SHENZHEN (China) - Top-ranked Ub (SRB) regained their supremacy at an unforgettable FIBA 3x3 World Tour Shenzhen 2025 to continue to stay ahead of a desperate pack.
Let's look back at the 12th stop played on October 4-5.
Ub back on top
Ub have now won half the titles on this season's WT, just a crazy stat considering the depth of talent across the board. It gets even crazier with Ub having won six of their last seven stops on the WT and they rebounded strongly in Shenzhen after a shock quarter-final exit in Shanghai.
It seemed so predictable but that was hardly the case after they lost first up to compatriot Partizan (SRB). Of course, that just made them more determined with Ub then thrashing Hangzhou (CHN) to exact revenge after losing to them in Shanghai.
Big fella Nenad Nerandzic controlled the paint as Ub cruised past rival Toulouse (FRA) in the quarters before Marko Brankovic caught fire with 12 points to lift the Serbs past rejuvenated Riffa (BRN) in the semis.
Brankovic could not be stopped with 11 points as Ub edged Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU) in a tense final. Brankovic was unlucky not to walk off with the MVP, but Strahinja Stojacic is always a deserving winner because he's the GOAT.
Without still injured Dejan Majstorovic and muscular Nemanja Barac, Ub continue to show off their depth with young gun Vuk Vukicevic now a WT champion.
Eval Knievel is 3x3's daredevil
One dude who is absolutely cookin' is Evaldas Dziaugys, who led powerhouse Raudondvaris Hoptrans. For so long he has been known as the sidekick for superstar Aurelijus Pukelis, but Eval Knievel is starting to emerge from his shadow.
His confidence has been through the roof since playing a starring role in Lithuania's gold medal triumph at the Europe Cup. And he absolutely loves playing in Shenzhen having lit up the Chinese city last year. He repeated the dose with a flame-throwing performance, finishing No.1 in points (37) and third in player-value (45.8).
His masterpiece was a 14-point, 7-rebound domination of Partizan (SRB) in the quarters before throwing up a near triple-five in the final. The lethal Lithuanian is a certified 3x3 daredevil and living up to his much-loved nickname.
Samobor makes a mark
We've been waiting a long time for Croatia - a famous hoops nation - to make a mark in 3x3 having been overshadowed by Serbia, the GOAT of the half-court. The wait might have ended after Samobor (CRO) went on a memorable semi-final run all the way from QD in their WT 2025 debut.
The Croats showed no signs of fatigue after stunning powers Vienna (AUT) and Chongming (CHN) in Pool D. They weren't merely satisfied by reaching the quarters after thumping second seed Amsterdam Rabobank (NED) with a scoreline that beggared belief - 21-8!.
Samobor's magical run ended to Raudondvaris Hoptrans, but they've arrived and we especially can't wait to again see towering 26-year-old Ivan Vrgoc, who finished No.1 in player value (49.6).
Struggles continue for Amsterdam Rabobank and Toulouse Amsterdam Rabobank's WT title drought continued after their flame out to Samobor. They've now gone 11 events without success and this was their second consecutive exit at the quarters. Superstar Worthy de Jong hasn't quite hit his insane level of 2024 and he'll need to get back to being Hype Worthy if Amsterdam are to arrest this slump.
Toulouse have also been in a slump recently, highlighted by a Day One exit in Shanghai. They fared only slightly better after losing convincingly to Raudondvaris Hoptrans and then Ub in the quarters.
Worryingly, given their indifferent play, the Frenchmen didn't look at the same level compared to those mighty teams. Encouragingly, superstar Franck Seguela showed glimpses of his old self as he starts building form after a layoff.
Shenzhen was incredible
It was hard to back up the incredible stop in Shanghai, but Shenzhen followed up with an absolutely lit event to continue this memorable Chinese swing of the WT. Shenzhen is a world-famous city that has hosted many famous sporting events and the WT is becoming an iconic fixture on its calendar.
The atmosphere was amazing at the South Square of Bao'an Stadium and we just can't wait to return to this glitzy global city.
FIBA