FIBA WORLD CUP: FRANCE STUNS USA IN QUARTER- FINAL

Champions, United States stunned after a surprise 89-79 loss to France in the quarter-finals of the Basketball World Cup in China on Wednesday. The US had won the past two World Cups and not lost in 58 international games, a run stretching back to 2006

Team USA’s last loss with NBA players on its roster came against Greece in the semifinals of the 2006 world championships. The Americans rebounded to win gold at the Beijing Olympics two years later and also won the two Olympic tournaments that followed. They already had qualified for next year’s Summer Games in Tokyo.

Both teams gave up leads in the second half. France led by 10 early in the third quarter, but the Americans countered with a 31-14 run over the next 10 minutes to take a five-point lead. France then went on a 15-2 run to take a 82-76 lead with just more than two minutes left and closed out the Americans from there.

France will play Argentina in the semi-finals on Friday, with Spain taking on Australia in the other match.

This will be the first time the United States have failed to win a medal at the World Cup since 2002, when they finished sixth.

Dwane Casey sacked as Raptors coach

Dwane Casey sacked as Raptors coach after after the team was swept in the playoffs by the Cleveland Cavaliers for the second straight season.

The move comes two days after Casey was honored as coach of the year by the National Basketball Coaches Association.

Toronto President Masai Ujiri on Friday said the move was a “very difficult but necessary step”

“As a team, we are constantly trying to grow and improve in order to get to the next level,” Ujiri said in the statement released by the team.

Ujiri thanked Casey for what he has done for the organization, saying Casey was “instrumental in creating the identity and culture of who we are as a team.”

The move comes two days after Casey was honored as coach of the year by the National Basketball Coaches Association.

Round 2 Game 1 ✔️ Rockets 110 - Jazz 96

Rockets roll to easy 1-0 lead against Jazz with James Harden leading the way with 41 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Chris Paul chipped in 17 points, while Clint Capela had a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds.

Harden put up the first points of the game for the Rockets with a driving layup, and then hit three consecutive free throws after a Mitchell shooting foul.

Utah outscored the Rockets in the fourth quarter but the deficit was just too big to overcome. Donovan Mitchell has also gone to the bench with an ankle roll. He has 21 points so far. They’ll look to bounce back on Wednesday night in Game 2.

Before the game

The Houston Rockets had the best record in the NBA and tied for the best home record, and they will enjoy their earned home court advantage by hosting the Utah Jazz beginning Sunday with Game 1 of their second-round NBA playoff series at the Toyota Center in Houston.

The Rockets were 34-7 at home this season, and have won 23 of their last 24 in Houston, including winning three times at home against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round.

NBA legend Kobe Bryant Wins Oscar Award For Best Short Animated Film

It might have taken Leonardo DiCaprio 22-years to win the Oscar but it took just two years for retired five-time NBA champion, Kobe Bryant to win the Oscar for best short animated film “Dear Basketball,” which was made of his Players Tribune retirement letter on November 29, 2015 announcing his retirement from basketball.

The film depicts Bryant as a child dreaming of basketball glory and as an N.B.A. star. Bryant said the film was “about the emotional journey of having a dream, believing it’ll come true; it comes true, then the realization that you have to wake up from that dream and move on to another.”

When Bryant ended his career in 2016, the LA Lakers retired the two jerseys he wore during his 20-year spell.

In accepting his award, the 39-year-old spoke in defence of athletes' influence on cultural and political life.

He said: "As basketball players, we're really supposed to shut up and dribble. But I'm glad we do a little bit more than that.

"Thank you, Academy, for this amazing honour."

FIBA 2019: D' Tigers Remain Undefeated In African Qualifiers

FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers action ended on Sunday in Maputo and Bamako, Nigeria lived up to expectations, emerging as the third undefeated team.

By beating Mali - hosts of the first-leg of Group B of the African Qualifiers - 82-59 in front of a home crowd, Nigeria improved their mark to 3-0, and, as a result, joined Tunisia and Angola as the only teams yet to lose a game in the race for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 in China.

Over the course of three days, the former African champions cruised past Uganda, Rwanda, and Mali in Bamako by an average of 33-point wins margin.

The third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers returns in late June, early July for the second-leg of Groups A (Tunisia), B (yet to be confirmed), C (Egypt) and D (Senegal).

