FIBA AmeriCup 2025 – Team profile: Panama

MIAMI (United States) – The Central American team ranks 57th in the FIBA World Ranking and 12th in the Americas. Panama had a strong finish at the FIBA AmeriCup Qualifiers by winning three of their last four games, including an impressive home victory over powerhouse Brazil.

The team has emerged from a challenging transition period after integrating younger players and now boasts a roster filled with talent excelling in overseas leagues. With that depth, Panama has the potential to pull off an upset at the AmeriCup.

Tournament history

This will be Panama’s 14th appearance at the continental tournament. The team’s best finish came in the second edition of the tournament (1984), when they placed fourth. They later finished fifth in 2005. In the 2022 edition, Panama ended up in 11th place.

Players to watch

Among the players standing out in overseas leagues — and appearing on the preliminary AmeriCup roster — are Jhivvan Jackson (Germany), Trevor Gaskins (Brazil), Ricardo Lindo (Israel), Akil Mitchell (Puerto Rico), Eric Romero (Israel), and Ernesto Oglivie (Uruguay).

Jackson and Gaskins are guards who bring strong offensive skills and multiple scoring options. Lindo and Romero provide strength in the wings, while Mitchell and Oglivie are reliable interior players who control the boards. Overall, this team has considerable depth.

Head coach: Gonzalo García

The Argentine coach is a well-known figure in the region. He won two continental club championships with Argentina’s San Lorenzo and served as an assistant coach for his country’s senior national team during its golden era in the early 2000s. In the final games of the qualifiers, his influence on Panama was already evident. Now, he aims to guide the team to one of its best showings in the continental tournament.

Outlook

Panama’s chances depend on assembling its top players. If they can, they’ll be able to challenge and possibly surprise any opponent. The hurdle will be difficult, with Canada, Puerto Rico, and Venezuela in Group B. Canada and Puerto Rico are favorites for the top two spots, but Panama could exploit Venezuela’s rebuilding phase to push for one of the two best Third-Place finishes and a Quarter-Final berth.

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