Dennis Schroder etched his name in FIBA lore with one of the best closing performances you’ll ever see.

The 31-year-old point guard scored six points in the final minute to lead Germany to its first EuroBasket title since 1993. Germany defeated Turkey 88-83 in the gold medal game held at Riga, Latvia.

The win comes two years after Deutschland — largely with the same core group of players — won the FIBA World Cup title in 2023 in Manila. The rare double of winning the World Cup and European championships boosts Germany into the top tier in FIBA, and it could now lay claim to the title of second-best team in the world behind only the United States.

“We never shy away from the big moments. It’s not just Franz, it’s not just me, it’s the whole team,” said Schroder, who finished the final with 16 points, a game-high 12 assists, and he was named MVP of EuroBasket 2025. Schroder became only the seventh player to win MVP at both EuroBasket and the FIBA World Cup. The other six were Sergei Belov, Drazen Dalipagic, Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc, Dirk Nowitzki and Pau Gasol. All six are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.

The German captain was also named to the all-tournament team, joining teammate Franz Wagner, Turkey’s Alperen Sengun, Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic.

“To be a World Cup winner and European champ, it’s big time,” said Schroder, who averaged 20.3 points and 7.2 assists for the entire tournament.

Winning EuroBasket elevates Schroder’s profile. His NBA credentials may not be up to par with other established stars like LeBron James or Kevin Durant — he’s now on his ninth NBA team in 12 seasons — but he’s building an impressive FIBA resume.

And his performance down the stretch in the gold medal match against Turkey was one for the ages.

After Shane Larkin put Turkey ahead by one point with 1:34 left in the fourth quarter, Schroder answered seconds later with a lefty layup high off glass over Sengun to give Germany an 84-83 lead. Then with under 24 seconds remaining and the shot clock winding down, Schroder calmly pulled up from free throw line and swished a rainbow jumper over Ercan Osmani to put the Germans up by three with 18.4 seconds left.

Turkey had an opportunity to tie but Sengun’s desperation 3-point heave barely drew iron. Schroder grabbed the rebound and iced the game with two free throws.

Germany joins the Soviet Union, Yugoslavia and Spain as the only nations to hold both FIBA World Cup and FIBA EuroBasket trophies at the same time.

Turkey reached the final for only the second time in 25 years after dismantling Greece 94-68 in the semifinals. Osmani starred with 18 of his 28 points in the first half alone, and Sengun added 15 points, 12 rebounds and 6 assists.

Meanwhile, Germany booked their spot in the final after beating Finland 98-86. Schroder led the way with 26 points and 12 assists, with Franz Wagner adding 23 points in the win. Schroder’s 12 assists set a new EuroBasket record in the semifinals. Lauri Markkanen was held to 16 points (2-for-9 from 3-point and 6-for-17 from the field), eight points below his scoring average in the tournament. In two games against Germany, Markkannen was held to 13.5 points and 2-for-14 from behind the arc.

ONE-MAN SHOWS
EuroBasket 2025 produced many outstanding individual performances. From Luka Doncic’s historic scoring games to Giannis Antetokounmpo’s individual brilliance, the best basketball players in the world showed up and showed out in Riga.

Giannis put Greece on his back with a 30-point, 17-rebound performance in the bronze medal match against Finland. Giannis also added six assists, giving him a 20-10-5 stat line for the fourth time in the tournament. No other player has more than three over the last 30 years of EuroBasket.

It was Greece’s first EuroBasket medal since winning bronze in 2009. Head coach Vassilis Spanoulis was on the last Greek team that made the podium in EuroBasket.

Giannis called winning a bronze medal for his country “one of his biggest accomplishments.”

“I know I’ve won an NBA championship, but there’s no feeling like representing your national team and representing 12 million people that breathe and live this national team. This is probably the greatest accomplishment so far in my life,” the Milwaukee Bucks star said.

The Greek Freak scored 37 points, going 18-for-23 from the field, and grabbed 10 rebounds in leading Greece to an 84-79 win over Israel in the Round of 16. Only one other player on Greece scored in double figures (Kostas Sloukas had 11 points).

Luka Doncic’s one-man show continued in the knockout stage as the L.A. Lakers superstar dropped 42 points on 11-for-19 from the field, including 5-for-11 from 3-point, and had 10 rebounds in carrying Slovenia past Italy 84-77. The 42 points are five points off Doncic’s EuroBasket high mark of 47 against France in 2022.

Slovenia was eliminated by eventual EuroBasket champ Germany in the quarterfinals. In a loss, Doncic dropped 39 points on 11-for-25 shooting from the field and hit five 3-pointers. He also added 10 rebounds and seven assists.

Doncic finished with a tournament-best 34.7 points per game, becoming only the third player to average north of 30 points. Doncic’s 34.7 average is the third-best mark in tournament history. Only Greek legend Nikos Galis had a better tournament scoring average. Galis averaged 37.0 in 1987 and 35.6 in 1989.

SHOCKING UPSETS
In the most stunning result of the tournament, gold medal favorite Serbia was eliminated in the Round of 16 by Finland despite 33 points from Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic. The Joker is still searching for that elusive FIBA gold medal, and this is the second straight EuroBasket tournament that Serbia went out in the Round of 16. Serbia lost to Italy in the Round of 16 in 2022, and now they bow out in the same stage in 2025, this time to Finland.

Finland got a team-high 29 points from Lauri Markkanen and timely 3-pointers from Elias Valtonen. The Fins pounded Serbia on the boards to the tune of 45-36 advantage, including 20 offensive rebounds.

Finland started on fire and went up 11-1 and extended the lead to 16-5 midway through the first quarter.

“They played a great game. From the start we didn’t come ready. I just wasn’t ready from the jump,” said Serbia forward Nikola Jovic, who plays for the Miami Heat. “Their 20 offensive rebounds were just unacceptable. We knew what they were doing, we prepared well, we watched film, still they managed to just better and more physical than us.”

The other major upset in the Round of 16 was Georgia beating France 80-70. The Paris Olympics silver medalists led for just four minutes as Georgia, behind the outside shooting of Bayern Munich guard Kamar Baldwin. Baldwin, who played college ball at Butler but went undrafted, picked a perfect timing for his EuroBasket career-high, scoring 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting from the field.

The most talked about “revenge body” in the NBA since Shaquille O’Neal dropped a boatload of weight after he was traded from the L.A. Lakers to the Miami Heat in 2004 will be on full display at EuroBasket 2025.

Armed with a brand new body and brand new three-year, $165 million contract extension with the L.A. Lakers, Luka Doncic will be one of the biggest storylines to watch at the FIBA European championships, co-hosted by Cyprus, Finland, Poland, and Latvia. The finals will be held at Riga, Latvia.
Doncic’s body transformation isn’t the only thing different about him. The Lakers superstar is also more assertive, and his Slovenia teammates are taking notice.

“He’s embracing the challenge of being the face of a francise in the NBA and here. His words carry weight,” Slovenia guard Klemen Prepelic told SportKlub about his longtime national team teammate.

“You can already see signs of the new Luka,” Prepelic added. “It’s probably something expected of him by the Lakers as well. He’s the leader now. His voice counts the most.”

Doncic was basically fat-shamed by his former general manager, Dallas Mavericks executive Nico Harrison, when Harrison went on his why-did-you-trade-Luka explanation tour. Harrison said the main reason why the Mavs shipped Luka to L.A. was because of Doncic’s questionable work habits and conditioning.

Doncic used it as motivation as he worked himself into the best shape of his basketball career. The 26-year-old global star shed some serious pounds by committing to an offseason training program and a stricter diet. The end result was a body transformation that nearly broke the internet.
Images with the hashtag “Slim Luka” surfaced all over social media after Men’s Health published photos of an almost unrecognizable Doncic and his newly ripped body. Practically everyone with a TV show and a podcast couldn’t stop talking about it.

Doncic will put his slender body to the test as he leads Slovenia against a stacked tournament field that includes FIBA powerhouses Serbia, France and reigning World Cup champions Germany.

Here are the teams to watch at EuroBasket:

Teams with Star Power but Lack Firepower
SLOVENIA – Luka Doncic was only a teenager when Slovenia stunned the hoops world and won EuroBasket in 2017. But that was eight years ago and Goran Dragic is no longer around to help Luka. Slovenia enters the EuroBasket 2025 with a top-10 rating in the EuroBasket power rankings but the road to the title got tougher after forward Vlatko Cancar, formerly of the Denver Nuggets, withdrew from the competition, leaving the squad extremely thin in the frontcourt. Slovenia will be outmanned and outgunned.

