SINGAPORE (Singapore) - The stage is set, and for the third straight year we will crown a champion of the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore.
Sesi Franca took the trophy back to Brazil with a buzzer-beater in 2023, while Unicaja stormed to the title in impressive fashion last season.
The format of the competition remains the same this year, too. The six teams are located in two groups of three, and after playing head-to-head, the group winners will meet in the Final, the second-placed teams will battle for third spot in the event, while the bottom placed teams from both groups fight for fifth spot.
Final standings of the previous two events in Singapore
Year | Champion | 2nd Place | 3rd Place | 4th Place | 5th Place | 6th Place |
2023 | Sesi Franca (BRA) | Telekom Baskets Bonn (GER) | Zhejiang Golden Bulls (CHN) | Al Ahly (EGY) | NBA G League Ignite (USA) | Al Manama (BRN) |
2024 | Unicaja (ESP) | NBA G League United (USA) | Tasmania JackJumpers (AUS) | Al Riyadi (LBN) | Petro de Luanda (ANG) | Quimsa (ARG) |
Who is playing in Group A in 2025?
The defending champions Unicaja are back, and they return as the winners of the Basketball Champions League Europe competition.
They changed their roster a little bit over the summer, and this is the first opportunity for their numerous fans to see the new-look Unicaja in competitive games.
They are joined by Alahli SC, a newcomer to the Intercontinental Cup. The team from Libya won the Basketball Africa League last season, and they get to represent the continent in Singapore.
The best African result since the event introduced this competition format was Al Ahly's fourth place in 2023.
Another new name in the history books of this competition is Utsunomiya Brex. The Japanese team has continued its upward trajectory, winning the Basketball Champions League Asia last season.
Utsunomiya Brex hence represent Asia in this event, looking to test Zhejiang Golden Bulls' result from 2023, as the Chinese team finished third and set the mark for Asian clubs in the Intercontinental Cup.
Who are the players to watch?
While Alahli SC's roster is full of well known international names, such as Makur Maker, Naseim Badrush, Marcos Knight, Ivan Almeida and Ismael Romero, the star of the team is Jean-Jacques Boissy.
The 25-year-old Senegalese point guard picked up the BAL MVP award, and he was the leading scorer of the League with 18.9 points per game. Boissy had five games with 20+ points and was also named to the All-Defensive First Team.
As if that wasn't enough to keep an eye on him, Boissy dominated at FIBA AfroBasket 2025, scoring 40 points in the Third-Place Game, setting the new single game scoring record in AfroBasket.
Unicaja kept the core of the team together, with Kendrick Perry, Alberto Diaz, Tyler Kalinoski, Nihad Dedovic, Killian Tillie, Jonathan Barreiro, Tyson Perez and Aleksander Balcerowski all returning for another run.
However, the man to watch would be Chris Duarte, a former 13th pick at the NBA Draft, embarking on his first European journey after four NBA seasons with the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls.
Duarte is a member of the Dominican Republic national team, lighting up last summer's FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Greece with 19.0 points per game.
Finally, one name stands out when you mention Utsunomiya Brex. It's their MVP of everything, DJ Newbill.
The 33-year-old guard found home in Japan, where he has played since 2020, and once he joined Brex in 2023, it was a match made in heaven.
Newbill is the reigning two-time MVP of the Japanese B.League, as well as the MVP of the BCL Asia season, and the best passer in that competition with 7.4 assists per game.
Schedule
Thursday, September 18: Alahli SC vs. Unicaja 20:00 local time (14:00 in Spain and Libya)
Friday, September 19: Utsunomiya Brex vs. Unicaja 20:00 local time (21:00 in Japan, 14:00 in Spain)
Saturday, September 20: Alahli SC vs. Utsunomiya Brex 20:00 local time (14:00 in Libya, 21:00 in Japan)