JEDDAH: Serbian club Ub Huishan NE kicked off the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Jeddah Final 2023 with a pair of impressive victories to steal the show on Day 1 in front of a packed crowd at Jeddah Corniche on Friday night.
The reigning champions showcased their determination to retain the championship and remain unbeaten ahead of facing Lausanne of Switzerland in the quarterfinals.
The 14 teams from around the world who took part on the opening day of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final were: Ub Huishan NE, Miami, Liman Huishan NE, Vienna, Antwerp TOPdesk, Amsterdam HiPRO, Partizan Mozzart, Raudondvaris Hoptrans, Beijing, Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy, Lausanne Sport LS, San Juan, Paris, and Jeddah.
Before the basketball action kicked off, the audience was treated to a spectacular show marking the opening ceremony of the tournament.
The organizing committee also set up a cultural zone near the court to provide players, officials and spectators an opportunity to engage with others between games.
During the opening ceremony, No. 1 ranked Strahinja Stojacic received the Most Valuable Player award for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour 2023 regular season, voted on by a panel of fans and players.
The so-called Serbian “Dr. Strange” has claimed back-to-back MVP awards after the top-seeded Ub Huishan NE made one of the most dominant starts in World Tour history, winning six Masters in a row. Stojacic now has three MVPs in total this season.
The 31-year-old Serbian has made waves for his country as well, winning the FIBA 3x3 World Cup 2023 in Vienna, as well as the Europe Cup 2023.
The quarterfinal matchups are as follows:
Ub Huishan NE (SRB) — Lausanne Sport LS (SUI)
Antwerp TOPdesk (BEL) — Miami (USA)
Partizan Mozzart (SRB) — San Juan (PUR)
Amsterdam HiPRO (NED) — Raudondvaris Hoptrans (LTU)
