COLORADO SPRINGS (USA) - Koa Peat will be on a special mission for United States at the FIBA U19 Basketball World Cup 2025 as he shoots to become the first player with three FIBA Youth World Cup crowns - and helping the country get redemption.
Peat already has etched his name in the FIBA history books as the first player to win two FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup golds.
"It means the world to me. It's something I always dreamed of - to be a gold medallist. So to have two World Cup already means a lot to me," Peat said.
He was named to the All-Star Five in 2022 despite being two years younger than the rest of the competition, averaging 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.6 assists. After helping USA win the FIBA U16 AmeriCup 2023, Peat added a second U17 crown last summer in totaling 17.9 points, 5.6 rebounds and 2.1 assists.
The Chandler, Arizona native, who was named as the 2023 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year, now shifts his focus to the FIBA U19 World Cup in Lausanne.
"I'm super excited to get out there and play with a great team and for great coaches. I’m super excited to go out there and compete for a World title," said Peat, who will be playing for USA head coach Tommy Lloyd, his coach starting next season at the University of Arizona.
When asked what it would mean to him to take home a third FIBA Youth World Cup gold, Peat said: "It would mean a lot to cement my name with such a big honor like that. To have a chance to go out and win three World Cups, I'm super excited about it."
Having already played three international competitions, Peat said his exposure to the international game has helped him in his own development.
Playing FIBA helped me get better
"It helped me get better - just how physical it is. I'm used to it now - the ins and outs of the international game. It's helped me a lot," he said.
Even though it will be his first FIBA U19 World Cup and he will be a year younger than the rest of the competition, Peat will know well some of his teammates. Guys like AJ Dybantsa, Tyran Stokes and Brandon McCoy all played with him last summer on the U17 team.
"I'm familiar with most of these guys because they were on the U17 team with me. To continue to build that chemistry I think is going to be great, especially because the coaches we have are great coaches," he explained.
Peat and USA will face a tough opening stage as they were drawn into Group D along with well-established basketball nations Australia and France as well as motivated debutants Cameroon.
"We are kind of the Redeem Team."
"All of the teams out there are well put together. They have been playing with each other and they have the chemistry. It's gonna be tough but I think we're gonna be ready to go out there and compete," he said.
When asked what USA must do to reach its goal and celebrate with the trophy on July 6, Peat said: "Just to continue to build chemistry and try to be the hardest working team."
Peat also mentioned that the coaches have addressed the group in training camp that USA will be coming to Switzerland not as reigning champions after the Americans slumped to fourth place in 2023.
"We are kind of the Redeem Team," Peat said. "We will go out there with vengeance and hopefully go out there and win the World Cup."
And for Peat, go home as the first three-time FIBA Youth World Cup champion.
FIBA