LAUSANNE (Switzerland) - It's that beautiful time of year in the northern hemisphere as everyone basks in late summer and that just means the FIBA 3x3 World Tour is ready to take centre stage in Lausanne for its annual show stopping visit.
Here is all the important information for the ninth stop on this season's WT, which journeys to the Olympic capital just a little over one year since the iconic 2024 Paris Games. Where can I watch the WT Lausanne? The action runs from August 15-16 and you can follow it live on the FIBA 3x3 YouTube channel. Who is competing in Lausanne? Nine of the top 15 teams in the rankings and a total of 14 squads: Ub, Amsterdam Rabobank, Miami, Liman, Raudondvaris Hoptrans, Riffa, Partizan, Hangzhou, Carolina, Lausanne, Barcelona, Lugano, Valencia, Jurmala What are the pools?
Who are the favorites? You know the drill. We're starting off with top-ranked Ub (SRB), who have somehow gotten even better as they gun for an incredible fifth straight WT title. Given how loaded the WT is these days, this would be the greatest ever feat for the GOAT.
If they go all the way, Ub will know they deserved it given this draw is absolutely stacked. In one of the surprises of the season, Amsterdam Rabobank (NED) are still titleless but you know they will be desperate to click into gear as we enter the second half of the WT.
There are two WT season winners in the draw - Miami (USA) and Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU), who started strong but have had to watch Ub gobble all the trophies ever since.
They both have scoring machines capable of heating up Lausanne. James Parrott can fill up the box score, while lethal Lithuanian Aurelijus Pukelis averages a dizzying 8 ppg and is capable of lifting that mark even higher.
Experienced teams Liman (SRB) and Riffa (BRN) have not tasted WT success for some time, but it would be foolish to write them off. Nemanja Zigon has superbly filled the big shoes of talisman Stefan Kojic to lead Liman these days, while Dennis Donkor is the type of inspirational two-way player who can light a fuse under Riffa.
There are plenty of dangerous teams led by Barcelona (ESP) and Valencia (ESP), who both boast Spanish World Cup winners capable of instigating giant-killing runs.
Hangzhou (CHN) and Carolina (PUR) are in-form teams on the cusp of WT title breakthroughs, while hometown heroes Lausanne (SUI) will have the strong support of their beloved fans as they look to finally break their curse.
Who are the players to watch? We just have to start with you know who - Strahinja Stojacic, who is on an absolute heater. He's taken the heights of 3x3 to impossible standards and it's not even a debate right now over who has the crown.
But superstar Worthy de Jong will be desperate to once again start challenging 'Doctor Strange's' supremacy and he might just be in a reflective mood in the Olympic capital. The Dutch Master has surely thought back to the Paris Olympics, where he became a global sensation after his legendary deeds at La Concorde.
De Jong won't be the only player inspired by Paris 2024 because Evaldas Dziaugys is a walking bucket who combines with Pukelis to form one of the deadliest one-two punches in the business.
It's taken us way too long to get to Antonio Ralat, who might be the second best player on this season's WT behind Stojacic. No player has performed more heroics in the clutch than Ralat, who has the highest average of anyone with more than 10 games on this season's WT. He can absolutely lead Carolina to glory all the way from QD.
Aleksandar Lazic is another dude who has made the leap and you just know he'll liven up pretty Lausanne with thundering dunks. Talk about athletic marvels who can drive down the lane and no one does it better than Stefan Milivojevic, while Lausanne wizard Gilles Martin is ready to unleash his latest party trick to his legion of fans.
FIBA