That is how the FIBA World Cup local organizing committee (LOC) is treating the next three months before the big show starts on August 25 at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

“We’re at around 80%,” said deputy event director Erika Dy during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday, June 13.

“It all boils down to execution. It will be a matter of following through with the plans that we have laid [down],” she added.

According to Dy, the LOC will be hosting a test run by following the FIBA-mandated play times at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum and the Mall of Asia Arena, the two main venues in the country.

On June 27 and 28, they will stage games starting at 4 pm and 8 pm on the first day, and 4:45 pm and 8:30 pm on the second.

Both dates will feature NCAA and UAAP teams, who will be brought from their respective accommodations to the playing venues, and vice versa.

“Transportation simulation will also be done, which means all plans have been laid out, it’s just a matter of the execution process,” said Dy.

John Lucas, joint management committee head, has continued to push for a package deal for fans who may have been turned off by the exorbitant ticket prices.

He added that there is something special in store for the attendees of the Gilas Pilipinas-Dominican Republic game on August 25 in Bocaue.

“There will be an opening ceremony as well as halftime shows. As soon as we confirm the celebrities that will appear in the opening show, we will announce it,” said Lucas.

Alongside the Philippines-Dominican Republic tiff will be Angola facing Italy in the first game of the double-header event.

A total of 16 teams, including Gilas, Serbia, Greece, Italy, and Lithuania, will be playing in Manila in the group stage, with the successful teams from Okinawa, Japan, and Jakarta, Indonesia, heading to the Philippines for the playoffs.

Malacañang directed the interior, transportation, tourism, and health departments to help in the hosting, along with the Philippine National Police.

Two meetings have been staged, according to Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) Chairman Richard Bachmann, incidentally the former LOC head prior to his appointment by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

The PSC is the official caretaker of the P1-billion fund allocated by the government for the FIBA World Cup hosting.

The commission’s two venues – the Ninoy Aquino Stadium at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex and the PhilSports Arena in Pasig City – will serve as practice sites.

Meanwhile, hotel rooms will be assigned to players individually instead of in pairs for the first time ever, with billeting already identified.

The FIBA World Cup, last hosted by the Philippines in 1978, will be held from August 25 to September 10 and will be co-hosted by Japan and Indonesia. – Rappler.com

Known as “The Big Difference,” Loyzaga was named a member of the All-Tournament Team in the 1954 FIBA World Championship, where the Philippines finished with a bronze medal.

He was also a four-time Asian Games champion with the national team and was a two-time Asian Basketball Confederation Champion, a tournament now known as the FIBA Asia Cup.

Loyzaga was an eight-time champion in the PBA’s predecessor league, the Manila Industrial and Commercial Athletic Association (MICAA), and even had a streak of seven straight titles from 1954 to 1960 with the YCO Athletic Club Painters.

He joins other basketball pillars like Chinese icon and Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Yao Ming, Brazilian legend and FIBA 50 Greatest Players member Wlamir Marques, and three-time WNBA champion Penny Taylor.

Loyzaga, who passed away in 2016 at the age of 85, will be posthumously honored in Manila on August 23, shortly before the Philippines formally kicks off its joint hosting of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Other 2023 FIBA Hall of Fame inductees include Angelo Monteiro dos Santos Victoriano of Angola, Zurab Sakandelidze of Georgia, Liem Tjien Siong of Indonesia, Yuko Oga of Japan, Katrina McClain of the USA, Amaya Valdemoro of Spain, Valerie Garnier of France, and Alessandro Gamba of Italy.

Loyzaga is the second Filipino to get the prestigious award after basketball and football coach Dionisio “Chito” Calvo in 2007. – Rappler.com

Dirk Nowitzki still grapples to answer that question after being showered with love and admiration by Filipino hoop fans as he visited the Philippines for the first time as part of the FIBA delegation for the World Cup draw.

“I knew the Philippines loved their basketball but I didn’t know it was this crazy,” said the Dallas Mavericks legend, who is now a member of the FIBA Central Board.

“Everybody loves hoops, loves the Mavericks, loves the NBA. It means a lot.”

China icon Yao Ming and Argentina great Luis Scola also attended the draw on Saturday, April 29, at the Araneta Coliseum, but the German star drew the loudest cheers.