Despite not having the necessary firepower, they have one nuke in the form of Luka Doncic. Any team with Doncic can’t be counted out because the L.A. Lakers superstar is capable of carrying an entire nation on his back.

GREECE – If Luka Doncic is the center of the Slovenian universe, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the solar energy that powers the Greek national squad. The two-time NBA MVP from the Milwaukee Bucks by himself is capable of backpacking Hellas and carry it out of the group stage and into the knockout round. But he won’t be alone in this fight. Giannis will be joined by two of his brothers, Kostas and Thanasis. Giannis plays better when he has family around him.

Tournament Dark Horses
TURKEY – Turkey drew the short end of the stick when it was placed in the same group as Serbia. Despite being in a tough group, Turkey has enough firepower to finish second in the group and qualify for the knockout stage. The head of the Turkish squad is Houston Rockets All-Star center Alperen Sengun. The 22-year-old big man is coming off a solid NBA season (19 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists) and he’s primed to announce his presence at the FIBA stage. Sengun has plenty of help on the frontcourt. Adem Bona carved out a solid role as a rotational player with the Philadelphia 76ers and he’s coming off a strong showing for the Sixers at the NBA summer league. Cedi Osman, who played six seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers and now playing for Panathinaikos in Greece, and Furkan Korkmaz (played seven seasons with the 76ers) provide Turkey with two outstanding shooters. Shane Larkin — son of baseball Hall of Famer Barry Larkin — is the team’s starting point and might the most important player. If Larkin has a strong tournament, Turkey could be in the medal round.

ITALY – The Italians are entering the tournament with plenty of momentum, with one of their wins in the friendlies coming against Kristaps Porzingis (Atlanta Hawks) and Latvia. Italy is in Group C with Spain and Greece. Spain isn’t the same basketball power it once was and it’s undergoing a changing of the guard while Greece is beatable if Giannis has a poor outing. Italy’s roster doesn’t have the star power but it has solid NBA-level talent. Simone Fontecchio and Nico Melli lead a balanced Azzurri squad capable of advancing past the group stage and into the knockout round.

Top 3 Teams Competing for the Podium
3. FRANCE – Despite the absence of Victor Wembanyama, Rudy Gobert, and Nic Batum, France remains one of the top contenders because of its incredible talent depth. France will definitely miss Wemby’s game-changing skills, Gobert’s defense and Batum’s leadership, but there is no talent shortage on this year’s EuroBasket squad. Les Bleus fields a talented roster full of current NBA players — Bilal Coulibaly (Washington Wizards), Zaccharie Risacher (Hawks), Alex Sarr (Wizards), Guerschon Yabusele (New York Knicks) — and former NBA players like Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and Theo Maledon. France has so much depth the team cut former New York Knick guard Frank Ntilikina, Moussa Diabate (Hornets) and Ousmane Dieng (OKC Thunder). With Wemby, Gobert and Batum not on the squad, there is a void that could be filled by younger French studs such as Risacher and Sarr to step out of the shadows of their more famous veterans and get their own shine.

2. GERMANY – Dennis Schroder and Franz Wagner headline a battle tested German squad that brings back the core group that won gold at the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila. Andreas Obst, one of the best shooters in the German Bundesliga, joins Schroder in the backcourt, giving the Germans a superb 1-2 punch at point guard and shooting guard. Steady 3-and-D wing Isaac Bonga and NBA veteran center Daniel Theis round out the core unit that won the FIBA World Cup. Leading scorer Franz Wagner will be tasked with a bigger role, especially with his brother Mo Wagner sidelined as he’s recovering from a torn ACL. Tristan da Silva, Franz’s teammate with the Orlando Magic, might be an X factor and could be part of the finishing lineup. The pressure is on first-year coach Alex Mumbru to maintain the momentum built up over the last two years.

1. SERBIA – With a stacked roster that includes three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic, the Serbians (rated No. 2 in the FIBA world rankings) are the heavy favorites to reach the final in Riga and hoist the EuroBasket trophy.

The Serbians have very little weaknesses and they are simply too good and too big to fail. They have a surplus of size and length, from guards to forwards to centers. Head coach Svetislav Pesic has a plethora of shooters like Bogdan Bogdanovic (L.A. Clippers), Aleksa Avramovic (Dubai), and Marko Guduric (Olimpia Milano).

Serbia has great size up front with 6-10 Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat), 6-11 Tristan Vukcevic (Washington Wizards), 6-11 Filip Petrusev, 7-0 Nikola Milutinov. And they have The Joker, the best center in the world.

Serbia will compete against host nation Latvia, Turkey, Estonia, Portugal and Czechia in Group A. Serbia should advance to the knockout round as Group A winner, and should be one of the finalists in Latvia.

Jokic led Serbia to a bronze medal at the 2024 Paris Olympics, but the Denver Nuggets superstar has never won a gold medal for his country in FIBA competition. Winning EuroBasket would be a tremendous accomplishment for The Joker, and this unit might be the best Serbian team Jokic has ever been a part of in his international career. This is the year when Jokic breaks through and finally captures that elusive gold medal for Serbia.

Joel Huerto is editor and publisher of OneManFastbreak.net. Follow and subscribe to his YouTube channel at @onemanfastbreak1.

Victor Wembanyama doesn’t like being called “The Unicorn.” It’s the nickname mostly associated with Latvian standout Kristaps Porzingis. About the only thing Wembanyama and Porzingis have in common is their height. Both are extremely tall men raised on European soil. But the comparisons end there. Wembanyama is a far, far better prospect at this stage of his career than Porzingis was. The 19-year-old from Le Chesnay, France, is the most talked about pro prospect in a long time, and some even compare the hype to 2003 when LeBron James was the consensus No. 1 overall prospect in the draft.

Wembanyama is currently playing for Metropolitans 92 in the French pro league. Prior to that, he played for LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne in the EuroLeague. Former San Antonio Spurs star Tony Parker is the majority stake hold of the European club and the team is coached by Parker’s brother T.J. Wembanyama is listed at 7-foot-4 with an 8-foot wingspan. He plays forward and center, but he’s got guard skills with an NBA-ready 3-point shot. His defense is ahead of his offensive skills at this point, so he’ll make an immediate impact on that end of the court. However, he’s made huge strides offensively and it won’t take long before he becomes a beast on both ends.

Wemby is so uniquely gifted that there’s no real NBA comparison. The closest we can come up with is he’s Kevin Durant on offense and Rudy Gobert on defense. That’s a scary combination.

Steph Curry calls Wembanyama a “cheat code.” He’s an ethereal talent that only exists in create-a-player mode on NBA2K.

“Right now, it’s Wembanyama and everyone else for the 2023 draft,” one NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “There’s always concern about someone so good so young, but it hasn’t gotten in the way of Wembanyama from getting better over the years. He’s the closest thing to a transcendent talent the draft has seen since probably Zion [Williamson], and even then the feelings throughout the league were much more mixed compared to where things stand right now with Wembanyama.”

Zion Williamson might not be an accurate comparison in terms of generational talent. Wembanyama is a much freakier athlete than Zion. He’s in the LeBron James category as far as hype and talent. And LeBron agrees.

“Everybody’s been a unicorn over the last few years, but he’s more like an alien,” James said of Wembanyama after seeing him play for the first time. “No one has ever seen anyone as tall as he is but as fluid and as graceful as he is out on the floor. His ability to put the ball on the floor, shoot step-back jumpers out of the post, catch-and-shoot threes, block shots.”

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Durant are also impressed — and worried.

“The league is really in trouble when he comes in,” Durant said.

Antetokounmpo warned his friend Serge Ibaka that the league better be ready because we’ve never seen anyone like Wembanyama.

“He’s taller than Rudy Gobert. He can block shots like Rudy, but he shoots like Kevin Durant. Bro, it’s crazy. And he has a good attitude,” Giannis added. “If he stays healthy, he’s going to be really good.”

The San Antonio Spurs won the NBA draft lottery and have the first selection. Head coach Gregg Popovich can’t turn in the draft card fast enough with Wembanyama’s name on it.

Here are OMFB’s top prospects in the 2023 NBA draft.

