FIBA World Cup

LeBron James Reportedly Set To Commit To U.S. Olympic Team

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LeBron James is one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA. Even at the age of 38, he is still one of the best players in the league. Overall, he had an incredible season with the Los Angeles Lakers as they ended up making it to the Western Conference Finals. They are a team that could theoretically do some damage this season. However, there are questions about LeBron and his intentions after this season. Of course, this is especially true with Bronny coming into the picture.

That said, it appears as though LeBron James has been thinking about basketball beyond just the NBA. If you have been paying attention, Team USA lost in the Bronze medal game to Canada on Sunday morning. This took place at the FIBA World Cup, and fans were upset that the U.S. couldn’t even get a medal. Consequently, fans are hoping that all of the big guns show out at the Olympics in Paris next year. Well, as it turns out, fans might just get what they have been desperately wishing for.

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LeBron James Goes For Gold

According to NBA insider Shams Charania of The Athletic, LeBron has every intention of playing in the Olympics next year. Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, and Anthony Davis are all players who also intend to go to the Olympics. Furthermore, some big names are also thinking about it. Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard are among them. This is a huge development as it means Team USA will likely be sending their absolute best to the Summer Games. In the eyes of many, this all but guarantees a gold medal.

A lot can happen between now and the Olympics. Injuries, change of heart, and various other factors can determine the makeup of this roster. However, it looks like the United States will be back to being favorites in due time. Let us know what you think of LeBron wanting to join the team, in the comments section below. Additionally, stay tuned to HNHH for more news from around the sports world.

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USA And Canada Stunned In FIBA World Cup Semifinals

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Neither the US or Canada, two of the hottest teams in the FIBA World Cup this year, will contest the final on Sunday. Canada, led by a phenomenal Shai Gilgeous-Alexander fell to a Serbian team that didn’t even have Nikola Jokić. The Serbs beat Canada 95-86, with Bogdan Bogdanović putting up a team-high 23 points. “It doesn’t matter who’s not here,” Serbia’s Marko Gudurić said. “It’s all about this group of guys, whoever is here, whoever is wearing this Serbian jersey. We never give up. We fight until the end. It’s in our blood.”

Meanwhile, the US were favorites against Germany. The German side might have been white-hot, but their nail-biting win against Lithuania in the quarterfinals showed how much they had been relying on Dennis Schröder. Schröder had 17 points, but it was his teammates who helped push Germany past the Americans. Bayern Munich’s Andreas Obst had 24 points while the Pacers’ Daniel Theis had 21 and the Magic’s Franz Wagner had 22. Anthony Edwards had another great performance for the US. However, he was just one of four American players to reach double-digit points.

Read More: Serbian player has kidney removed after World Cup injury

US And Canada Must Settle For Bronze Medal Match

While both teams still secured the consolation prize of Olympic qualification, a bronze medal match finish will be bitterly disappointing. As mentioned, both teams were seen as gold medal favorites at this World Cup. Canada especially finally seemed to be taking advantage of the nation’s golden generation of stars. Meanwhile, while many slammed the US as being a B or C team roster, they were widely expected to run through a German team with just four active NBA players.

The US played a physically small roster all tournament but in their two losses, Lithuania in the second group stage and Germany in the semis, that decision was painfully exposed. As the Olympics roll around next year, Steve Kerr may want to rethink his team strategy. Furthermore, the exit of both major North American teams really gives credence and validation of Noah Lyles’ outage that the NBA champions are dubbed the “World Champions of Basketball”.

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Luka Doncic And Dillon Brooks Both Ejected From Canada-Slovenia World Cup Match

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Canada secured a place in the FIBA World Cup semifinals on September 6 with a 100-89 victory over Slovenia. It marks the first-ever semifinal appearance for Canada, whose previous benchmark was sixth-place finishes in 1978 and 1982. It once again showed the might of Canada’s current golden generation. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put up 31 points while RJ Barrett added another 24. Slovenia had been attempting to reach its first semifinal since becoming an independent nation in 1991. However, they simply didn’t have the firepower to match the Canadian output. Luka Dončić had 26 points for Slovenia.

However, Dončić was ejected partway through the second half. The Mavericks star had been chirping at the refs all night over various calls and non-calls. With 6:37 remaining, the officiating team had had enough and issued Dončić his second technical of the game. The Slovenian star returned to the court in flip-flops after the final buzzer to congratulate the Canadian players.

