ARNHEM (Netherlands) - After creating history during an unforgettable run at the Paris Games, Netherlands men's 3x3 gold medalists were honored with a prestigious award from their country's Olympic Committee.
The Netherlands, featuring Worthy de Jong, Arvin Slagter, Jan Driessen and Dimeo van der Horst, were voted sports team of the year at the NOC NSF Sports Gala in Papendal. The NOC NSF is the umbrella organization for sports in the Netherlands and also the country’s Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
The Netherlands 3x3 gold medalists took out the award in a tough field, which included fellow Olympic heroes from the country's 4x400m mixed relay team (athletics) and track cyclists.
After edging host France in an unforgettable final when de Jong hit an epic two-point buzzer beater, the 3x3 team became instantly famous in a European country where basketball is fast emerging. The Netherlands became only the second men's Olympic 3x3 gold medalist after Latvia first achieved the feat at the Tokyo Games.
It was a fitting reward for the Netherlands, who are a pioneering 3x3 nation and their men's team finished runner's up at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in 2017 and 2018. The women's national team are former 3x3 Europe Cup winners.
"The beauty of this year doesn’t only lie in the history that was written, but maybe even more in the FUTURE that was created!," de Jong wrote on Instagram in the aftermath of the award. "And therefore will the 5th of August always be the moment where past, present and future came together! "Winning best team of the year stretches WAYYY further than just the players who performed and created highlights during this year. It’s a program, it's a community where people invested more time in which they get paid for or credited! A group of people that believed in the sport! And its capabilities! "But not only the program deserves great words. It's also the families and friends that were part of this journey! They stood by our sides as we battled through our ups and downs this season, held us up when we were down and celebrated us during our successes!"
FIBA