TIANJIN (China) - Hot on the heels of an incredible WT Shanghai, some of the best teams on the planet will be licking their wounds heading into the FIBA 3x3 Tianjin Challenger 2025 on October 1-2.
Let's preview the 16th Challenger of the season.
The Favorites
No.1 seed Ub (SRB) finally look beatable. After one of the most incredible stretches seen on the half-court, where they won 7 of 8 titles on the pro circuit, Ub stumbled in the final of the Manila Challenger before a shock quarter-final exit in Shanghai.
They will be extra determined but this is a loaded field that also includes in-form Chinese teams Hangzhou (CHN) and Chongming (CHN), who both had great success in Shanghai.
Hangzhou knocked Ub out of Shanghai in an OT classic en route to reaching the final in a campaign where sharpshooter Milos Jovanovic was on fire throughout.
Chongming also dazzled with a semi-final effort and they will lean on legendary Karlis Lasmanis to go even further in Tianjin.
No.2 seed Toulouse (FRA) will be fighting to end a slump after failing to reach Day Two in Shanghai. They did show glimpses of their old form with an OT dub over Chongming and the Frenchmen will hope that momentum carries over into Tianjin.
The Field
Unlike other rivals, Baskets Bonn Telekom (GER) should be refreshed after not playing at all in September. Young gun Denzel Agyeman will be out to punk defenders and so too Mike Efevberha, who ran out of sizzle as Lugano (SUI) fell in the pool stage in Shanghai.
Other lights out shooters include Javier Herrero and Ryo Ozawa, who can lift Valencia (ESP) and Shinagawa CITY EXE (JPN) respectively on giant-killing runs. Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL) were winless in Shanghai and will need to regroup quickly if they are to make a run in Tianjin.
Partizan (SRB) are only mentioned last because they'll have to go all the way from QD. Plus their improved form hit a wall in the quarters in Shanghai, but they've won two straight Challengers where superstar Stefan Milivojevic was in full 'Gladiator' mode.
Pools Pool A: Ub (SRB), Valencia (ESP), Shinagawa CITY EXE (JPN) Pool B: Toulouse (FRA), Lugano (SUI), Tianjin (CHN) Pool C: Chongming (CHN), Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL), QD Pool D: Hangzhou (CHN), Baskets Bonn Telekom (GER), QD What's at stake The top 3 teams in Tianjin will qualify for the WT Abu Dhabi on October 25-26 as part of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2025. How to watch The two-day extravaganza is on October 1-2 and you can follow it live on the FIBA 3x3 YouTube pages.
FIBA