Read More: South Sudan qualify for the Olympics after historic FIBA World Cup run

Dillon Brooks Also Ejected

However, Dončić wasn’t the only NBA star who left the game earlier. Dillon Brooks, the newly acquired Houston Rocket, left the game shortly before Dončić did. Like Luka Dončić, Brooks was booted after picking up his second technical of the game. It’s unknown at this time whether Brooks will be available for selection against Serbia later this week.

The result was a crushing blow to Slovenia, who went into the half tied at 50. However, Canada opened the third period with a 19-5 run and never looked back. They will now face Serbia for a place in the final. If they can overcome another Eastern European powerhouse, they will face either the US or Germany in the final. All four semifinalists have booked their place at the Olympic tournament next summer in Paris. While Canada won a basketball silver medal at the 1936 Games in Berlin, the 2024 Olympics will mark just their third appearance at the Games since 1984. Do you think Canada can go all the way? Let us know in the comments Follow all the latest sports news here at HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Serbian player has to have kidney removed after injury at the FIBA World Cup

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Serbian Player Has Kidney Removed After FIBA World Cup Injury

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Serbian forward Boriša Simanić has reportedly had his kidney removed as a result of an injury he sustained at the FIBA World Cup. The injury occurred in Serbia’s game against South Sudan on August 30, with Nuni Omot appearing to accidentally elbow Simanić in the gut. While Simanić saw out the rest of the game, he reportedly underwent emergency surgery hours later to address the collision.

However, according to head coach Svetislav Pesic, Simanić suffered complications over this past week and a second surgery was required to remove his kidney entirely. “As a sportsman, I firsthand understand the severity of his situation and I am deeply sorry that this happened. No player should have to go through that. I pray for Simanić’s recovery and speedy return to the court,” Omot said in a statement as the news of Simanić’s condition broke.

Read More: South Sudan achieve historic Olympic qualification through FIBA World Cup performance

Serbia Advance Without Simanić

Serbia remains active in the FIBA World Cup without Simanić. They beat Lithuania 87-68 in the quarterfinals, with the team leading a chant of Simanić’s name. Furthermore, the win secured Serbia’s qualification to the 2024 Olympics as one of the two highest-placing European sides at the tournament. They will face Canada in the semifinals for the opportunity to play the United States or Germany in the final. Serbia are three-time medalists at the FIBA World Cup. They won back-to-back golds in 1998 and 2002 before winning a silver in 2014. They have already improved on their 2019 performance, where they finished fifth. Meanwhile, their trip to the Olympics next year will be their first since earning a silver medal at Rio 2016.

Simanić plays his club basketball at Basket Zaragoza in Spain. However, he also made an appearance during the 2022 NBA Summer League as part of the Utah Jazz roster. Prior to his injury, he had only played 20 minutes at the World Cup, putting up a stat line of 3/3/1. He will reportedly remain in the Philippines as he continues to recover from his surgery. We wish him all the best in his recovery.

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South Sudan Earns Olympic Basketball Berth

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South Sudan’s men’s basketball team has made history as they qualified for the 2024 Olympics this weekend. Finishing their 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign with a 3-2, they took the Olympic berth granted to the highest-finishing African nation at the tournament. The milestone comes just three years after former NBA star Luol Deng took over the program, which he has largely funded himself. South Sudan notched wins over China, Angola, and The Philippines to secure their Olympic spot.

However, not only is it a testament to the team Deng has built, but it marks progress for athletics in South Sudan as a whole. The basketball team became the first South Sudanese athletes to directly qualify for the Olympics. While South Sudan has had five athletes represent them across the past two Olympics, all five qualified via “universality places”. Universality places are awarded by the IOC to ensure global equity at the Olympics.

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South Sudan Headed To The Olympics

“It’s an unbelievable story, an underdog story not just for the South Sudanese, not just for Africa, but for the rest of the world. It’s a feel-good story that majority of people can relate to and such a unique achievement because it’s beyond basketball,” Deng told reporters as he fought back tears. Furthermore, Head coach Royal Ivey shared many of the same sentiments. “It’s been a humbling journey. I had heartaches, I have a lot of ebbs and flows, and it’s a great feeling right now. A year ago we were practicing outside with eagles flying around while we were practicing and the courts were flooded. Like to go from there to come and play in front of these fans in the Philippines, and I’m on cloud nine right now.”

The men’s Olympic tournament has quickly started to fill out as the World Cup enters its knockout stages. The only Olympic berths remaining from the World Cup are those for the two highest-placing European squads. At the time of writing, six European nations remain in the World Cup. While there are many individual stories on the South Sudan rosters, they have been led by the Bulls’ Carik Jones. Born in Cincinnati to Sudanese parents, Jones averaged 20.4 points and 10.4 assists across the team’s five games.