1-Victor Wembanyama, forward/center, Metropolitans 92
NBA comparison: Kevin Durant (but much taller)
Scouting report: Tons of NBA scouts witnessed Wembanyama go head-to-head against Chet Holmgren (the No. 2 overall pick in the 2022 NBA draft) at the 2021 FIBA U19 World Cup in Latvia. Holmgren was named tournament MVP for leading Team USA to a gold medal, but it was Wembanyama who put up eye-popping statistics. In the 83-81 loss to Team USA in the gold medal game, Wenbanyama scored 22 points, grabbed eight rebounds, and blocked eight shots. He established a FIBA tournament record for blocked shots (40), averaging 5.7 per game. The next best player, Holmgren, recorded 19 blocks in the same tournament. “Never have I ever seen Chet Holmgren overshadowed physically like he was last year whenever the two met,” an NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “He practically can and does do all that Chet can, but is three inches taller, probably shoots it better from three, may have a better feel as a passer and has a much better frame to develop than Chet.” Wembanyama put the entire basketball world on notice during two exhibition games in Henderson, Nevada, in October 2022. He averaged 36.5 points and 4.5 blocks in a pair of games against a G League Ignite team led by Scoot Henderson.

2-Scoot Henderson, guard, G League Ignite
NBA comparison: Russell Westbrook
Scouting report: Sterling “Scoot” Henderson was the top point guard and No. 7 overall prospect in the ESPN high school rankings prior to reclassifying. He averaged 32 points, seven rebounds, and sis assists per game as a high school junior and was named to the MaxPreps Junior All-America team. He turned down college basketball offers from Auburn and Georgia and decided to join the G League Ignite. The 6-2 guard averaged 14.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 4.9 assists, and shot 50% from the field in 10 games for the Ignite in 2021. Henderson, who turned 19 in February, inked a seven-figure, multi-year endorsement contract with Puma in 2022. Scoot combines speed, agility, and explosive vertical. He’s cut from the same cloth as the 2011 version of Derrick Rose when he was the NBA MVP and prime Russell Westbrook

3-Brandon Miller, forward, Alabama
NBA comparison: Paul George
Scouting report: Brandon Miller strolled into Tuscaloosa, Ala., with a ton of hype as a freshman. Miller not only lived up to the hype, he surpassed all expectations. Miller opened eyes when he dropped 36 points against Gonzaga, including six 3-pointers. The 6-9, 200-pound forward rolled that performance into the SEC as he became one of the best scorers in a deep and competitive conference full of pro prospects. He averaged 19 points per game while shooting 46% from the 3-point line. His ability to get hot from the 3-point line makes him a very intriguing pro prospect. His game and build is comparable to NBA star Paul George. If he’s anything close to PG13, Miller will be a valuable building block for any lottery team.

4-Amen Thompson, guard, Overtime Elite
NBA comparison: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Scouting report: Amen is one half of the talented Thompson Twins. Amen is pegged more of a playmaker than his twin brother, Ausar, but has the ability to play both point and shooting guard. Amen still needs some work on his shooting, but his athleticism for a 6-7 guard is already NBA level. Amen attended Pine Crest School in Florida with his brother. Instead of opting to play college basketball, the Thompsons signed with the Overtime Elite where they’ve been honing their craft for the past year. “Both Ausar and I know we’re not going to be able to get to the rim easily in the league, so we’ve been very intentional this last year working on our floater, working on our pull-up jumper off the dribble, getting more comfortable in those areas,” Amen told Yahoo Sports. “I try to implement it in game situations too just to develop that habit.”

5-Ausar Thompson, guard, Overtime Elite
NBA comparison: Jaylen Brown
Scouting report: Speaking of Amen’s twin brother, Ausar Thompson has a skillset coveted by most NBA teams: An explosive athlete who can defend his position. Ausar plays more of a 2 than a 1, and could develop into an outstanding two-way player. He has the length and athleticism (listed at 6-7) to be a terrific perimeter defender. Offensively, Ausar still needs to develop a consistent outside shot. He tends to shoot his jump shot on the way up, but with proper training and coaching he can easily fix it. He averaged 17 points, eight rebounds and five assists per game in the Overtime Elite league. While his twin Amen is more comfortable as a primary ball handler, Ausar feels more at home as an off-the-ball scorer. “Amen is more on-ball, ball-dominant, like a point and I’m more comfortable coming off the wing,” Ausar told Yahoo Sports. “I can run the point, but I feel like I can create more for myself and teammates off the wing.”

6-Cam Whitmore, forward, Villanova
NBA comparison: Jimmy Butler
Scouting report: Cam Whitmore is your typical Villanova player. He’s physical and tough, and fundamentally sound in all areas. Whitmore already possesses an NBA-type frame (6-7, 235) and has the potential to be a prolific three-level scorer with his shooting range and ability to get to the rim off the dribble. A thumb injury slowed down his progress at Villanova, but once he recovered from his injury he hit the ground running in the Big East. Even though Whitmore didn’t an opportunity to play for Jay Wright at Villanova, he is cut from the same cloth as past ‘Nova standouts who played for Wright. Former Wildcats Kyle Lowry, Josh Hart, and Jalen Brunson all found great success at the pro level, and Whitmore should follow in their footsteps.

7-Dereck Lively, center, Duke
NBA comparison: Tyson Chandler
Scouting report: Lively had huge expectations when he arrived at Duke as the No. 1 high school prospect in the country. But those expectations fell short for various reasons. Lively came off the bench during the early part of the season for first-year Duke coach Jon Scheyer and struggled to find consistent playing time. But something clicked somewhere in the middle the season for 7-foot-1 center, and once he figured out what Scheyer wanted him to be — which was a rim protector and rebounder on defense and lob threat on offense — he took off and became a force for the Blue Devils. Duke’s late-season run in the ACC and NCAA tournament was due in part to Lively’s improved play. His defense is what will earn him NBA minutes. He plays similarly to Jarrett Allen. Both are excellent shot blockers and lob threats at the rim. Lively is projected to go somewhere in the middle or late in the first round. But if a team needs a shot-blocking big who can switch pick-and-rolls, Lively is a helluva prospect worth taking a hard look.

8-Gradey Dick, guard-forward, Kansas
NBA comparison: Kevin Huerter
Scouting report: The 19-year-old wing enters the NBA armed with professional 3-point shooting touch. This skill set alone is enough to get him drafted in the top 10. He finished second on the team with 14.1 points per game while hitting 40.3% of his 3-pointers on 5.7 attempts per game. He made at least one 3-ball in 33 of 36 games. But during his one season with the Kansas Jayhawks, Dick showed he’s not a one-dimensional player and is more than capable of holding his own on the defensive end. At 6-8 with good mobility, Dick can defend multiple positions and won’t be exposed on pick-and-roll switches. He was rated as the Jayhawks’ second-best defender and most efficient player. If he’s anything close to Kevin Huerter, you got yourself a superb wing player who can space the court with his 3-point accuracy.

9-Keyonte George, guard, Baylor
NBA comparison: Darius Garland
Scouting report: Keyonte was the Big 12 freshman of the year, averaging 15.3 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.8 assists for the Bears, who finished 23-11 and lost in the second round of the NCAA tournament. He was part of a three-guard attack for Baylor that also featured Adam Flagler and LJ Cryer. George is talented three-level scorer with a special ability to get draw fouls and get to the free-throw line (averaged 5.5 FTA). He has good size for a shooting guard (6-4) and can create his own shot, especially late in the clock which is a must-have skill for an NBA guard. Even though George posted decent numbers in his lone season at Baylor, he had some glaring flaws. He had a tendency to be loose with the ball (2.9 turnovers) and his 3-point shot still needs improvement (33%). If the NBA comparison is Darius Garland, then George could be one of the best combo guards in the Association.

10-Jaime Jaquez Jr., forward, UCLA
NBA comparison: Alex Caruso
Scouting report: Jaquez, 22, is one of the older players in the draft, having played four years at UCLA. But Jaquez’s age and time spent in college shouldn’t be seen as a negative. There’s a lot of positives with the 6-7 versatile swingman. He plays at a controlled pace on offense and is a very rugged defender, who can match up with guards and forwards. He may not have the shooting range of some of the top prospects in the draft, but he’s getting better. He’s crafty enough to get his own shot with an array of pump fakes and nifty footwork. Jaquez was a decorated player at UCLA. He was the Pac-12 player of the year in 2023 and made second-team All-American. He was an integral part of Mick Cronin’s UCLA Final Four squad in 2021. In short, Jaquez is a winner. He is a plug-and-play type of player who can immediately be a part of a rotation. He has above-average ball handling skills as a forward and has good positional size and agility to be a solid defender. Alex Caruso is a close comparison, but Jaquez has a much higher ceiling.

Italy, Poland, and Germany pulled off three massive shockers in the FIBA EuroBasket 2022, ending the phenomenal tournament runs of arguably the three best players in the world.

All-NBA first-teamers Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Giannis Antetokounmpo put up impressive games throughout EuroBasket 2022, but their individual greatness were not enough to carry their nations to the finish line.

