serbia

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.

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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 Dončić To Cover Funeral Costs For School Shooting Victims

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On May 3, a 13-year-old boy killed nine people at a school in the Serbian capital of Belgrade. The tragedy took place in the affluent neighborhood of Vračar. The boy killed eight students and a security guard, methodically working his way through the school in search of victims. The boy is reportedly a student at the school and was detained in the possession of a 9mm pistol and several Molotov cocktails. Furthermore, the suspect’s parents were also taken in custody. The boy’s father had reportedly taken his son shooting in the past.

While Serbia has a high rate of firearms and firearm possession, mass shootings are rare. It was the first mass shooting since a man killed five and injured 25 at a cafe in Žitište in 2016. However, before the shock of the school shooting could even set in, eight people were killed in a drive-by shooting on Thursday.

Dončić To Cover Funeral Costs

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – APRIL 02: Luka Doncic #77 of the Dallas Mavericks reacts against the Atlanta Hawks during the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena on April 02, 2023 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)

While East Europeans have long had a place in the NBA, few have shone as brightly as Luka Dončić. Dončić was born in the Slovenian capital of Ljubljana. However, his father, Saša, is of Serbian descent. Additionally, Dončić has family in the Belgrade area. That moved Dončić to announce on May 4 that he would pay the funeral costs of the individuals who lost their lives in the school shooting. He would also pay for survivors to receive grief counseling.

“I am heartbroken by the tragic school shooting in Serbia and the loss of lives, including those of innocent school children,” Dončić said in a statement. “My thoughts are with the families and the entire community affected by this tragedy. Through my foundation, I am exploring both immediate and long-term ways to support the students, faculty, and families affected by the shooting at the Vladislav Ribnikar Elementary School. I am committed and I will continue to share updates and ways to support as details become available.”

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