden 1 Center on April 16, 2024, in Sacramento, California. (Photo by EZRA SHAW / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

SAN FRANCISCO, United States — Klay Thompson paid tribute to his former Golden State Warriors teammates on Friday, July 5, in a heartfelt farewell to the club.

Thompson, 34, left Golden State this week in free agency after spending the entirety of his 13-season NBA career with the team.

A key part of Golden State’s championship-winning seasons in 2015, 2017, 2018, and 2022, Thompson is reportedly set to join the Dallas Mavericks next season.

Thompson, widely regarded as one of the greatest shooters in basketball history, said in a message on Instagram that he had been “honored” to play for the franchise.

READ: Klay Thompson is leaving the Warriors

“There are not enough words and images to convey how I really feel about y’all,” Thompson wrote. “From the bottom of my heart, thank you so much for the best times of my life.

“I really just wanted to be the best I could be and help bring as many championships as possible to the region.

READ: NBA: Klay Thompson wants to decompress before free agency

“The best part was not the rings though, it was the friendships I made that will last a lifetime.

“My family and I would like to thank all of the amazing people who work tirelessly to make the @warriors organization world-class.

“Don’t be sad it’s over, be happy it happened. Until we meet again. Sea captain out,” Thompson concluded, signing off with the affectionate nickname acquired due to his habit of commuting to Warriors home games at their waterfront arena on his personal pleasure boat.



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With second pick, Bossing looking to bolster PG spot

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RJ Abarrientos during an open training with the Jones Cup bound Strong Group Athletics team. -SGA PHOTO

Blackwater, which recently traded Rey Nambatac to TNT, is looking to use the PBA Rookie Draft as an avenue to get someone to replace the southpaw guard.

“We are definitely looking into improving our team in the point guard position,” coach Jeff Cariaso told the Inquirer on Friday after the league officially released a list of 70 players initially qualified for the proceedings set July 14 at Glorietta in Makati City.

The Bossing will select after the Converge FiberXers, who own the top overall pick by virtue of having the lowest combined finish during the 2023-24 season that had just two conferences.

Converge had said that the process of selecting the player it feels as the one who could turn the franchise around would be a difficult one after a number of talented prospects were able to beat Thursday’s deadline.

Among the last-minute applicants was Ateneo product Kai Ballungay, joining a cast of notable draftees like Justine Baltazar, Sedrick Barefield, Dave Ildefonso, RJ Abarrientos and Caelan Tiongson.

Last Tuesday saw the Bossing deal Nambatac to the TNT Tropang Giga in exchange for Kib Montalbo, Jewel Ponferada and a future draft pick, ending a short stint for the ex-Rain or Shine mainstay who played for them only in the Philippine Cup.

Nambatac was acquired from the Elasto Painters last February.

The team’s needs

If Blackwater’s needs are asked, the prospect of having Abarrientos or Barefield—if Converge passes on either or both—is enticing. But there’s also the other thought of picking the best available talent.

“We are happy to see there are options to select from, so we’ll continue to do our homework on these guys while we look forward to the PBA combine,” said Cariaso.

The combine is set July 10 and 11 at Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City, a two-day event required of all draftees, barring any valid excuses.

The list is significantly lower from a field of 128 that entered the draft last year, with 79 of them getting selected.

Terrafirma selects third followed by Phoenix, NorthPort, NLEX, Rain or Shine (back-to-back picks), Magnolia, Barangay Ginebra, Meralco and San Miguel Beer.

Most of the draftees are coming from the UAAP and NCAA while 19 Fil-foreigners also placed their names in the pool.



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Under league rules, players considered Fil-foreigners only need to submit a Philippine passport to be considered eligible.

NBA teams that passed up on Brownlee have given PH valuable gift

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Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee puts on another sensational game to help the secure the Fiba OQT semifinals ticket. –FIBA PHOTO

As far as Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone is concerned, scouts in the 2011 NBA Draft were practically sleeping on the job.

“I’ve said this before: Somebody in the NBA missed out on this guy,” Cone said Thursday night in Riga in Latvia, where the Nationals booked a seat in the final four of the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) after Justin Brownlee led the team to a 96-94 loss to Georgia.

“They (scouts) weren’t on the ball, they should have seen this guy,” Cone went on after Brownlee scored 28 points that went with eight rebounds and eight assists. “He never should have been in the Philippines. He should be in the NBA.”

Cone couldn’t help but heap praises again on his naturalized ace, a proven winner with Barangay Ginebra in the PBA and the Gilas team which Brownlee led to a first Asian Games gold medal in 61 years last October.