At stake in the African Qualifiers are five tickets on offer for the continent's countries to reach the first-ever 32-team FIBA Basketball World Cup taking place in China from August 30-September 15, 2019.

LeBron James Open To switching Captains For The 2019 All-Star Game

LeBron James said he enjoyed the new revised NBA All-Star game format designed to make the game more competitive and a departure from the traditional Eastern vs Western conference clashes but would be open to switching team captains for the 2019 showpiece in Charlotte. 

James was named a team captain for Sunday's game in Los Angeles with Golden State Warriors' star Stephen Curry chosen to lead his opponents.

'I'm not against it, that's for sure,' James said. 'I had a heck of a time doing it in the conference call with Stephen [when they were selecting the teams]. 

'We're going to try to figure out ways we can continue to get better and better. But if we decided that, just like the coaches, you can't be a coach of a team no matter if your team is No 1 the East or the West every year, they offset it every year.' 

'So it would be great to see somebody else next year if they wanted to do that format or they wanted to keep it the same with the two top vote-getters. 

'Either or works for me. I've just got to play some good ball in the first half of the season next year to make sure I'm in Charlotte.

Nigeria call on seven players from FIBA AfroBasket 2017 for World Cup Qualifiers

Nigeria have named a 14-player preliminary squad for this month's Group B first leg games in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers in Bamako, Mali.

While the former African champions kept seven players from last year's FIBA AfroBasket - where they claimed a second-place finish - they added Ben Uzoh and Michael Gbinije, two members of the continental championship winning team from 2015.

From February 23-25, Nigeria will take on hosts Mali, Uganda and Rwanda in an attempt to secure a place in the 12-team second round of the African Qualifiers.

Nigeria's 14-player preliminary squad for FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 African Qualifiers
Jeleel Akindele	Azuoma Dike	Ike Diogu	Michael Efevberha
Michael Gbinije	Ikenna Iroegbu	Ikenna Bryant Mbamalu	Ike Nwamu
Christopher Obekpa	Adeolu Olaiya Ojo	Lucky Subel Okoh	Musa Usman
Ben Uzoh	Abdul Yahaya

Michael Efevberha, a prolific scorer who last represented Nigeria at FIBA AfroBasket 2009, is also part of the preliminary squad.

NBA Launches Network of International Basketball Schools

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced the launch of NBA Basketball School, a network of tuition-based basketball development programs around the world open to international male and female players ages 6-18. 

The first NBA Basketball School launched today in Mumbai, India as part of a multiyear agreement announced today with India On Track (IOT), one of India’s leading sports management, marketing and development companies.  Additional NBA Basketball Schools will be launched in India and around the world in the coming months.

The new initiative adds an additional layer to the NBA’s existing basketball development efforts, including the Jr. NBA, Basketball without Borders (BWB) and NBA Academies.

The Jr. NBA, the league’s global youth basketball participation program for boys and girls, will help identify young players who have the talent to attend NBA Basketball Schools. From there, the top players at each NBA Basketball School will have the opportunity to be selected to attend NBA Academies, the league’s network of elite basketball training centers around the world to develop top international male and female prospects.

Registration to attend the NBA Basketball School in Mumbai is now open at indiaontrack.nba.com. 

“Our goal is to inspire more young male and female players to learn the game under the guidance of established coaches with proven training techniques,” said NBA Vice President, International Basketball Operations & Head of Elite Basketball, Brooks Meek.  “The NBA Basketball School builds an additional track between the Jr. NBA and NBA Academies with the goal of increasing the pool of players who have the talent to attend our academies around the world.”

“There has never been a more exciting time for the growth of basketball in India,” said NBA India Managing Director Yannick Colaco.  “Between NBA Academy India welcoming 24 elite prospects and the launch of NBA Basketball Schools with our partner India On Track, we are investing more than ever in identifying and training India’s aspiring young players.”

“We are now at the cusp of a new phase in India’s sporting journey, and to ensure its continued growth we need to lay down strong foundations for basketball,” said India On Track Founder and Chief Executive Officer Vivek Sethia. “This initiative jointly executed by the NBA and India On Track will help to create a platform to identify and engage the untapped basketball potential in India thereby creating a larger talent pool for academies to choose from.”