Poland, which doesn’t have a single current NBA player on its roster, upset defending EuroBasket champion Slovenia, 90-87, in the quarterfinals. Slovenia tried to make a late push but the comeback attempt fell short when Doncic fouled out with 3:02 left in the fourth quarter. The Dallas Mavericks All-Star point guard finished with 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting from the field, 11 rebounds, and seven assists.

Doncic needed an injection to get through the game and has been dealing with injuries throughout the tournament. But he told the Associated Press that injuries wasn’t the reason for his subpar game. “I played terrible,” Doncic said. “I let my team down. I let the whole country who was supporting us down. I’ve got to look at this game and be better.”

Poland built a 23-point lead in the second quarter and led 58-39 at halftime. Slovenia made a big push in the third quarter to get to within one point. But Poland regained control and outscored Slovenia 21-7 during a crucial stretch in the fourth quarter and held on for the win.

Italy’s big stunner came at the start of the knockout stage when it eliminated top-seeded Serbia — led by two-time NBA MVP Jokic — in the round of 16. Italy defeated Serbia 94-86 despite a 32-point, 13-rebound game from Jokic. The Italians also pulled off the upset without their head coach Gianmarco Pozzecco, who was ejected in the third quarter and went out in style with one of the more spirited exits you will ever see.

Serbia took an 11-point lead in the first quarter and pushed it to 14 points in the second quarter. But Italy came storming back and trimmed it to 61-57 with under 5 minutes left in the third quarter when Pozzecco left the court in tears after being ejected from the game with a second technical foul. The ejection ignited the Italians as they opened the fourth quarter with a 16-2 run to take an 82-70 lead and Serbia were unable to regain the momentum.

Italy’s miracle tournament run ended in the quarterfinals, losing to France 93-85. Minnesota Timberwolves center Rudy Gobert led the way for France as he put up 19 points and 14 rebounds.

The Greek Freak’s time in EuroBasket ended in the quarterfinals. Greece fell to Germany 107-96 in Berlin. Antetokounmpo was ejected in the fourth quarter after being assessed with two unsportsmanlike fouls. The second unsportsmanlike foul occurred with just under five minutes remaining and Greece trailing by 14 points. The two-time NBA MVP and 2021 NBA champion hit Germany’s Daniel Theis (Boston Celtics) in the face as he wildly attempted to swipe a rebound. Giannis finished with 31 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals in 30 minutes. Former L.A. Lakers guard Dennis Schroder led Germany with 26 points and eight assists.

There were some interesting matchups throughout pool competition.

New Orleans Pelicans center Jonas Valanciunas and Sacramento Kings power forward Domantas Sabonis led Lithuania to an 87-70 win over Bosnia and Herzegovina, which was anchored by Jusuf Nurkic (Portland Trail Blazers). But the best pool-play matchup was between France and Slovenia. Doncic put on a show as he lifted Slovenia to an 88-82 over a stacked French national team, which featured three-time NBA defensive player of the year Gobert and New York Knicks guard Evan Fournier. Doncic dropped in 47 points, had seven rebounds and five assists. It was the most points scored in a single EuroBasket game in the last 65 years and the second-highest scoring game in the event’s history.

Serbia dominated its competition in Group D, which included some lightweights in the form of the Czech Republic, Finland, Israel, Netherlands, and Poland. Serbia went 5-0 and was barely tested in each pool play game winning by an average margin of 21 points. Jokic was his usual dominant self, averaging 19.6 points, 9.4 rebounds and 4.4 assists in just 24 minutes per game.

Spain was the lone pool-play winner that advanced to the semifinals. The Spaniards defeated Finland 100-90 in the quarterfinals. Spain, ranked No. 2 in the FIBA world rankings, is loaded with international veterans, including Juancho Hernangomez (Toronto Raptors), Willy Hernangomez (New Orleans Pelicans), Rudy Fernandez (Real Madrid).

Newly acquired Utah Jazz forward Lauri Markkanen paced Finland with a game-high 28 points. The 7-foot forward also grabbed 11 rebounds and had two steals. Willy Hernangomez led the way for Spain with 27 points shooting 10-of-13 from the field and 7-of-8 from the free throw line.

Juancho Hernangomez saved his best performance in the gold medal game as his 27 points powered Spain past France 88-76. Juancho’s brother, Willy, was named EuroBasket MVP.

Memo to rebuilding NBA franchises. When evaluating LaMelo Ball, let your eyes dictate. Ignore the noise.

If you’re an NBA scout or executive, don’t judge LaMelo because of what you’ve read or heard about him. Don’t let your disdain for his outspoken father, LaVar Ball, influence your decision.  Don’t listen to the noise from pundits on TV or internet trolls. Watch him play and ask yourself this question, “Is LaMelo Ball the best prospect in the 2020 NBA draft?” The answer is a resounding “yes.”

The young man is a star in the making. He has more followers on Instagram than Zion Williamson. He brings a boatload of buzz to any arena that he plays in (if the coronavirus pandemic allows fans back in arenas). And based on his experiences on his family’s reality TV show “Ball in the Family” on Facebook Watch, he’s extremely comfortable being in the spotlight.

LaMelo is a 6-foot-7, 181-pound combo guard armed with unlimited shooting range and a handle that’ll make any Harlem Globetrotter salivate. Speaking of globetrotting, LaMelo — who turned 19 in August — is well traveled. His basketball odyssey has been anything but ordinary.

After just two seasons in high school, LaVar pulled him out of Chino Hills and placed him in a professional league in Lithuania. He took another detour and played in his father’s Junior Basketball Association (JBA). After contemplating another trip overseas, he decided to stay in the States and enrolled at SPIRE Institute in Ohio where he played for Jermaine Jackson, who later became his manager. LaMelo’s last pre-NBA stop was New Zealand where he played 12 games for the Illawarra Hawks, averaging 17 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.

LaMelo’s upbringing on the basketball court is unlike any before him, making it near impossible to compare him to even his own brother, former L.A. Lakers No. 2 overall pick and current starting New Orleans Pelicans point guard Lonzo Ball. But LaVar is convinced his youngest son is the best of all the Ball boys.

“Definitely Melo’s better than Lonzo at this age, on the fact that the people that Melo [was] playing against at 16 were not the same people Lonzo was playing at 16, 17,” LaVar said during an interview with Fox Sports Australia.

“I took Melo out of high school, so he’s not studying chemistry tests and social studies and all that,” LaVar said. “You’re practicing 24/7. All you’re doing is working on basketball… so you’re not playing regular high school guys, where Gelo and Zo played the high school route. That’s why Melo is so much better, because he’s got so much more experience, because I learned. This is a better road right here, if we do this. That’s why he’s prepared to come over here and be successful playing against grown men, because he already did that.”

OneManFastBreak.net breaks down the eight best players eligible for the 2020 NBA draft.

1-LaMelo Ball, G, Illawarra Hawks (New Zealand)
NBA comparison: Lonzo Ball
Scouting report: LaMelo Ball’s size allows him to play both guard positions, but he’s most comfortable at point where he can control the game. Does he shoot too much? Yes. Does he take bad shots? Yes. But with the proper coaching and right system, you can reel him in. He’s a much better shooter than big brother Lonzo and far superior athlete than other big bro LiAngelo. Melo is a gifted scorer who can score on all three levels. He can shoot the 3-ball, pull up at midrange and can finish at the rim with either hand. His creativity with the ball is comparable to Lonzo, but Lonzo has the huge edge over Melo on defense. Melo tends to drift and lose focus defensively. He’s so anxious to get the ball back on offense, he takes too many chances and gambles way too often. But at 6-7 and the potential to fill out to close to 200 pounds as his body matures, Melo’s defensive deficiencies can be fixed.

2-Anthony Edwards, G, Georgia
NBA comparison: Victor Oladipo
Scouting report: Anthony Edwards is a 6-5, 225-pound beastly shooting guard who can get buckets. He’s what most scouts would call a professional scorer. He reminds some scouts of a bigger version of Indiana Pacers guard Victor Oladipo. Interestingly enough, Edwards played college ball for coach Tom Crean, who coached Oladipo when he was at the University of Indiana. Edwards can score in a variety of ways, but he’s most effective shooting off the dribble from midrange or behind the 3-point line. The 19-year-old averaged 19 points per game for a 16-16 Bulldogs squad that finished next-to-last in the SEC. It tells you he made and took a lot of shots on a bad team. The big red flag on Edwards’ resume is that he shot only 29 percent from 3-point range in college. But Crean warns scouts that “you’re going to miss a lot” if you’re purely judging Edwards by his shooting numbers.