“He is a big moment guy. He plays huge in big moments,” Cone went on. “And he has proven it over and over again. What he’s doing in this tournament is no surprise to what we’ve seen throughout his career in the Philippines [that started in 2016].

“He’s dominant there and he’s always engaged. When he’s aggressive, there’s just nobody better than him,” Cone added.

Great Draft class

The 2011 Draft class was no pushover as Cleveland selected Duke star Kyrie Irving first overall, with fellow future superstars and NBA champions Klay Thompson (Golden State) and Kawhi Leonard (Indiana) going as the 11th and 15th overall picks, respectively.

Jimmy Butler, another superstar with the Miami Heat, actually went as the 30th and last first round pick by the Chicago Bulls.

With six PBA titles and that Asiad gold, Gilas teammate Kai Sotto has labeled Brownlee as “the Michael Jordan of the Philippines,” with Dwight Ramos saying that the 6-foot-4 shooting guard is the “best teammate” he has ever had.

“Man, I really appreciate the compliments from both guys, but I really don’t know how to feel about that,” Brownlee said. “I just try to [get the] W (win), and I always [try to be] a really good teammate, try to jell with the guys.

“Being compared to Michael Jordan, I don’t even know what to say about that. But I definitely appreciate the compliment.”

With two more wins needed for the Philippines to make the main draw in the Paris Olympics in a few weeks, there’s more for Brownlee to do.

He can add to his legacy by taking the country back to the Games for the first time since 1972.

And in doing that, who knows?



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It’s never too late for anything, and the NBA scouts might take one final look this time and do their jobs right.

Gilas faces Brazil with Paris Olympics just two wins away

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Gilas Pilipinas headed to the Fiba OQT semifinals. –FIBA PHOTO

Gilas Pilipinas’ path to the Paris Games goes through Brazil, a nation steep with a glorious Olympic past and one that seems to have quite an edge on the Filipinos.

Aside from a world No. 12 ranking and a history of dominating the Philippines on the world stage, the Cariocas are littered with a bevy of NBA-tested talents that could easily outshine Gilas’ standouts on paper.

But the Nationals aren’t entering their 8:30 p.m. confrontation on Saturday thinking like cattle being led to the slaughter house. Thanks to a stunning upset of world No. 6 Latvia and a gutsy stand versus desperate Georgia, Gilas has reached a level of confidence that it has never had in the past.

SCHEDULE: Gilas Pilipinas at Fiba OQT semifinals 2024

“We still got so much more to give and so much more that we can do,” Chris Newsome said shortly after a 96-94 loss to Georgia on Thursday that was still enough to safely push the Filipinos into the crossover semifinals.

“We’ve been through a lot. I mean, a lot of people are disappointed with the last World Cup—as am I—[but] it feels good to finally be in this position, finally moving up in the ranks and beating teams that we shouldn’t,” Gilas cornerstone Dwight Ramos said.

The Philippines has been playing with a different kind of zest in Riga, and the team’s stats back it up. Gilas is scoring an average of 91.5 points, which is far superior than of Brazil’s 77.5. The Nationals are also a tad better in rebounding, collaring 39.5 against the Cariocas’ 38.

In full force

Brazil had produced one of the biggest international stars in the game in Oscar Schmidt, considered to be the best scorer the game has seen with close to 50,000 points scored for Brazil and his club team.

The Brazilians don’t have a player like that anymore, but that doesn’t mean that the Cariocas will be easier than the first two teams Gilas has thus far faced.

A win Saturday will set up the Philippines to a Paris Games slot game against the winner of the Latvia-Cameroon tiff.

READ: Gilas Pilipinas stuns world No. 6 Latvia to open Fiba OQT bid

Gilas is also expected to play at full strength. Though a game-time decision, national coach Tim Cone told the Inquirer that Kai Sotto—who hurt his right rib after getting landed by a Georgian player—is free of fractures.

Though he has made it clear that Gilas is out to win the whole thing, Cone has also cautioned his charges on the perils of thinking too far ahead.

“We were just so euphoric beating Latvia. All of the texts, social media going on in Manila. I think that set the guys back,” he said, referring to the team’s slow start against Georgia.



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“If we’re going to continue to look forward like that, I think that’s going to be a problem for us. But we have no doubt,” he went on. “You know, we want to just say what’s right in front of us. We don’t want to look at the end zone.”

Tim Cone says Gilas star Justin Brownlee ‘should be in the NBA’

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Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee puts on another sensational game to help secure the Fiba OQT semifinals ticket. –FIBA PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines — Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone believes NBA teams missed an opportunity to have “a big moment guy and best teammate ever” in Justin Brownlee as Philippine basketball continues to gain from his storied career.