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Latvian National Team Deny Kristaps Porzingis Injury Report

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On August 9, it was reported that new Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porziņģis had suffered a foot injury while preparing for the FIBA World Cup. Porziņģis has played for the Latvian National Team since 2017. However, after EuroBasket 2017, it would be five years before he appear for the team again. The injury news was first reported by Rupert Fabig of the Hamburger Abendblatt. While Fabig said the injury “wasn’t too serious”, he did stress that it could led the Celtics to pull Porziņģis from the World Cup.

Porziņģis has struggled immensely with injuries in recent years. The center only manged to play 50+ games in a season once between 2017 and 2022. However, the 2022-23 campaign was a career year for Porziņģis, who was a top-30 player in scoring and rebounding. That landed him on the Celtics in a three-team trade with the Wizards and Grizzlies. He is a massive upgrade at the position over the veteran Al Horford. However, there’s now a debate as to whether Porziņģis is actually injured.

Read More: Rudy Gobert scores first-ever three-pointer, immediately makes things weird

Is Kristaps Porzingis Injured?

The Latvian Basketball Union has denied rumors that Porziņģis is injured. “There has been information that questions the participation of Kristaps Porzingis in the FIBA ​​World Cup. LBS denies this information. Both the players’ individual preparation plans and the team’s overall training process are ongoing. The line-up for the match against the Dominican Republic will be announced on August 12,” the federation tweeted on August 10. This, of course, completely contradicts the previously reporting

So what’s the real story here? It’s possible that Porziņģis did report an injury but it turned out to not be as serious as first thought. Or, there is every chance that the LBS doesn’t want to reveal its roster issues this close to the start of the tournament. Regardless, it’s likely that behind the scenes, the Celtics are attempting to the get the full story so they can make a fully informed decision. Latvia has been drawn into a group with the US, Lebanon and France. They begin their tournament in Jakarta against Lebanon on August 25.

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Drake Claims Giannis Antetokounmpo Couldn’t Walk Him Out In Milwaukee Because The NBA Star Is On “Vacation”

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Drake has been getting a lot of big-name walkouts during his It’s All a Blur Tour. Many of these stars have been high-profile athletes such as Jayson Tatum and Lamar Jackson. However, at a tour stop in Milwaukee, Drake took a moment to make a bizarre and incorrect claim. Speaking to the audience, Drake said that he had asked Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo to walk him out but that Antetokounmpo had declined because he was on “vacation.”

Except Antetokounmpo isn’t on vacation. He’s currently with the Greek National Team preparing for the FIBA World Cup which begins later this month. In fact, on the same day as Drake’s Milwaukee concert, Giannis was literally playing in an exhibition game in Athens against Slovenia. Giannis’ World Cup campaign is set to begin against Jordan on August 26. Greece will also face the United States and New Zealand in the first group stage.

Read More: Rudy Gobert makes bizarre statement after scoring first career three-pointer

Bad Calls And Bad Bets From Drake

Furthermore, not knowing what his famous friends are up to isn’t the only mistake that Drake is seemingly making as of late. The Toronto rapper also recently revealed that he put down a $250,000 bet on Nate Diaz to beat Jake Paul in their August 5 boxing match in Texas. “Jake is a dog but I can never bet against a Diaz brother that’s just how I was raised,” Drake said while explaining his decision. Given how heavily the odds are stacked against Diaz, Drake will walk away with $1 million if Diaz wins.

However, Drake is definitely going against the prevailing opinion with his latest massive bet. While Diaz has a longer history of fighting experience, the reports of his training have been…worrying to say the least. Furthermore, Paul is younger, faster, and more athletic than the grizzled MMA veteran. Additionally, The Problem Child has already won four fights against MMA pros. Tyron Woodley, Ben Askren, and Anderson Silva all thought they could take him down a peg on his terms. If this was in the Octagon, there would be legitimate fears for Paul’s life. But in reality, this is a feel-good fight to help restore Paul’s credibility before he attempts to take on an actual boxer again.

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Rudy Gobert Has Bizzare, NSFW Reaction To Making First-Ever Three-Pointer

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Rudy Gobert has never made a three-pointer in his professional career. Granted, he has only ever attempted 15 such shots in his 10-year NBA career. But he is still 0-for-15 on such shooting. However, that all changed earlier this week. Gobert is currently with the French National Team preparing for the FIBA World Cup. France’s games will take place at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta. They share a group with Canada, Latvia, and Lebanon.