3-Obi Toppin, F, Dayton
NBA comparison: Amar’e Stoudemire
Scouting report: Obi One is a late bloomer. It took a couple of years for the basketball community to take notice, but he’s got everyone’s attention now. He dominated at the mid-major level, leading Dayton to a 29-2 record and 18-0 in conference. If the COVID-19 pandemic didn’t cancel the NCAA tournament, Toppin and Dayton would have been a Final Four favorite. The 6-9 forward was the consensus national player of the year in college basketball, winning the Naismith and Wooden awards. He’s fundamentally sound, understands spacing and operates well in pick-and-roll and pick-and-pop situations. Toppin is a smooth, versatile athlete who can play out in the wing or play a traditional power forward. He is compared to former Phoenix Suns star Amar’e Stoudemire for the way he dunks. If there’s one knock on him is that he’s 22 and may have already hit his ceiling. But who needs a ceiling if you can dunk like Obi One.

4-James Wiseman, F-C, Memphis
NBA comparison: Chris Bosh
Scouting report: James Wiseman is a tough one to evaluate since he only played three games at Memphis before shutting it down following an ugly eligibility battle with the NCAA. Wiseman, 19, has immense potential and has all the physical tools to be a dominant center. He has a great frame with long arms and excellent agility. He runs the floor well and is a high-level athlete for a 7-footer. What worries some teams is his lack of aggression. He can get pushed around, which is bad news if he’s going to play center full time. He’ll need to fill out more (listed at 235 pounds) and develop some upper body and lower body strength. He also relies a little too much on his left hand, but that appears to be the case for most lefties (look up James Harden, Lamar Odom, Manu Ginobili). Wiseman may have some black marks on his basketball resume, but the talent is undeniable. He can potentially be a 20-and-10 guy at the pro level and fit in any system.

5-Onyeka Okongwu, F-C, USC
NBA comparison: Serge Ibaka
Scouting report: Onyeka Okongwu was LaMelo Ball’s high school teammate for two seasons at Chino Hills, and a member of two California high school state championship teams. The two-time California high school player of the year has all the physical tools to be very good pro. The 6-9, 235-pound forward-center is blessed with soft hands, which enables him to catch seemingly every lob pass you throw to him near the rim. He’s also an outstanding shot blocker who can anchor a defense. Okongwu, 19, was one of the few brights on a disappointing season for the USC Trojans. His defense is ahead of his offense at this stage of the game but his offense is quickly catching up. He was mainly a roll guy in Andy Enfield’s scheme at USC, but he’s capable of facing up or playing with his back to the basket. Having played with the Ball brothers in high school, Okongwu is very comfortable on the big stage.

6-Deni Avdija, G-F, Maccabi Tel Aviv (Israel)
NBA comparison: Detlef Schrempf
Scouting report: Deni Avdija was once one of the best kept secrets in the draft, but the cat is out of the bag now. NBA execs are well aware of his talent and potential. The 19-year-old prodigy has been playing professionally for three years in the Euroleague for Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv. The 6-8 wing player has an intriguing skill set. He plays an all-around game with a deadly 3-point stroke. He is comfortable handling the ball or playing off the ball. He shoots with confidence and can put the ball on the deck if you run at him. What makes him different than most European players is he’s got a little bounce to his game and can finish strong at the rim. He’s got a great feel for the game, something he picked up from his father, Zufer, who also played professionally in Europe. Avdija is poised to become only the third Israeli to play in the NBA, after Omri Casspi and Gal Mekel. If a team is willing to roll the dice, Deni could be the steal of the draft.

7-Isaiah Stewart, F-C, Washington
NBA comparison: Montrezl Harrell
Scouting report: When you see Isaiah Stewart you see an imposing player who looks like he’s been living inside a weight room. He’s a rugged player who has an NBA-ready body. He’s Dwight Howard without the hops. He’s not a fluid athlete, a bit herky-jerky at times, but he brings a lunch-pail mentality to the table. Stewart averaged 17 points, 8.8 rebounds, 2.1 blocks, and shot 59 percent in his one season at Washington. He uses his 6-9, 250-pound frame very well and doesn’t shy away from contact. He compares favorably to super sub Montrezl Harrell. Stewart isn’t a polished player on offense, but he makes up for it with energy and effort. He has a high motor and loves to compete. He arguably outplayed his competition in high-profile matchups against top 2020 prospects James Wiseman, Onyeka Okongwu and Zeke Nnaji. “I feel like I am someone who can play in an NBA game tomorrow physically,” Stewart told ESPN.

8-Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
NBA comparison: Andre Miller
Scouting report: Haliburton was difficult to evaluate because he’s so unique. The closest NBA comp was Andre Miller. Miller played 17 years in the NBA for various teams. He didn’t wow you with anything he did on the court. He was solid and consistent. That’s Haliburton in a nutshell. Tyrese is not an explosive athlete. He plays a below-the-rim game and his shot looks … um … unorthodox. He shoots it on the way up and he doesn’t get much lift. It’s not the type of shooting form you teach young players. But it works for Haliburton. His sophomore season at Iowa State was cut short by a wrist injury, but he was still named second team All-Big 12 despite missing games.

Caption credit: LaMelo Ball played one season for the Illawarra Hawks in New Zealand. (Getty Images)

France’s Tony Parker drives on Spain’s Jose Calderon. (GETTY IMAGES)

The FIBA Basketball World Cup, known from 1950 until 2010 as the FIBA World Championship, is arguably the second-biggest sporting event behind the FIFA World Cup. And, based on all the stunning play during the qualifying rounds, the world can’t wait for #Spain2014.

Spain will host the first-ever FIBA World Cup a year from now and 20 teams have already punched their ticket, with only four spots open for wild-card teams. Here’s a look at the teams that will compete in Spain and where they currently rank in the world:

United States (ranked No. 1) — Team USA earned an automatic berth to the World Cup by winning the gold medal in the 2012 London Olympics. As usual, Team USA will be prohibitive favorites to win gold and it would be a monumental upset if they don’t. So far only Kevin Durant and Kevin Love had committed to playing in Spain 2014, but USA Basketball president Jerry Colangelo and head coach Mike Krzyzewski — who led the U.S. to a gold medal in the 2010 World Cup in Turkey — shouldn’t have a hard time filling the roster with some heavy, heavy hitters.

Spain (No. 2) — The Spaniards are the biggest threat to the U.S., and they will have an entire nation behind them. Injuries are a concern for head coach Sergio Rodriguez. Pau Gasol, the cornerstone of the program for a decade, is dealing with tendonitis on both knees and his status for the World Cup remains uncertain. Guard Ricky Rubio is coming ACL surgery and even though he came back to play in the 2013 EuroBasket he’s still not 100%. The good news for Spain is that Rudy Fernandez looks rejuvinated, and Marc Gasol seems to embrace the leadership role on offense and defense.

Argentina (No. 3) — Manu Ginobili and Pablo Prigioni are getting up in age, so the mantle has been passed to Luis Scola. The newest member of the NBA’s Indiana Pacers remains one of the best FIBA players, and his level of play hasn’t dipped one bit. Scola is one of the last links to the golden age of Argentine basketball, a decade that saw the team win a gold medal in the 2004 Athens Olympics, silver at the 2002 World Cup, and bronze at the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Argentina has a proud tradition, so don’t expect them to lay down in 2014.

Lithuania (No. 5) — The Lituanians boast one of the biggest, if not the biggest, team in international competition. They have four NBA-type centers on the roster: Darius Lavrinovic, Robertas Javtokas, Jonas Valanciunas (Toronto Raptors), and Dontas Motiejunas (Houston Rockets). The Raptors have high hopes for Valanciunas, and the 21-year-old is the present and future of Lithuania basketball. Teams that played against Lithuania have to expect a rough-and-tumble game, and you better have some size to combat their size. Linas Kleiza is the team’s best scorer, but he goes hot and cold. Point guard Mantas Kalnietis, who led Lithuania to a 2006 European U-20 Championship title, is the catalyst on offense and plays with a ton of confidence.

France (No. 8) — France heads into the World Cup on an emotional high after capturing the country’s first EuroBasket title. Given the number of NBA players on the national team and the amount of talent they possess, the French should be ranked much higher than eighth in the world. Half of the players on the squad are on NBA rosters, three of them on the San Antonio Spurs: Tony Parker (Spurs), Nando De Colo (Spurs), Boris Diaw (Spurs), Nic Batum (Portland Trail Blazers), Kevin Seraphin (Washington Wizards), Ronny Turiaf (L.A. Clippers). They have arguably the best point guard in the world (and that includes all NBA guards) in Parker, they have a superb small forward in Batum, and they have one of the most versatile big men in basketball in Diaw. On paper, France looks like a medal contender for Spain.

