While the 2023-24 NBA season is not kicking off until October, there will be some basketball to hold Los Angeles Lakers fans over with Austin Reaves and Team USA kicking off their exhibition games to prepare for the FIBA World Cup.
First up is the USA Basketball Showcase, which features five games running from Aug. 7-20, serving as a warm-up and adjustment period for the young USA roster to get acclimated with one another.
The first game is on Aug. 7 against Puerto Rico in Las Vegas, tipping off at 7:00 p.m. PT on Fox Sports 1. USA will then get five days off as the team travels to Malaga, Spain for a matchup with Luka Doncic and Slovenia on Aug. 12.
That’s the start of a back-to-back with the second game coming against Spain on Aug. 13. They then have another test against Greece with star Giannis Antetokounmpo on Aug. 18 before finally wrapping up the showcase with Germany on Aug. 20 where Reaves will matchup with former teammate Dennis Schroder.
Team USA will then have six days to prepare for the World Cup, where they will open up against New Zealand on Aug. 26 in Manila, Philippines.
USA is in Group C, which also includes New Zealand, Greece and Jordan.
In order to advance to the 2nd Round, Team USA will have to be one of the top two teams in Group C.
If successful, the team will then be placed in Group J, where they’ll play against the top two teams from Group D: Egypt, Lithuania, Mexico and Montenegro. Then if USA places top two in Group J, they will advance to the quarter-finals.
Once in the quarter-finals, it is a win-or-go-home scenario. USA will have to win three straight games to win the World Cup. Once getting passed group play, Team USA will be tested each round with some of the best talent in the world.
It’ll be intriguing to see how far this young roster goes and if they have what it takes to win it all.
All reports on Reaves coming out of Team USA’s training camp have been positive, so he could be a key piece for coach Steve Kerr on this young squad looking to take home gold.
Team USA’s complete FIBA World Cup schedule through group play
| Opponent | Date | Time | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puerto Rico (exhibition) | Monday, Aug. 7 | 7 p.m. PT | Las Vegas, NV |
| Slovenia (exhibiton) | Saturday, Aug. 12 | 12:30 p.m. PT | Malaga, Spain |
| Spain (exhibition) | Sunday, Aug. 13 | 12:30 p.m. PT | Malaga, Spain |
| Greece (exhibition) | Friday, Aug. 18 | 9 a.m. PT | Abu Dabi, UAE |
| Germany (exhibition) | Sunday, Aug. 20 | 9 a.m. PT | Abu Dabi, UAE |
| New Zealand (Group C play) | Saturday, Aug. 26 | 5:40 a.m. PT | Manila, Phillipines |
| Greece (Group C play) | Sunday, Aug. 28 | 5:40 a.m. PT | Manila, Phillipines |
| Jordan (Group C play) | Wednesday, Aug. 30 | 1:40 a.m. PT | Manila, Phillipines |
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