SINGAPORE (Singapore) - The 2012 NBA champion Ronny Turiaf and the three-time EuroLeague winner Pero Antic have been named the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025 Ambassadors.
The two towering figures will follow the games live in Singapore, scheduled from September 18 to September 21, with a place in history on the line for the six participating clubs, representing Europe, the Americas, Asia, Australia and Africa.
Turiaf has appeared in more than 500 NBA games with the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, New York Knicks, Washington Wizards, Miami Heat, Los Angeles Clippers and Minnesota Timberwolves throughout his ten years in the League.
He was a starter in seven games in the NBA Playoffs in 2012, helping the Miami Heat win the championship alongside superstars such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.
The 42-year-old was a member of the French golden generation, winning the FIBA U18 EuroBasket in 2000 with Tony Parker, Boris Diaw and the rest of the team, and he went on to represent France in the Olympics, the FIBA Basketball World Cup and the FIBA EuroBasket.
"It is a great honor to be a part of this event as the Ambassador," Turiaf said.
"Having travelled the world as a player, I am well aware that basketball is not played in just one or two continents. It's a global game, and I'm excited to see in person the teams from Africa, Australia or Asia, because it's impossible to deny the progress they've been making over recent years in all major events."
Antic has also played in the NBA, spending two seasons with the Atlanta Hawks. Most of his accolades, however, are from the European part of his path, including three EuroLeague crowns, two with Olympiacos and one with Fenerbahce.
The powerful big man was also a key figure in one of the biggest upsets in FIBA EuroBasket history, propelling North Macedonia to a Semi-Finals appearance in 2011.
"As a player, I just missed out on playing the FIBA Intercontinental Cup, as my former teammates from Olympiacos won it in 2013, just a few months after I had signed with the Hawks," Antic remembered.
"It's always fun to see different basketball cultures and philosophies facing off on the same court. Whenever I played for the national team, we would always enjoy being the ones not in the spotlight, being the underdogs, and this is why I'm excited to see which one of these teams could be the Cinderella story of the event in Singapore."
The two Ambassadors will follow in Stephon Marbury's footsteps, as the former NBA star took on the Ambassador duties with pride in 2024.
Antic and Turiaf will witness four days of competitive basketball, with six teams divided in two groups:
Group A: Alahli SC (Basketball Africa League winners), Unicaja (Basketball Champions League Europe winners), Utsunomiya Brex (Basketball Champions League Asia winners) Group B: Flamengo (Basketball Champions League Americas winners), Illawarra Hawks (Australian NBL winners), NBA G League United (NBA G League select team)
The two group winners will face off in the Final on Sunday, September 21, while the second-placed teams fight for third spot, and the bottom-placed teams from Groups A and B playing the Classification Game 5-6.
Unicaja are the defending champions, defeating the NBA G League United in last year's Final.