ATHENS (Greece) – The first-ever FIBA 3x3 Athens Challenger 2026 belonged to Ub (SRB), who capped another dominant weekend on the Pro Circuit with an 18-15 victory over Amsterdam RABOBANK (NED) in the Final at the iconic Panathenaic Stadium.
Powered once again by Strahinja Stojacic and a balanced supporting cast led by Nenad Nerandžić, the Serbian powerhouse claimed their third FIBA 3x3 Challenger title of the 2026 season. Ub, runners-up Amsterdam RABOBANK and third-placed Fuengirola (ESP) all secured qualification for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour TBC 2026 stop.
The Winner
Ub once again showed why they remain one of the benchmarks on the FIBA 3x3 Pro Circuit. The Serbian giants stormed through pool play with convincing victories over Rio (BRA), 21-9, and Warsaw (POL), 21-14, with Stojacic leading from the front in both contests.
Their momentum continued in the knockout rounds. Stojacic poured in eight points as Ub defeated Kandava Turība (LTU) 19-13 in the Quarter-Finals before Nerandžić produced one of the performances of the tournament in the Semi-Finals. The sharpshooting big man erupted for 11 points on 7-of-8 shooting, including two perfect shots from beyond the arc, to power Ub past Fuengirola 21-13.
The Final proved to be another showcase of Ub's championship composure. After building an early six-point advantage, they withstood a determined Amsterdam comeback before Marko Branković buried the decisive two-pointer with under 20 seconds remaining to seal the victory.
Tournament MVP Stojacic once again demonstrated why he remains one of the game's biggest stars. He led the tournament in player value (44.2), points (34), highlights (26), free throws made (9) and drives (13), while also ranking third in assists with 10.
The Runner-up
Amsterdam RABOBANK once again showed why they remain among the world's elite teams. They navigated pool play with wins over Kandava Turība and London (GBR), before cruising past Rio 21-10 in the Quarter-Finals behind an all-around effort from Adriaan Van Tilborg.
The Dutch side then ended the Cinderella run of Akademija VDU (LTU) in emphatic fashion. Bryan Alberts caught fire with four two-pointers on his way to 11 points as Amsterdam rolled to a 21-11 Semi-Final victory.
Although they fell just short in the championship game, Amsterdam once again displayed their trademark depth and teamwork to secure another World Tour qualification.
The Final
This game lived up to expectations as two of the Pro Circuit's premier teams traded blows from the opening possession.
Deadlocked at 5-5 early, Ub seized control with a decisive 7-1 run to open a 12-6 advantage midway through the contest. Amsterdam refused to go away, with Alberts knocking down a huge two-pointer to cut the deficit to 13-12.
Nerandžić responded with three straight points to restore breathing room at 16-13, but Amsterdam mounted one Final push to trim the margin to a single point late in regulation.
With the pressure mounting, Branković delivered the dagger, drilling a clutch two-pointer with less than 20 seconds remaining to secure an 18-15 victory and another Challenger crown for Ub.
The Reward
By reaching the podium, Ub, Amsterdam RABOBANK and Fuengirola all secured qualification for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour TBC stop, continuing their chase for WT wins on the sport's biggest professional stage.
Final Standings:
1. Ub (SRB) - qualified to WT TBC 2. Amsterdam RABOBANK (NED) - qualified to WT TBC 3. Fuengirola (ESP) - qualified to WT TBC 4. Akademija VDU (LTU) 5. Miami (USA)
Top Scorers:
1. Strahinja Stojacic (Ub) - 34 pts 2. Nenad Nerandžić (Ub) - 34 pts 3. Bryan Alberts (Amsterdam RABOBANK) - 31 pts 4. Paulius Velutis (Akademija VDU) - 28 pts 5. Jose Blázquez (Fuengirola) - 27 pts
What's Next
The inaugural FIBA 3x3 Athens Challenger delivered no shortage of memorable storylines. Ub captured the historic first title behind another MVP performance from Stojacic, while teammate Nenad Nerandžić matched him with a tournament-high 34 points to underline the Serbian side's balanced attack. Akademija VDU emerged as the surprise package of the weekend, stunning fourth seeds Toulouse in pool play before eliminating Miami to reach the Semi-Finals. Meanwhile, Fuengirola also did well to secure a third-place finish and a coveted World Tour qualification, joining champions Ub and runners-up Amsterdam RABOBANK.
After another weekend filled with upsets, clutch moments and standout individual performances, the Challenger season now moves on to Uenohara (Japan) and FISE Birmingham (USA) on August 8-9 as teams continue their pursuit of FIBA 3x3 World Tour success.
Stay Connected
Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3x3 World Tour throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official World Tour website, where you can find the latest news, team standings, player statistics and everything you need to follow the Race to the Final. Fans can also keep track of the Event Calendar and the latest FIBA 3x3 Individual and Federation Rankings as teams and players continue their push toward the season finale.
Want to learn more about 3x3 basketball? Explore the official FIBA 3x3 Rules to understand the unique fast-paced format of the game, or discover the FIBA 3x3 Competition Structure to see how the discipline’s global pathway connects grassroots events, professional tours and world-class international competitions.
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