Each NBA Basketball School will feature year-long, tuition-based programs open to international male and female players ages 6-18. The NBA Basketball School curriculum, which is designed to help players, parents, coaches and organizations better understand the process of improvement, has been developed by the NBA’s Elite Basketball Development team in consultation with current and former NBA coaches, former NBA players, and player development experts.

The comprehensive curriculum covers oncourt training, strength and conditioning, and basketball education for young players ages 6-18 and will be implemented by local coaches working directly with the NBA’s International Basketball Operations staff around the world.

The NBA Basketball School in Mumbai builds on the NBA’s existing basketball and youth development initiatives in India. The Reliance Foundation Jr. NBA program has reached more than 3.5 million youth and trained more than 3,000 physical education instructors nationwide since its launch in 2013.

In November 2016, the NBA announced its plan to launch NBA Academy India, an elite basketball training center in Delhi National Capital Region (NCR) for the top male and female prospects from throughout India.  NBA Academy India, the first of its kind in the country, will open in May.

Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay to host FIBA AmeriCup 2017

SAN JUAN (FIBA AmeriCup 2017) - The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) in the Americas on Wednesday confirmed Argentina, Colombia and Uruguay as the host nations for the FIBA AmeriCup 2017, taking place from 25 August to 3 September.

Competing in the continental cup will be Argentina, Canada, Colombia, the Dominican Republic, Mexico, Panama, Puerto Rico, Uruguay, the United States of America (USA), Venezuela, the Virgin Islands and a South American representative yet to be determined*.

The FIBA AmeriCup 2017 will open with a Group Phase consisting of three (3) groups of four (4) teams each. This stage of the competition will be played in a round robin format in Medellín (Colombia), Bahía Blanca (Argentina), and Montevideo (Uruguay). The best team from each group will advance to the Final Phase, where they will join Argentina, who qualify automatically because of its status as the main organizer of the competition.

The Final Phase will take place in Cordoba (Argentina), where the winners of the Semi-Finals will square off in the title game for the right to be crowned continental champions.

The full calendar of the competition is as follows:

Group A: Medellín, Colombia - August 25-27

Group B: Montevideo, Uruguay - August 27-29

Group C: Bahía Blanca, Argentina - August 28-30

Semi-Finals and Final: Córdoba, Argentina - September 2-3

NBA Seals Sina Weibo Partnership

The Chinese division of the North American basketball league the NBA has entered into a multi-year partnership deal with prominent Chinese social network Sina Weibo.

Sina Weibo will serve as the official social media platform to NBA China under the terms of the deal, which will see the platform offer both highlights packages and original programming to users.

The two parties will co-produce the original content, to be distributed via the NBA China, Weibo Sports and Weibo Basketball accounts on the platform.

According to the Caixin website, Weibo chief executive Wang Gaofei said the partnership with NBA China would be the first step in the company’s efforts to top international sports content to Chinese audiences.

In January, Sina Weibo agreed a deal to stream live coverage of NFL American football games. The deal ran until the end of the 2016-17 season, but NFL China managing director Richard Young said at the time that he was confident the agreement would become a long-term partnership.

NBA London Franchise Future Uncertain

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver has admitted that London's chances of receiving an NBA franchise have been complicated by the Brexit vote and uncertainty regarding the UK's future outside the European Union.

Discussions have been ongoing regarding a British-based participant in the NBA for some time, with former NBA commissioner Davis Stern initially floating the prospect a decade ago.

The Denver Nuggets and the Indiana Pacers will play at London's O2 Arena today, in the seventh regular NBA season fixture to take place in the English capital.

It is the first occasion that either team have played an NBA fixture overseas.

Basketball Champions League and WSC in video-tech deal

Basketball Champions League (BCL) and sports video technology company, WSC Sports Technologies, have signed a deal to provide customised, automated video highlights across its digital channels, to fans, teams and players.

WSC provides an innovative workflow automation solution from ingestion of live content to distribution of automatically created short-form videos, tailor-made, customised and personalised for every need. The company’s unique sport video technology automatically analyses sports broadcast in real-time, identifies every moment in a game and generates customised highlights on every player, team and moment.

Basketball Champions League and WSC will now offer extensive pre-game and post-game coverage to fans in order to give the Basketball Champions League a round-the-clock exposure on top of all live games.