Nowitzki returned the favor as he gamely took photos with fans and accommodated their requests for autographs.

Overall, it was an “amazing” trip for the former NBA MVP, who also found time to go around Tagaytay and meet President Bongbong Marcos throughout his short stay.

“It’s been humbling to see. It’s my first time ever here, but people have followed my career from that far away without ever getting to see a game,” said Nowitzki.

“This is really special.”

Aside from being a FIBA Central Board member, Nowitzki – who headlines the 2023 class that will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame this August – also serves as the chairman of the FIBA Players’ Commission. – Rappler.com

Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Domantas Sabonis are expected to see action in the Philippines after their teams got drawn in Groups A to D, which will play at the Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena.

Jokic, a two-time NBA MVP with the Denver Nuggets, banners Serbia as it locks horns with China, Puerto Rico, and South Sudan in Group B.

Aside from Jokic, Serbia boasts of a bevy of NBA players, including Boban Marjanovic of the Houston Rockets, Bogdan Bogdanovic of the Atlanta Hawks, and Aleksej Pokusevski of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

South Sudan has Bol Bol (Orlando Magic) and Wenyen Gabriel (Los Angeles Lakers), Puerto Rico has Jose Alvarado (New Orleans Pelicans), while China reportedly plans to naturalize Kyle Anderson (Minnesota Timberwolves).

Group C is where the bulk of NBA stars are.

Seeking to recapture its throne after settling for seventh in the last World Cup, Team USA is out to parade a formidable crew made up of NBA standouts as it clashes with Greece, Jordan, and New Zealand in Group C.

In its latest show of force when it won gold in the Tokyo Olympics, the United States paraded the likes of Tatum (Boston Celtics), Kevin Durant and Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns), and Damian Lillard (Portland Trail Blazers).

There is also hope that Golden State guard Steph Curry will suit up since Warriors head coach Steve Kerr will call the shots for Team USA, with Monty Williams (Suns) and Erik Spoelstra (Miami Heat) serving as his assistants.

Going up against Team USA is a Greece squad set to be headlined by two-time NBA MVP Giannis and his brother Thanasis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks.

“It’s always the same kind of guys, the NBA superstars if they all come, Luka (Doncic), Giannis, Jokic. They all played at the EuroBasket last year which talent-wise was an amazing tournament and turnout (by fans),” said Dallas Mavericks and Germany legend Dirk Nowitzki said in a story on the FIBA site.

“Hopefully we’ll have the same here at the World Cup, basketball on the highest level. We’ll see who the US team brings. You never know. We’ll see who’s available, who is healthy, but to me, they will always be the favorite, no matter who they have because of the talent pool they have. It’ll be fun to watch.”

New Zealand has one NBA player in Steven Adams (Memphis Grizzlies), although he has not played in a FIBA event in more than a decade.

Likely to be reinforced by Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson, Gilas Pilipinas is also on a collision course with NBA stalwarts in Group A against Italy, Dominican Republic, and Angola.

If the stars align, Dominican Republic will have a deadly Big Three composed of Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves), Al Horford (Boston Celtics), and Chris Duarte (Indiana Pacers).

Meanwhile, Italy has its fingers crossed that reigning NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero of the Magic will commit to play in the World Cup and team up with Danilo Gallinari (Celtics) and Simone Fontecchio (Jazz).

Angola is also represented in the NBA through Bruno Fernando of the Atlanta Hawks.

Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings and Jonas Valanciunas of the Pelicans are expected to show the way for Lithuania in Group D against Egypt, Mexico, and Montenegro.

Mexico hopes to have Juan Toscano-Anderson of the Jazz, while Montenegro eyes Nikola Vucevic of the Chicago Bulls to be its main man.

Groups A and B will duke it out at the Araneta Coliseum and Groups C and D will play their games at the Mall of Asia Arena.

Japan will host Group E (Germany, Finland, Australia, and Japan) and Group F (Slovenia, Cape Verde, Georgia, and Venezuela), while Indonesia will host Group G (Iran, Spain, Ivory Coast, and Brazil) and Group H (Canada, Latvia, Lebanon, and France).

The World Cup will come off the wraps on August 29 and run until September 10.

