VALENCIA (Jeff Taylor's Eurovision) - Nothing's better in sports than a big surprise, unless your team is on the wrong end of it.

Today, I want to share my biggest surprises for 2023.

1 - Mikal's Miracle

Don't tell me you believed the USA had even a smidgen of a chance to force overtime against Canada in the Third-Place Game at the World Cup when trailing by four points with just 4.2 seconds on the clock. But USA's Mikal Bridges went to the line after being fouled and made the first free-throw and intentionally missed the second before chasing the ball down and making a three-pointer to force OT. I still can't believe that happened!

2 - Telekom Baskets Bonn

It's still hard to wrap my head around this, how Telekom Baskets Bonn, a team that no one was talking about before the season, went on their incredible run to lift the Basketball Champions League trophy after 15 wins in 17 games. TJ Shorts, the MVP of the season, capped a magical campaign by leading Bonn past Final Four hosts Unicaja Malaga and then Hapoel Jerusalem.

3 - Dillon Brooks

No one but no one saw this coming! Dillon Brooks relished getting under the skin of opponents and craved hearing the boos while playing for Canada at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Jakarta and then Manila. Yet his gritty play, his shot-making and defense and his all-out hustle allowed him to go from villain to hero for spectators as Canada reached the podium for the first time.

4 - Caitlin Clark

Has there ever been a player in women's college basketball to create a buzz like USA's Clark of Iowa? Her 2023 NCAA Tournament was earth-shaking spectacular, and one reason why Iowa set an attendance record of 55,646 people at Kinnock Stadium several weeks ago. Everyone wants to see Caitlin.

She reminded everyone why she was named TISSOT MVP of the FIBA U19 Women's World Cup 2021 and a two-time champion in 2021 and 2019.

5 - Latvia

Luca Banchi's Latvia didn't win the World Cup, yet it did win the hearts and admiration of all that watched them in Jakarta and then Manila. Their fifth-place finish after a 98-63 triumph over Lithuania in the Battle of the Baltics was an exclamation mark on an incredible World Cup!

6 - Andi Obst

The Wagner brothers, Schroder, Theis, Thiemann, Voigtmann and... Obst? Of all the players that had the attention of the USA before their Semi-Final against Germany, the one that hurt them most was lesser known Andreas Obst, the 1.91m (6ft 3in) sharpshooter that hadn't scored more than 13 points at the World Cup before the clash with the Americans. He erupted for a game-high 24 as Germany sent the tournament favorites packing in a 113-111 triumph. 

7 - South Sudan
 

It wasn't just enough for the young country, South Sudan,  to achieve a first qualification for the FIBA Basketball World Cup and play in Manila. No, they had to one-up themselves by qualifying for the 2024 Olympics in France!

8 - Yuki Kawamura

You may know Kawamura as the 1.72m (5ft 8in) point guard of Japan who ignited his national team with a 25-point master class in a come-from-behind World Cup win over Finland that helped propel Japan to Olympic qualification. But did you know that Kawamura had earlier just wrapped up a most unexpected B. League MVP campaign with Yokohama B. Corsairs?

9 - Victor Wembanyama

Never in your wildest dreams did you expect to see a player like Wembanyama! Admit it! Every time he takes the court, we're thinking, "Is this for real?"

The Spurs rookie said he wants to suit up for France again next year, at the Olympics on home soil, so look out! He was already excellent with Les Bleus at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 European Qualifiers. And since then, his progress has been impressive.

10 - Jannon Otto

Inspirational beyond belief, Jannon Otto's determined play at the FIBA Women's AfroBasket 2023 helped Uganda reach the Quarter-Finals for the first time. A diabetic, Otto has so much passion for basketball that nothing can stop her. She finished as the tournament's leading scorer after averaging 21.3 points per game. Otto made the All-Star Five.

11 - Sesi Franca

It ain't over until it's over! Sesi Franca looked dead and buried when Telekom Baskets Bonn led them late at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2023 in Singapore. But Lucas Dias stunned them at the buzzer. What a special event this is turning out to be!

12 - Kyara Linskens

You're on the same team as world class Emma Meesseman (aka the best player in Europe), silky smooth point guard Julie Allemand and the chili pepper hot Julie Vanloo, and yet you're the MVP of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2023 Final? Such was the case for Linskens, whose best career performance came when the Cats needed it. She had 18 points and 15 rebounds as Belgium came from 10 points down to beat Spain, 64-58, in the Final.

Jeff Taylor
FIBA

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