Australia (No. 10) — Andrew Bogut underway a procedure to clean out loose particles in his ankle so his status for the Australian national team is up in the air. If Bogut plays for the Aussies they could field a very competitive squad for Spain. Point guard Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs) seems to always play his best against quality competition. Maccabi Tel Aviv guard/forward Joe Ingles was Australia’s second-leading scorer behind Mills during the 2012 London Olympics. Three-time Euroleague champion David Andersen will be 34 in 2014, but he’ll bring plenty of international experience with him.

Serbia (No. 12) — Former New Jersey Nets and current CSKA Moscow center Nenad Krstic is the anchor on both ends of the floor. Krstic is the leading scorer and rebounder of the team, and even though he’s slowed a bit with age he still finds ways to score in the post or the baseline. His CSKA teammate Milos Teodosic, considered one of the best point guards in Europe, missed the 2013 EuroBasket tournament because of a calf injury but should be ready to go for the World Cup.

Slovenia (No. 14) — Goran Dragic holds the key for the Slovenians, as he’s the engine that drives the whole program. The team feeds off his energy, and when he’s able to get in the paint with his dribble penetration he can cause a lot of problems. Dragic was sensational during EuroBasket 2013, leading his country to a fifth-place finish and earning all-tournament honors. Dragic’s brother, Zoran, is a 6-5 shooting guard who plays in the Spanish League. Forward Bostjan Nachbar, a 2002 first-round pick by the Houston Rockets, is Slovenia’s second-best scorer.

Angola (No. 15) — Since becoming a FIBA member in 1979, the Angolans have built a very successful program that has dominated the African region. The team has captured 11 FIBA Africa tournament gold medals, including the 2013 championship. The Angolans have come a long way since getting elbowed by Charles Barkley and the 1992 Dream Team.

Croatia (No. 16) — Once a basketball power during the 1990s led by Drazen Petrovic and Toni Kukoc, Croatia has gone relatively quiet for a long time. Since winning a silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics and bronze at the 1994 World Cup in Toronto, Croatia hasn’t been much of a factor . . . until now. The team finished in the top four at 2013 EuroBasket for the first time in 18 years, and the resurgence is led by forward Bojan Bogdanovic, 7-footer Ante Tomic, and 19-year-old sensation Dario Saric. The 6-10 Saric, who is projected as a first-round pick in the 2014 NBA draft, has a terrific all-around game and makes good decisions with the ball. Roko Ukic, who had stints with the Raptors and Milwaukee Bucks, is a big guard (6-5) who can play either point or shooting guard, and naturalized player Dontaye Draper gives Croatia a quick, dynamic ballhandler and defender off the bench.

Puerto Rico (No. 17) — Guard play is very important at the FIBA level and Puerto Rico has two good ones in Carlos Arroyo and J.J. Barea. Arroyo had a long NBA career, playing for seven teams, while Barea currently plays for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Former New York Knicks and Denver Nuggets forward Renaldo Balkman provides the team with lots of energy and passion, and scores most of his points in transition. He now plays professionally in Puerto Rico with hopes of making it back to the NBA.

New Zealand (No. 18) — With half of the roster playing for the New Zealand Breakers, the Tall Blacks have a lot of familiarity and continuity. One newcomer to the squad is 20-year-old Jordan Ngatai, who will play college ball for Brigham Young University-Hawaii. Ngatai was called up to the senior national team after Jeremiah Trueman injured his foot. He impressed head coach Nenad Vucinic enough to earn a roster spot.

Iran (No. 20) — Behind 7-2 center Hamed Haddadi, the Iranians captured the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship held in Manila. In the finals against host nation Philippines, Haddadi took advantage of a Gilas Pilipinas team without starting center Marcus Douthit and completely took over the game. As long as the Phoenix Suns big man is on the court, the Iranians can compete against other Wold Cup teams but Haddadi will need help from his guards if Iran wishes to advance past some of the European, North and South American teams.

Dominican Republic (No. 27) — The most intriguing player for the Dominicans is 17-year-old Karl Towns. The 7-1 high phenom from St. Joseph High School in New Jersey made the squad as a 16-year-old last year and he’s still developing physically. Even though he was overmatched at the 2013 FIBA Americas tournament you could see the talent and potential. Towns will play next year for former Dominican coach John Calipari at the University of Kentucky. Calipari led the Dominicans to a bronze medal in the 2011 FIBA Americas tourney.

Mexico (No. 32) — The Mexicans pulled off a minor upset at the 2013 FIBA Americas tournament when they finished first, outlasting favorites Argentina, Dominican Republic, and Puerto Rico. Gustavo Ayon, who is under contract with the Atlanta Hawks, was named the FIBA Americas tournament most valuable player, scoring 20 points and grabbing 16 rebounds in the final against Puerto Rico. Former UCLA standout Lorenzo Mata may not be skilled offensively, but plays hard all the time.

South Korea (No. 33) — The Koreans finished third at the FIBA Asia championships in Manila, losing in the semifinals to Gilas Pilipinas but rebounded by beating Chinese Taipei. It will be the first time since 1998 that Korea will be participating at the World Cup of Basketball. Exciting young star Kim Mingoo led the team in scoring at FIBA Asia, including 27 against Gilas Pilipinas and 21 against Chinese Taipei.

Senegal (No. 37) — After finishing third in the FIBA Africa tournament, Senegal will make its first appearance at the World Cup since 2006. Charlotte Bobcats center DeSagana Diop is the most recognizable face on the squad, but he has not committed to the team for next year. Ten-year NBA veteran Mamadou N’Diaye played on Senegal’s 2006 World Cup squad, but he’ll be 39 next year so chances of him making a comeback are slim.

Philippines (No. 45) — Gilas Pilipinas earned its first World Cup berth since 1978 when the event was held in Manila. The Philippines has a rich basketball history, going back to the days of the great Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga when he led the country to a bronze medal at the 1954 World Cup in Brazil. Former Lakers forward Marcus Douthit leads the team in scoring and rebounding, but he missed the 2013 FIBA Asia final with a leg injury. His recovery is crucial to the Gilas Pilipinas’ success. Head coach Chot Reyes calls ultra-quick guard Jayson William as the best point guard in Asia. The team also relies heavily on the 3-point shooting of Jeff Chan and Ranidel De Ocampo.

Ukraine (No. 50) — If you see a Mike Fratello lookalike roaming the sidelines for Ukraine, that’s not an impostor. That’s the real Mike Fratello. The Czar of the Telestrator led Ukraine to a sixth-place finish at 2013 EuroBasket, helping the country earn their first World Cup berth. Fratello’s squad is spearheaded by another American, Eugene “Pooh” Jeter. Pooh Jeter is a naturalized Ukrainian player who played one season with the Sacramento Kings.

Egypt (No. 60) — Egypt scored a surprising second-place finish at the 2013 FIBA Africa tournament, but that should be the highlight of its run toward the World Cup. The last time Egypt was in the FIBA World Cup, Larry Johnson’s Grandmama commercials were running on TV.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Brazilian legend Oscar Schmidt is part of 12 new members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame. (GETTY IMAGES)

Basketball is arguably the second-most popular sport in the world, trailing only soccer. The number of foreign-born players in the NBA has risen dramatically since 1992 when the Dream Team took the sport into a different stratosphere.

One of the sport’s greatest international stars is Brazil’s Oscar Schmidt. Oscar is one of 12 new members of the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame, a class that includes Gary Payton, Bernard King, Jerry Tarkanian and Rick Pitino. Even though Oscar never played a minute in the NBA the Hall of Fame committee still acknowledged his greatness with his induction to hoops heaven in Springfield, Mass.

Where does Oscar rank among the all-time greats? OneManFastBreak.net compiled a list of the 10 greatest professional players who never played in the NBA. The list only includes pros and, as much as we would like to include playground legends such as Raymond Lewis, Earl “The Goat” Manigault, Joe Hammond and Pee Wee Kirkland, they don’t qualify because they never played professionally.

In no particular order, here are the 10 best player who never made it to the NBA:

Carlos “Caloy” Loyzaga
If you review the history of basketball in the Philippines, Loyzaga would take up 2-3 chapters. He was a two-time Olympian and considered one of the most dominant players in the world during the 1950s and ’60s. He almost single-handedly turned the Philippines into a basketball power. He led his squad to four consecutive Asian Games gold medals and two consecutive FIBA Asia Championships. Loyzaga’s finest moment came in the 1954 FIBA World Championship where he led the Philippines to a third-place finish and captured the bronze medal in the process. It is the best finish by an Asian country in the World Cup of Basketball. Loyzaga finished as the tournament’s third-best scorer with a 16.4 points-per-game average and named to the tournament’s All-Star Mythical Five selection. Loyzaga retired in 1964 following a distinguished 15-year career. He currently lives with his family in Australia, where he is also a citizen. He comes home to the Philippines every once in a while but generally stays out of the local spotlight.