– Rappler.com

Basketball icons Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming, and Luis Scola will grace the event at the Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, April 29, as the groupings for the 32 participating nations will be determined.

Germany’s Nowitzki and Argentina’s Scola arrived in the country on Thursday, April 27, while Yao landed on Friday, April 28.

The three all left a mark in the NBA and in the international scene.

A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, Nowitzki powered Germany to a bronze-medal finish in the 2002 World Cup, where he also emerged as the tournament MVP.

Nowitzki retired in 2019, ending his illustrious career as arguably the greatest Dallas Mavericks player in franchise history after guiding the team to its first and only championship in 2011.

Scola led Argentina to great heights, including a rousing gold-medal triumph in the Olympics and a pair of runner-up finishes in the World Cup.

With Scola – who shone in the NBA during his time with Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns – in tow, Argentina shocked the world by ruling the 2004 Games and snagged silver in the 2002 and 2019 World Cups.

Meanwhile, Yao turned China into a competitive team during the peak of his powers, which also saw him make an All-NBA Team five times throughout his eight-season stint with the Rockets.

The 7-foot-6 giant anchored China to back-to-back quarterfinal appearances in the 2004 and 2008 Olympics – its highest finish in Games history.

Now the president of the Chinese Basketball Association, Yao also earned the Top Scorer honors in the 2006 World Cup.

More hoop stars in the form of Team USA legend Carmelo Anthony and Spain great Pau Gasol, who serve as World Cup ambassadors together with Scola, are expected to attend the draw.

Performances by American singer-rapper Saweetie and Filipino artists Sarah Geronimo and Billy Crawford will spice up the event. – Rappler.com

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The FIBA Central Board, whose members are in Manila to attend the World Cup draw at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum on Saturday, April 29, made the announcement on Friday.

“The main concern leading to the decision was the requirement to provide consistent and swift transfer of the teams and fans to multiple games over the six days of the Final Phase,” basketball’s governing body said in a statement.

“Despite completing the construction of a toll road connecting Metro Manila with the Philippines Arena in 2021, it could only be tested in real conditions since November 2022, after COVID restrictions were lifted,” it added.

While not naming specific events, FIBA cited “serious traffic and transport concerns” in the past events held at the world’s largest indoor arena.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), meanwhile, assured ticket holders that “appropriate emails will be sent individually informing them of the venue change and further continued advice as to their tickets and seats.”

In recent reports, several events such as Game 7 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals, the Harry Styles and Blackpink concerts, had fans waiting for hours before they could exit the Philippine Arena compound.

To help alleviate the gridlock, concert organizers sold bus tickets that would bring audience members back and forth from a certain point in Metro Manila for about P600.

“Despite improvements tested with transport and traffic engineers, the Board came to the conclusion that an event with multiple sessions in one day, like the Final Phase of the World Cup, couldn’t be delivered to the standards required for the players and fans experience,” rued FIBA.

As part of its commitment to establish an attendance record at the World Cup, FIBA decided to put Gilas Pilipinas’ two opening-round games at the venue, which boasts a capacity of 55,000.

The PBA brought in a league-record 54,589 viewers in Barangay Ginebra’s 114-99 win over guest team Bay Area Dragons last January.

The Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia are set to co-host the quadrennial affair slated from August 25 to September 10, 2023. – Rappler.com

In videos circulating online on Thursday, April 27, the soon-to-be-inducted Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer was seen all smiles at NAIA, greeting fans and airport personnel right after landing.

Although not one of FIBA’s global ambassadors for the upcoming World Cup jointly hosted by the Philippines, Japan, and Indonesia, Nowitzki is still a longtime emissary of basketball’s top governing body and will join Argentinian legend Luis Scola in Saturday’s draw.

Scola joins former NBA star and Carmelo Anthony and Pau Gasol as this year’s ambassadors for the quadrennial hoops showpiece.

Last February, Anthony paid a visit to the Philippines as part of the World Cup buildup and even watched a qualifier game of the Gilas Pilipinas national team at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.

– Rappler.com

The World Cup, the sports’ biggest international basketball competition, will be co-hosted by the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan from late August until mid-September.

