Just 7 days after winning the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Debrecen Masters, Liman (SRB) won the Europe Masters on September 4-5, 2020.
The number one ranked 3x3 team in the world lived up to the hype in Debrecen, which played host to 3 Masters in a little over one week. In the final of that last Masters, Liman defeated Sakiai Gulbele (LTU) 21-15.
Their sharpshooter Stefan Kojic, who became a father during the first Masters, went 4/7 from behind the arc for a total of 9 points in the title game. He topped all scorers at the Europe Masters and took home the MVP trophy. Besides the silverware, Liman also collected an 80,000 USD cheque for winning these 2 Masters.
Sakiai Gulbele fell just short of an unbelievable comeback. The Lithuanians had lost all 4 of their games in the first 2 Masters. Coming all the way from the qualifying draw at the Europe Masters, they won 6 in a row in 2 days, before finally showing signs of fatigue in the final.
In the individual contests, Rafal ‘Lipek’ Lipinski (POL) won the Wilson Dunk Contest while Jeddah’s Nebojsa Kilijan dominated the Tissot shoot-out contest.
All the health and safety measures requested by local and national authorities and the Guidelines for the Return to Basketball, developed by the FIBA Medical Advisory Group (MAG) were implemented for the occasion.
FINAL STANDINGS
1. Liman (SRB)
2. Sakiai Gulbele (LTU)
3. Lausanne (SUI)
4. NY Harlem (USA)
5. Riga (LAT)
6. Piran (SLO)
7. Novi Sad (SRB)
8. Jeddah (KSA)
9. Gagarin (RUS)
10. Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy (MGL)
11. Debrecen (HUN)
12. Zemun (SRB)
13. Paris (FRA)
14. Moscow Inanomo (RUS)
Exciting, urban and innovative, 3x3 is inspired by several forms of streetball played worldwide and is considered the world’s number one urban team sport. Steered by FIBA, games see two teams of three players face off on a basketball half-court.
It was played successfully for the first time in international competition at the 2010 Youth Olympic Games in Singapore and since then has benefited from the launch of a yearly city-based FIBA 3x3 World Tour and national-team FIBA 3x3 World & Continental Cups.
On 9 June 2017, 3x3 was added to the Olympic Program, starting from the Tokyo Games.
Wilson is the Global Ball and Apparel Partner and Tissot the Official Timekeeper of FIBA 3x3.
FIBA 3x3 events are played on Enlio floors with Wilson balls, Schelde backstops, and the Magic Sky canopy system.