Mu Tiezhu
Before Yao Ming there was Mu Tiezhu. Nicknamed the “Great Wall of China,” Mu stood 7-5 and could dunk a ball without jumping. He’s highly responsible for the development of basketball in China and Yao looked up to him. Mu was part of the Bayi basketball team that beat the NBA champions Washington Bullets twice in 1978. He would have been drafted in 1972, but no team would engage in talks with a player from communist China at the time. He died of a heart attack in Beijing in 2008. He was 59.

Juan Antonio San Epifanio Ruiz
The man known to his fans as “Epi” was a superb scorer with an outstanding work ethic. He is among the most beloved players in Barcelona history. He was chosen as one of the 50 greatest contributors to European club competitions in 2008. Epi joined Barcelona’s first team in 1977 and remained there for 18 straight seasons. He was widely considered one of the best players of the 1980s and became a Spanish basketball icon. He also played more games for the Spanish national team (239) than anyone in history, winning the silver medal at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles and a pair of Eurobasket medals (silver in 1983 and bronze in 1991). At the end of his legendary career, Epi became the first Barcelona player to have his jersey retired.

Allan Caidic
Caidic is probably the most cold-blooded shooter the Philippines has ever produced. The sharpshooting left-hander holds the record for most points scored in a Philippine Basketball Association game (79), most 3-point shots made in a game (17), most points in a half (53), and most points in a quarter (37). He did all this ion Nov. 21, 1991. Caidic wasn’t just the Philippines’ best 3-ball shooter. He was arguably the best shooter in Asia and one of the best to play for the Philippines internationally. He is a four-time veteran of the Asian Games (1986, 1990, 1994, 1998) and a two-time William Jones Cup champion (1985, 1998). Caidic gets the nod over PBA legends Robert Jaworski, Alvin Patrimonio, and Ramon Fernandez mainly because Caidic can fit and play in any system. Jaworski was brilliant as a point guard in the Philippines, but he would struggle against quicker pro point guards. Patrimonio and Fernandez were low-post players in the PBA, but against bigger and stronger forwards and centers they would be eaten alive. Caidic helped the Philippines capture titles in the Southeast Asian Games and FIBA Asia Championship in 1985. In 2010, at the age of 47, Caidic scored 54 points in an exhibition game that featured NBA superstars Glen Rice, Gary Payton, Mitch Richmond, and Chris Webber. Watch and marvel at his shooting prowess:

Marques Haynes
Haynes played with the famed Harlem Globetrotters from 1947-53. Many consider him as the premier ballhandler in the history of the game, influencing players such as Bob Cousy, Pete Maravich, and Fred “Curly” Neal (another Globetrotter). Haynes once turned down a $35,000 a year offer from the Philadelphia Warriors that would have made him the second-highest paid player in the NBA, to found his own barnstorming team, the Harlem Magicians. He kept playing with the Magicians until he was over 60 years old. Legend has it that he could dribble a ball six times in one second. He retired in 1992 after a 46-year professional career, and was inducted to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 1998.

Dimitris Diamantidis
This Greek legend is widely considered the best Euroleague point guard ever, ahead of Lithuanian icon Sarunas Jasikevicius. At 6 foot 5 Diamantidis could also play the shooting guard position, and played point-forward for the Greek national team. He played 39 of the 40 minutes in Greece’s monumental upset of the United States in the 2006 World Championship semifinal. That USA team had LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Carmelo Anthony. Diamantidis was a two-time Euroleague Final Four MVP and five-time MVP of the Greek league. He was Euroleague Defender of the Year six times and regarded as the best European perimeter defender of all time.

Dražen Dalipagić
Dalipagić was selected the best athlete of Yugoslavia in 1978, and one of the most decorated athletes in Yugoslavian history. He was named one of 50 greatest players in FIBA history in 1991. Dalipagić was enshrined into the Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in 2004. He was a member of the Yugoslavian national team that captured a gold medal in the 1978 FIBA World Championships in Manila. Two years later, Dalipagić and Yugoslavia won the gold medal in the 1980 Olympics in Moscow. He won a silver medal in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal and bronze at the 1984 Olympics in Los Angeles. He turned down NBA teams to keep on playing in his native country. He opened the door for other great Serbian and Croatian players such as Vlade Divac, Toni Kukoc, and Drazen Petrovic.

Dejan Bodiroga
This Serbian superstar was an all-around player who loved to take crucial shots and was amazing passer for a 6-9 forward. He was named the MVP of the FIBA World Championship in 1998 and four years later he was a key member of the Yugoslavian national team that knocked out the U.S. in the quarterfinals of the FIBA World Championships in Indianapolis. If you go back and look at footage of that game, Bodiroga repeatedly beat Ben Wallace — a four-time defensive player of the year in the NBA — off the dribble. Bodiroga ushered in the new century by lifting three Euroleague trophies with two different teams. He starred for the 2000 Euroleague champs of Panathinaikos and then was named MVP when the Greens won again in 2002. He went to Barcelona the next year and ended that club’s Euroleague title drought, repeating as Final Four MVP. Along the way, Bodiroga became the first player to win domestic titles in Spain, Italy and Greece, and added Saporta Cup and Korac Cup crowns.

Sergei Belov
The Russian legend was famous for scoring the game-winning basket in the infamous 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, a game that changed basketball forever. It was the first time the United States had lost in the Olympics and to this day Americans on that ’72 squad, including NBA legend Doug Collins, have yet to pick up their silver medals. Belov was Russia’s flag bearer at the 1980 Olympics and inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1992. He was named the best FIBA player ever in 1991, MVP of Euro Basket in 1969, World Cup MVP in 1970, and a three-time Euroleague MVP. Belov was a shutdown defender, fantastic ballhandler with great court awareness, and considered by many as the best Russian player ever.

Oscar Schmidt
Could Schmidt have played in the NBA? Absolutely. He is arguably one of the greatest shooters of all time and had the confidence to go with his incredible stroke. You don’t get the name “Mao Santa” a.k.a.”The Holy Hand” for nothing. The Brazilian legend played for 26 years (1974–2003) scoring a total of 49,703 points, about 11,000 more than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. He also scored the most points in Olympic history with 55 points against Spain in 1988. Oscar had plenty of chances to play in the NBA, but instead chose to stay an amateur so he would be eligible to play for the Brazilian national team. In the 1987 Pan-American Games against a U.S. squad that featured David Robinson, Danny Manning, Pervis Ellison and Dan Majerle, Oscar netted 46 points to lead Brazil to a 120-115 win and the gold medal. To get an idea on how good Oscar was during his prime years, just ask Kobe Bryant. While living in Italy with his dad Joe Bryant from 1984-91 Kobe saw Oscar dominate the Italian league, winning seven scoring titles. Kobe considers Oscar one of his basketball idols. “I grew up watching him play against my dad,” Bryant said. “I used to call him La Bomba. He has always been a legend that I respected.”

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Manu Ginobili is a three-time NBA champion. (GETTY IMAGES)

When Manu Ginobili ever decides to retire from the NBA, he’ll go down in basketball history as one of the greatest to play the game. He’s a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer who belongs on the Mt. Rushmore of international players who changed the NBA landscape, a short list that includes Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, and Tony Parker.

Ginobili is arguably one of the most popular players in the world, and only Pope Francis is more popular in his native country of Argentina. And even that is debatable.

But even the pope has some bad days, and Ginobili is a bit out of sync in the 2013 NBA Finals.

After a 13-point performance in Game 1, Ginobili has scored just 17 points in the last three games. He was 2-for-6 (five points) in Game 2, 3-for-7 (seven points) in Game 3, and 1-for-5 (five points) in Game 4. He also hasn’t hit a 3-point shot since Game 2.

So what’s wrong with Ginobili?

“If I knew I would have fixed it by now,” said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich.

Ginobili credits the Miami Heat’s aggressive defense as part of the reason for his struggles, but age and playoff mileage may be creeping up on him, too.

“Father Time is on his back,” TNT and NBA TV analyst Charles Barkley said. “He’s not even looking at the basket. I’ve never seen my man that passive.”

What makes Ginobili so special is his ability to create something out of nothing. He is a master of improvisation. It’s a unique skill only a handful of players in the NBA possess. He has shown flashes of it in the 2013 playoffs.