The Basketball Champions League social media channels have already gathered 140,000 fans and generated above 2.5 million video views. This partnership will help the Basketball Champions League to further promote and share content to teams and star players directly. This content will serve as a major promotion platform for Basketball Champions League’s broadcast partners who will see their brand featured in all clips distributed to teams and players

LeBron James on J.R. Smith holdout: hate not having 'one of my big guns

LeBron James stuck his neck out into the stalledJ.R. Smith negotiations and publicly stumped for the holdout guard.

"I hate coming into another season -- two years in a row -- with one of my big guns not here," James said, alluding to Tristan Thompson, who missed most of training camp last fall with a similar holdout situation. "So, for a leader of a team and for me personally, I just hate to deal with this s--- again.

"It's just too big of a piece to our team to have to deal with in another training camp. Like I said, hopefully things get resolved fast, because you know how big and important he is to our team."

James' comments came unprompted. In fact, a team public relations staffer told James he was free from media obligations for the day but James chose to meet with reporters anyway.

Euroleague announces Istanbul return for Final Four

Euroleague basketball has officially announced Istanbul as the venue for the Final Four end-of-season men's event in 2017.

The finals will take place in the Sinan Erdem Dome between 19-21 May. Next year's event will be the third time that Istanbul will hsot the Final Four.

Turish Airlines, the national airline of Turkey, are currently the title sponsors.

“Basketball has seen outstanding growth in Turkey in recent years, while Istanbul already has a Final Four tradition that's second to none, so we are excited to be crowning the EuroLeague champion there next May.

“We will return to the Sinan Erdem Dome, one of the finest arenas anywhere in which to watch basketball and the perfect venue to culminate a season in which fans will see all the stars in their own cities for the first time in history," said Jordi Bartomeu, president and chief executive of Euroleague Basketball

Belgrade chosen to host 2018 EuroLeague Final Four

Euroleague Basketball have announced that the 2018 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four will take place at the Kombank Arena in Belgrade, Serbia

The decision marks the first time that Belgrade will host a Final Four to crown Europe's club champion in what will be the 30-year-history of the event.

Kombank Arena is well known to fans far and wide as the venue that has attracted to EuroLeague games over the last decade some of the biggest and liveliest crowds in basketball history. It is currently the home court of EuroLeague club Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade.

Kombank, which opened in 2004, seats 18,400 fans for basketball, making it one of the largest Final Four venues ever, too. Kombank previously hosted the 2005 EuroBasket championship for men's national teams, among other major basketball events.

"Belgrade has given so much to our sport that the chance to see the 2018 Final Four there is sure to make the Serbian capital an instant destination for all true international basketball fans," Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO, said. "The fans there live and breathe basketball with the same passion that flows through every Final Four, making Belgrade and this event a perfect match. Everybody who loves basketball will be looking forward with great anticipation to the 2018 Final Four."

NBA to play consecutive games in Mexico for the first time

The NBA and Zignia Live  have announced that the Phoenix Suns will take on the Dallas Mavericks and San Antonio Spurs in the first consecutive regular-season games in Mexico on January 12th and 14th at the Mexico City Arena.  

The games will mark the first time the league hosts two regular-season contests in Mexico in the same season. 

In addition to the games on the court, NBA Global Games Mexico City 2017 will feature a variety of interactive fan events and NBA Cares community celebrations. 

The games will be supported by partners and will be available to fans around the world on television, digital and social media. 

The NBA is celebrating the 25^th anniversary of its first game in Mexico, and following NBA Global Games Mexico City 2017 the NBA will have staged 24 games in Mexico since 1992, the most NBA games held in any country outside the United States and Canada. 

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said: “We’ve been playing NBA games in Mexico for 25 years, and we’re thrilled that for the first time we are bringing two regular-season games to Mexico City, featuring three teams with an exciting mix of veteran talent and emerging stars.”

Zignia Live General Manager Ignacio Saenz added: “Zignia Live is proud to make history and host two NBA regular-season games in the Mexico City Arena next January.  By bringing major sporting events to Mexican fans, like with these upcoming NBA games, Zignia Live demonstrates its continued effort and social commitment to the sport.”