Brownlee is the biggest key to Gilas moving within just two wins away from entering the Paris Olympics after leading the team with an average of 27.0 points, 8.5 rebounds, and 8.5 assists to reach the semifinal of the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) in Riga.

Cone isn’t surprised with the stellar showing of his longtime import for Barangay Ginebra but he reminds the world what the NBA is missing out on since the 36-year-old forward went undrafted in 2011.

HIGHLIGHTS: Gilas Pilipinas vs Georgia Fiba OQT July 4

Brownlee only played the G-League with the Maine Red Claws and NBA Summer League with the New York Knicks in 2012 before syiting up for their developmental affiliate, Erie Bayhawks.

“I’ve said this before: Somebody in the NBA missed out on this guy. They weren’t on the ball, they should have seen this guy he never should have been in the Philippines. He should be in the NBA,” said Cone in the press conference of Gilas’ 96-94 loss to Georgia on Thursday to cap the group stage with a 1-1 record.

“He is a big moment guy. He plays huge in big moments. And he has proven it over and over again. What he’s [been] doing in this tournament is no surprise to what we’ve seen throughout his career in the Philippines. He’s dominant there and he’s always engaged. When he’s aggressive, there’s just nobody better than him,” he added.

It wasn’t Cone who just praised Brownlee. Kai Sotto made a bold statement after their shocking 89-80 win over World No.6 Latvia that their naturalized forward is “Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball” while Dwight Ramos tagged him as the best teammate he has ever played with.

READ: Gilas’ Justin Brownlee ‘Michael Jordan of PH basketball’

Brownlee, who willed the Philippines back from 20 points down against Georgia with another near-triple-double performance of 28 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists, was grateful to hear those kind words from his teammates.

“Man, I really appreciate the compliment from both guys but I really don’t know how to feel about that. I just try to the [get the] W. and I always [try to be] a really good teammate, try to jell with the guys, try to get guys going and try to play off of the guys as well as try to get them playing off me,” Brownlee said.

Gilas Pilipinas' Justin Brownlee puts on another sensational game to help the secure the Fiba OQT semifinals ticket.

Gilas Pilipinas’ Justin Brownlee puts on another sensational game to help secure the Fiba OQT semifinals ticket. –FIBA PHOTO

“Being compared to Michael Jordan of the Philippines. I don’t even know what to say about that but I definitely appreciate the compliment.”

Brownlee, who also delivered the country’s first Asian Games basketball gold in 61 years, said that he is just applying what Cone has been teaching him since he joined Ginebra in 2016.

READ: Gilas win over Latvia puts spotlight on Tim Cone triangle offense

“I would be nothing without [my] teammates. A famous quote that coach Tim tells the Ginebra guys and on the Gilas team is, ‘One is too small of a number to achieve greatness,’” he said. “I just try to go by that and try to get the best out of the team and try to put my best for the team.”

Cone had no shortage of praises for his longtime player, who already delivered six PBA championships out of the 25 the legendary coach has earned.

And Brownlee c0ntinues to deliver for Cone, this time on the international level for Gilas Pilipinas.

“He’s absolutely the best teammate I’ve ever seen through all my coaching, he’s just a tremendous teammate,” the Gilas coach said. “He has that rare skill that every time he plays and any team he plays, he makes the players around him better, they play at a higher level.”



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“I used to think I was really a good coach because I had him all the time and then he goes to another team and still wins everywhere he goes. So obviously it’s not me, it’s really him because he just wins everywhere, any country he goes to, they win championships and it’s amazing because he knows how to make people better around him.”

The coach-player tandem of Cone and Brownlee tries to bring their magic to Gilas, which battles Brazil in the semifinal on Saturday for a chance to enter the final, where the lone ticket to Paris is on the line.

Wembanyama steals show for France in Paris Olympics warmup

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French basketball player Victor Wembanyama talks to the audience during a 5×5 France Olympics Basket Team Media Day in Paris, on June 27, 2024. (Photo by Geoffroy VAN DER HASSELT / AFP)

PARIS— Victor Wembanyama stole the show with spectacular one-handed dunks as France opened preparations for its men’s basketball gold medal bid at the Paris Olympics.

In a promising sign of things to come, the NBA’s Rookie of the Year was all smiles after powerful dunks with both hands in a 96-46 rout of Turkey on Wednesday night. He looked slick as he scored a game-high 24 points and grabbed six rebounds in front of a sold-out crowd of around 5,500 in Rouen.

It was the first of six warmup matches for France, heading into the July 26-Aug. 11 Summer Games.