He did it earlier in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals against the Golden State Warriors, a game that could go down as one of the greatest playoff games in NBA history. Basketball superfan Jimmy Goldstein tweeted: “I have attended more than 4000 NBA games, but I just witnessed one of the greatest games that I have ever seen. #Spurs.”

Ginobili’s clutch 3-pointer from the wing with 1.2 seconds left in double overtime lifted the Spurs to a thrilling 129-127 victory over the Warriors despite 44 points from NBA phenom Stephen Curry.

Prior to his winning play, Ginobili had been 4-for-19 from the field and badly missed his last two 3-pointers. But his confidence never wavered. He’s stubborn enough to think that he can make a play no matter how poorly he’s playing. All the great closers possess this skill. Kobe Bryant has it and Michael Jordan had it.

The game-winning shot came 43.7 seconds after Ginobili took an ill-advised 3 that appeared to cost the Spurs the game.

”I went from wanting to trade him on the spot to wanting to cook breakfast for him tomorrow morning,” Popovich said. ”That’s the truth. When I talk to him and say, ‘Manu,’ he goes, ‘This is what I do.’ That’s what he’s going to tell me. I stopped coaching him a long time ago.”

Popovich doesn’t need to give a rah-rah speech to make the man who introduced the Euro Step to the NBA understand that he needs to play better. Ginobili is a proud individual with a heart of champion, and he always seems to find a way to impact the game.

“I wish I could score more. But it’s not happening. If the shot is not falling, I’ve got to be sharp feeding the bigs and finding the shooters. I don’t have to force the issue,” said Ginobili, who is in the final year of his contract and turns 36 this July. Even though he’d like to play one or two more years, this could be his last ride.

“All season long I kind of knew that I was going to play one or two more years,” he said. “But when you are 36 — I’m going to be 36 pretty soon — everything is a day-by-day basis. Once the season finishes and I see how I feel, I can’t imagine me not playing at least one more year here, but time will tell. We’ll see.”

Tony Parker and Tim Duncan know how important Ginobili is to their title hopes and they’re not about to give up on the man who helped them win championships in 2003, 2005, and 2007.

“He’s very angry at himself, very frustrated with himself,” Duncan said of Ginobili, who joined the Spurs in 2002 after a very successful run with Italian League power Kinder Bologna where he won the Euroleague title in 2001 and named MVP. Prior to Ginobili’s arrival in San Antonio, the Spurs had been bounced out of the playoffs by the L.A. Lakers in 2001 and 2002.

“I have a lot of confidence in Manu,” Parker said. “He came through for us all of these years. I have faith that he’ll have a big game. I trust him because I’ve been playing with him for a long time.”

Make no mistake about it, the Spurs will only go as far as Ginobili takes them. Duncan may be the heart and soul of the Spurs and Parker may be the team’s MVP, but Ginobili is the spark that ignites them to great heights. His value to the team can’t be measured by mere statistics. He is the ultimate X-factor that you can’t account for.

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Tony Parker and the Spurs claim the 2013 Western Conference finals trophy. (GETTY IMAGES)

Moments after dismantling the top-ranked defense in the NBA, Tony Parker walked into the interview room wearing a T-shirt that read “Best in the West.”

The shirt was a perfect fit for Parker and his Spurs. San Antonio is back in the NBA Finals for the fifth time in franchise history after sweeping the Memphis Grizzlies in the Western Conference finals.

Parker was the lead engineer of the total destruction of the Grizzlies’ once vaunted defense, ripping Memphis for 37 points in the series-clincher. In the two games in Memphis, Parker averaged 31.5 points and made 26 of his 43 shots from the field, a whopping 60 percent accuracy.

”He’s been amazing. Every year he gets better and better and better. He’s been carrying us,” first-team All-NBA center Tim Duncan said of his second-team All-NBA point guard, who is finally getting the recognition he richly deserves after 12 seasons in the Association.

”He was outstanding the whole series, and he controlled the series with his penetration,” Memphis coach Lionel Hollins said of Parker. ”He made shots, made plays. He was huge.”

For much of his 16-year NBA career, all with the Spurs, Duncan has been the main frame of arguably the model franchise of the league. But for the last two or three years, the offense has been turned over to Parker.

“I’ve said it a lot of times this year, he has played better than any point guard in the league,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of his 31-year-old star. “He got hurt, got a little unsteady for awhile from the ankle [injury]. Once we got in the playoffs he started returning to form.

“Making the All-NBA second team really was deserved, and he was moved by it. It meant a lot to him.”

The vote of confidence from Popovich was a huge deal for Parker, who admitted during the infancy stages of his soon-to-be Hall-of-Fame career that Popovich would grill him over and over about finding a balance between scoring on his own and creating shots for teammates. Now, it is no longer an issue. Parker has full command of the offense and Popovich has total confidence he’ll make the right call each time.

”He’s always trusting me and letting me grow as a point guard and calling plays. Before in my career I was always looking at him. Now I don’t look at him,” Parker said.

The turning point in the Popovich-Parker dynamic happened sometime after the 2011 European basketball championships in Lithuania. Parker led his native country France to a silver medal, the best finish of any French national team at EuroBasket.

During the tournament, Parker was nearly unstoppable. He was driving, hitting jumpers, setting up teammates, and running circles around the other top European point guards. Popovich watched Parker dominate the competition and played with so much freedom. When Parker returned to San Antonio, Popovich told him he wanted to see the Tony Parker from the 2011 EuroBasket. Popovich had the foresight that in order for the Spurs to evolve and keep up with some of the younger teams in the league he needed Parker to call his own shots, push the pace to his liking, and play without any restrictions.

Once Popovich gave the keys to Parker, the Spurs busted out of their conservative shell and became more dynamic. They went from driving a Cadillac to driving a Ferrari, with Parker holding the steering wheel.

Despite all of his accomplishments, including winning the 2007 NBA Finals MVP and owning three NBA titles, Parker is rarely mentioned when basketball experts talk about the five best point guards in the NBA. But Parker is OK with that.

“For me I’ve been in San Antonio for so long I don’t really pay attention to top-five point guards,” Parker said. “They always forget about me anyways. It doesn’t matter to me anymore, seriously. I just play for the city of San Antonio, for the Spurs and all our fans, Coach Pop, my teammates. That’s what keeps me going.”

Joel Huerto is the editor and publisher of OneManFastBreak.net. Follow him on Twitter @onemanfastbreak.

Olympiakos’ Kostas Sloukas is defended by Real Madrid’s Sergio Rodriguez in the 2013 Euroleague final in London. (GETTY IMAGES)

Led by Euroleague MVP Vassilis Spanoulis, Olympiakos Piraeus used a dominant second half to defeat Real Madrid, 100-88, to capture Europe’s premier basketball trophy for the second year in a row.

The game was a stark contrast to last year’s final when it took a game-winning shot from Georgios Printezis at the buzzer to overcome heavily favored CSKA Moscow. Olympiakos became the first team to win back-to-back Euroleague titles since Maccabi Tel Aviv won in 2004 and 2005.

Spanoulis, who once played for the Houston Rockets and one of the stars on the Greek national team, dominated the second half. He shot five 3-pointers and notched four assists. He was voted the Final Four’s most valuable player for the third time and finished with a game-high 22 points.

“It has been a very difficult year – you know our budget,” Spanoulis told Reuters. “Our backs have been against the wall many times, but we have stayed together and fought back each time.”

Greece has been stuck in an economic rut, so the victory was a much-needed one. Inspired by a vocal following who made the trip to London’s O2 Arena, Olympiacos battled back from 27-10 down after the first quarter to take the lead early in the second half. They rarely looked threatened, scoring 39 points in the fourth quarter to clinch their third Euroleague title.

“[Madrid] scored some incredible shots in the first quarter, but we put a stop to that and started rebounding offensively, and I think that was the key to success in the end,” said Olympiakos forward Pero Antic.

After defeating CSKA in the semifinals, the Greeks used their trademark defense against Real Madrid, holding the eight-time Euro champions t0 14 points in the second quarter and 20 in the third. Kyle Hines and Pero overpowered the Spanish forwards inside.

Former Portland Trail Blazers guard and Spanish national team star Rudy Fernandez led Real Madrid with 21 points. His teammate’s on Spain’s nation team, Sergio Rodriguez and Sergio Llull, scored 17 and 14 points respectively. Madrid lost its first Euro final since 1995 when it fell to KK Cibona in Zaragoza, Spain.

“Spanoulis’ three-pointers changed the game’s rhythm while we were still working to get back into the game, but in the end they were able to control the (lead),” said Real coach Pablo Laso.

Reuters contributed to this report.