NBA strips All-Star game from Charlotte due to LGBT law

The NBA has stripped Charlotte of the NBA All-Star game, citing a law in the city’s state of North Carolina that limits anti-discrimination protections for lesbian, gay and transgender people.

It is the first time a major sporting event has been stripped from a city because of the treatment of the LGBT community.

The NBA has continually outlined its opposition to the law, known as HB2, since it was introduced in March, and the NBA's decision comes less than a month after state legislators decided not to change it. 

The league said in a statement: “Since March, when North Carolina enacted HB2 and the issue of legal protections for the LGBT community in Charlotte became prominent, the NBA and the Charlotte Hornets have been working diligently to foster constructive dialogue and try to effect positive change. We have been guided in these discussions by the long-standing core values of our league. These include not only diversity, inclusion, fairness and respect for others but also the willingness to listen and consider opposing points of view."

“Our week-long schedule of All-Star events and activities is intended to be a global celebration of basketball, our league, and the values for which we stand, and to bring together all members of the NBA community – current and former players, league and team officials, business partners, and fans. While we recognise that the NBA cannot choose the law in every city, state, and country in which we do business, we do not believe we can successfully host our All-Star festivities in Charlotte in the climate created by HB2.”

Concerns over HB2 have been raised by a number of sports bodies. The law states that transgender people must use restrooms corresponding to the sex on their birth certificates in many public buildings. It also excludes sexual orientation and gender identity from anti discrimination protections related to the workplace, hotels and restaurants.

Euroleague 'surrender' Munich court case against FIBA

FIBA has claimed that Euroleague Properties and Euroleague Commercial Assets (ECA) have surrendered in the German court in Munich all proceedings which they had previously initiated.

They both with drew their motion for a preliminary injunction and simultaneously waived all rights from the preliminary injunction issued on 2 June 2016.

This declaration was also made in the name and on behalf of Euroleague's co-applicants: Fenerbahce, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Olympiacos,Real Madrid, Gran Canaria, Olimpija Ljubljana, Lietuvos Rytas, Cedevita Zagreb,Zielona Gora, Unicaja Malaga, Adriatic League and the Spanish League (ACB).

As a consequence, the court has canceled the hearing originally set for 19 July 2016.

Euroleague will - together with its co-applicants- bear all the costs of the court proceeding as well as those of FIBA and also FIBA Europe.

Finally, this waiver of rights is also a clear signal that Euroleague will not appeal against the decision of the Munich court dated 23 June 2016, by which the injunction was annulled upon the motion of FIBA Europe

NBA appoints new President, League Operations

Byron Spruell, has been appointed NBA President, League Operations, as announced by NBA Commissioner Adam Silver. 

In his new role, Spruell will oversee critical league operations, including the Basketball Operations and Referee Operations departments and the processes regarding the management of rule changes, the evaluation and training of game officials, and the enforcement of conduct standards and discipline. 

Spruell will also collaborate with USA Basketball and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to promote the global growth of the game.

Adam Silver said: “Byron’s excellent track record of operations and employee management coupled with his established leadership skills make him well-suited to further develop and enhance the processes supporting our game,”

“An innovator with strong strategic vision and a willingness to challenge the status quo, Byron is a terrific addition to the NBA’s executive team and will be instrumental in helping to shape the future of our league.”

Basketball Champions League appoints CEO

The Basketball Champions League has made a key appointment with Patrick Comninos becoming its Chief Executive Officer.

Comninos, who had headed UEFA’s Club and National Team Operations since January 2012, will be in charge of establishing and administering the Basketball Champions League - the innovative 50-50 partnership between FIBA and 10 top European leagues - as a top level competition in Europe, set to tip off in September.

"I look forward to this new challenge and to the opportunity of contributing to this unique project that is the Basketball Champions League. I feel confident that my experience can be useful in this new project which aims to deliver a great competition for the participating clubs," he said.

Markus Studer, the Chairman of the Basketball Champions League's Board of Directors, welcomed Comninos's appointment.

"Patrick Comninos has proven himself to be the ideal candidate for this position. He has the leadership qualities and know-how required to head up the Basketball Champions League and provide the boost required to make this truly pan-European club competition a reality," he said.     

Prior to his time at UEFA, Comninos spent more than five years as General Manager of Superleague Greece, the highest professional football league in Greece. He had previously served as Director for the Olympic Football Tournaments of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games.