During a warm-up exhibition game, Gobert scored from downtown. It was a fairly simple lob from the top of the arc but good for him. The crowd went wild and rightly so, it’s a big moment to see someone’s first-ever competitive three-pointer. Then Gobert went and made it really weird.

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Gobert Compares Three-Pointer To Losing His Virginity

When asked how he felt about scoring his first three-pointer, Gobert said “Ce soir, j’ai l’impression d’avoir perdu ma virginité.” That translates to “Tonight, I feel like I lost my virginity.” Hey Rudy? That’s a really weird thing to say. Within hours, it had been turned into a quote meme that we’ll definitely see used throughout the NBA season. Well, congratulations to Rudy on his three-point deflowering…and also congratulations on the meme. France has finished third in back-to-back World Cups. While their squad also has NBA veteran Evan Fournier on the roster, they will also be without young superstar Victor Wembanyama. Wembanyama, who was taken first-overall in the recent NBA Draft, stated that he would miss the World Cup to focus on his rookie NBA season.

Wembanyama has also had to address comments about being underweight for the NBA. “People are wrong. We’re not focused at all on weights. I don’t want to put weight on his body. We’re going to fight to not put weight on his body. Weight on his body [is] a big mistake. We focus on strength, core. We were very pleased that he linked up [with Kareem Abdul-] Jabbar who played until [41] years old. I’m very glad they, they connected because [they] have a similar body type. Kareem was not heavy. Victor is more mobile, gaudier, and taller than Kareem. So, that difference in height is a challenge and is something that we are working on every day. Making him heavy? We don’t want to do that.”

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Saweetie’s FIBA World Cup Dance Moves Take The Internet By Storm

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From the Coachella stage to the FIBA World Cup, Saweetie’s rap skills have been taking her all over the world this month. Though she didn’t have a set of her own at the California festival, the Icy Girl did join Latto on stage for her set during weekend one, which also saw her posing for photos with Ice Spice. After a brief stint in the desert, she caught a flight to the Phillippines recently, just in time to entertain audiences at the international basketball competition. During her performance, Saweetie showed off some noteworthy choreography that’s had the internet talking about her non-stop.

While dancing along to a reimagined version of one of her most popular releases, “Tap In,” the rap diva pulled out some majorette-style dance moves that looked undeniably uncomfortable in her skin-tight costume. “Love you but never wear those pants again 🤍,” one Instagram user wrote in a video Saweetie shared from her big moment. Apart from flexing footage from her show, the 29-year-old also shared a clip of her carrying out the same routine during rehearsal, at which time she moved much more confidently in workout clothing.

Saweetie’s Choreography Makes a Statement in Manila

As some threw shade at Saweetie for her awkward dance costume of choice, others spoke out in the West Coast starlet’s defence. “Britney Spears has 24 hours to respond,” one user in the former category quipped. “Let’s normalize shutting tf up when we don’t have something positive to say,” another, this one in the latter group, chimed in. “The fact she’s on THAT stage is enough 😍. Slay queen.”

This isn’t the first time the “Best Friend” hitmaker’s work has been publicly ridiculed recently. At the end of 2022, the project she put out amassed just 2K in first-week sales, earning her plenty of backlash and shade from others in the industry and internet trolls. Regardless, she continues to hold her head high and make major money moves in every endeavour. Scroll further to read more comments about Saweetie’s latest performance. Afterward, tell us how you thought she did in the comments, and check back later for more hip-hop news updates.

Social Media Reacts

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Saweetie Set to Headline FIBA Basketball World Cup Concert

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Saweetie Recipie for change 2

In case you didn’t know, Oakland rapper Saweetie is 1/4th Filipina. Though she has never been there before, she gets the opportunity to visit the Philippines this weekend. The “So Icy” rapper is the headliner for a concert in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The reason for the concert is the FIBA Basketball World Cup Draw

At the Draw, FIBA will announce players for all 32 teams for the upcoming competition. The FIBA Basketball World Cup will embark on a new path as the tournament will be across three countries. Along with the Philippines, Indonesia, and Japan will also host the event. The last FIBA Basketball World Cup was held in China, and the last time the Philippines hosted the FIBA Basketball World Cup was 1978.

This year’s event will happen at the Araneta Coliseum. Besides Saweetie hitting the stage, fans also get to see hometown favorites perform, such as Sarah Geronimo and Billy Crawford.

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