READ:  Victor Wembanyama ‘can’t wait’ for France-USA showdown at Paris Olympics

“Victor played a ‘Wemby game.’ He was imposing in defense and varied things in attack. It’s something we’ve never really known before in the France team,” captain Nicolas Batum said. “It’s a great asset for us, one we will be able to use in many situations.”

The 20-year-old San Antonio Spurs star also combined well with veteran Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert in their first outing together for France. The 32-year-old Gobert was named the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year for a record-tying fourth time, with Wembanyama second in the voting.

“There’s still work to be done,” Batum said, looking ahead to the Olympics. “But when you have two greats (Wembanyama and Gobert), it helps a lot.”

There were also some impressive defense from Washington Wizards rookie guard Bilal Coulibaly.

France lost 87-82 to the United States in the gold-medal game at the Tokyo Olympics but hopes are high that coach Vincent Collet’s side can win gold at home. France is considered among the strongest teams alongside the U.S, Canada, Serbia and world champion Germany.

Last week, Wembanyama was asked about the prospect of another France-USA final, against the likes of LeBron James and Stephen Curry.

“ I can’t wait to face them, it will be a very interesting matchup,” he said in Paris. “As a basketball player, it’s also a dream to play against Team USA and even against all those players, all those legends.”

READ: Chris Paul joining Wembanyana at Spurs as NBA free agency opens

France’s first Group B opponent at the Olympics will be the winner of the last qualifying tournament later this week. It then plays Japan and Germany in the 12-team field, held in the northern city of Lille.

French basketball is enjoying immense popularity on the back of Wembanyama’s meteoric rise and the emergence of new talents.

This year’s top two NBA draft picks are French — Zaccharie Risacher (Atlanta Hawks) and Alexandre Sarr (Washington Wizards) — with Tidjane Salaün drafted No. 6 by the Charlotte Hornets.



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France joined the United States as the only countries with three players drafted in the top 10 picks of an NBA draft. Pacome Dadiet (New York Knicks) and Melvin Ajinca (Dallas Mavericks) made it five Frenchmen selected overall.

Alas Pilipinas loses to Vietnam, bows out of FIVB Challenger Cup

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Alas Pilipinas against Vietnam in the FIVB Challenger Cup quarterfinals. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

Thi Bich Tuyen Nguyen and Vietnam shut the doors on Alas Pilipinas’ hopes of qualifying for the Volleyball Nations League next year after a 25-14, 25-22, 25-21 victory Friday night in the FIVB Challenger Cup at Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

Tuyen peppered the Filipinas with 30 points built on 27 attack points and three blocks to show Alas the exit after just one game in the knockout quarterfinals.

“We are very grateful that we faced Vietnam. We learned a lot, realized many things we still need to improve on, and of course, we are very happy because many people watched, especially our fellow Filipinos here in the Philippines. So, I am thankful for all the support,” Sisi Rondina said.

HIGHLIGHTS: Alas Pilipinas vs Vietnam FIVB Challenger Cup

Rondina led the hometown bets with 15 points, all from attacks, with Canino backing her up with 12 points, all but one from kills.

Middle blockers Fifi Sharma and Thea Gagate added six and five points respectively for the world No. 55 hosts.

Sisi Rondina leads Alas Pilipinas in scoring in the loss.

Sisi Rondina leads Alas Pilipinas in scoring in the loss. –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net

“Earlier during the huddle, Ate Jia [de Guzman] just said that we shouldn’t think about anything else, just show what we can do. We know we have abilities that they don’t have, and even if we fell short, the fight is still there. Of course, it’s about not giving up,” Rondina added.

“As I always say, you never go home a loser because you learn something, you always learn something, especially now that we faced Vietnam,” Canino said.

READ: Alas Pilipinas hit with reality check ahead of Challenger Cup

Already down by two sets and giving its all to try and extend the match and somehow take the game from behind, Alas managed to tie the deciding frame at 14-all with Vanie Gandler’s attack from back row.

Rondina put her all into a cross-court hit to knot the game again at 16-all before Alas took the lead for the first time since the first set at 18-17 as Gagate rose for a quick hit.

But Tuyen was not going to allow the visitors to sink and wasted no opportunity to carry Vietnam on the verge of victory, 24-20.

Gandler squeezed in an attack through the block before Rondina committed a deadly attack error that sailed out and ultimately handed Vietnam a ticket to the semifinals opposite Czech Republic, which moved on with a straight sets win over Argentina earlier in the day.

The other semifinal bracket will feature Belgium and Puerto Rico.



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“Facing Vietnam was a huge opportunity and a lesson for us because experiences like that don’t happen often in our lives or with our team. We learned a lot of lessons inside the court,” Canino said.