“This will aid the SBP immensely in the homestretch of our preparations for hosting the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023,” SBP president Al Panlilio said in a statement, also extending appreciation to the state agencies tasked by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in the order.

“Likewise, the President’s encouragement of local government units, non-government organizations, and the private sector to lend their cooperation to the SBP will help ensure the successful hosting of the FIBA Basketball World Cup for it to be a source of pride and joy for the Filipino people,” he added.

Marcos signed Administrative Order No. 5 on Monday, March 27, creating an Inter-Agency Task Force led by Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) chairman Richard Bachmann.

Bachmann served as operations head of the local organizing committee prior to his appointment as the country’s sports minister in late December 2022.

“I humbly express my gratitude to President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. and our leaders in the Senate and Congress for their support in ensuring that the Philippines delivers the best World Cup hosting in history,” said Bachmann in a statement.

“The PSC continues to commit its support and cooperation for the successful hosting of the Games, and to work hand-in-hand with the SBP and other vital agencies, with the ultimate objective of creating an amazing basketball environment that unites people and encourages them to ‘Win for All.’”

Games will be held at the Araneta Coliseum and Mall of Asia Arena during the group phase, while the Philippine Arena in Bulacan will be home of the final stage.

The chief executive tasked agencies such as the Health, Foreign Affairs, Internal and Local Government, Public Works and Highways, Transportation, and Tourism departments to be part of the task force with the duty of “streamlining, integrating, harmonizing, and coordinating” all government effort with the plans and programs of the SBP.

Also included in the task force are the Customs and and Immigration bureaus, Philippine National Police, and the Metro Manila Development Authority. – Rappler.com

The Argentinians failed to qualify for the World Cup for the first time since 1982 after ending the Americas Qualifiers with a heartbreaking 79-75 home loss to Dominican Republic on Monday, February 27.

Falling apart when it mattered most, Argentina squandered a 17-point lead in the second half as it narrowly missed a World Cup berth.

Argentina finished with the same 8-4 record as Venezuela in Group E but lost the tiebreaker due to an inferior points difference.

Facundo Campazzo sank a pair of free throws to give Argentina a 71-66 lead with under three minutes left before they crumbled the rest of the way as Dominican Republic closed it out with a win-clinching 13-4 blast.

Campazzo finished with 10 points, 5 assists, 4 rebounds, and 4 steals, while Gabriel Deck showed the way for Argentina with 27 points.

Jean Montero churned out 22 points and 3 steals to lead Dominican Republic, which will join Venezuela and Group E leader Canada in the World Cup.

It was a disappointing Americas Qualifiers exit for Argentina after it almost went all the way last World Cup before it fell to Spain in the finale in China four years ago.

Over in Group F, Team USA preserved its streak of World Cup appearances despite missing the services of NBA stars as it topped the group with a 9-3 card.

The Americans have reached every single World Cup since the tournament started in 1950.

Puerto Rico, Mexico, and Brazil also advanced from Group F. – Rappler.com

Anthony, named as the third FIBA World Cup global ambassador after Pau Gasol and Luis Scola, stressed the importance of the Philippines’ role in the sports’ continuing evolution.

“Win or lose, I think the Philippines could be proud that they are one of the hosts of the 2023 FIBA World Cup,” said Anthony during a press conference.

“I think from that standpoint, that says a lot. And if that’s also going to propel the Philippines down the line, when it comes to actually continue in the development of the game of basketball,” he added.

The Philippines has long been regarded as an Asian powerhouse since the sport’s international advent in the 1930s until the onset of major setbacks in the 1990s and 2000s.

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Since returning to the World Cup in 2014, the Philippines is set to make its third straight appearance in the competition.

However, there is added pressure from Filipino fans, one of the most rabid in the world, to have a decent showing in the quadrennial showpiece, but Anthony advised the team to just enjoy the ride.

During the last Philippine hosting of the World Cup in 1978, the country went winless at 0-7.

“It’s a little different, you know when you’re actually hosting the World Cup. You’re the host country and there’s a different pressure that comes along with that,” said Anthony.

“It’s not even about pressure in this situation, it’s just about allowing the rest of the world to see how the Philippines does it, right? And what they’re going out there playing for. A sense of pride that they are going out there [for what they’re] playing for.” – Rappler.com

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