For the first time since 1973, the Philippines will host the FIBA Asia Championship. The tournament will run from August 1 to 11 at the MOA Arena in Passay and Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Manila.
China and Iran are the favorites, but Filipino basketball fans will be hoping their team can end its 28 year wait to claim the title.
The 27th FIBA Asia Championship is the biggest basketball tournament is Asia, with 15 teams battling it out for three spots at next year’s FIBA World Cup in Spain.
Coconuts Manila has selected five players to keep an eye on at this year’s tournament.
Hamed Haddadi – Iran
The imposing Haddadi has a lot to prove after the Phoenix Suns waived the 28-year-old center last month. Haddadi averaged 4.1 points, 3.2 rebounds and 1.2 blocks during his brief stint in Phoenix. The 7-foot-3 center recently won the William R. Jones Cup with Iran and he will want to banish the memory of 2011, when his team was eliminated in the quarter final by Jordan.
Haddadi gets down to some hip hop, badly.
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Yi Jianlian – China
Yi is the heir apparent to Yao Ming as China’s main man. In the 2011 FIBA tournament, not only did China win gold but YI claimed the MVP award. Yi is a former NBA player who has played for the Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards and Dallas Mavericks. The 7-foot center currently plays for the Guangdong Southern Tigers.
Yi teaches NBA stars Dwight Howard and John Wall some useful Chinese terms.
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Kosuke Takeuchi – Japan
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The 28-year-old Takeuchi is expected to be one of the players that leads Japan to a place at the 2014 World Cup. The power forward led his team to the final of last year’s FIBA Asia Cup only to lose by two points to the Iranians. Kosuke’s performance at this year’s FIBA tournament will be a strong indicator as to how Japan will fare.
Kim Joo-Sung – South Korea
Kim was South Korea’s most consistent performer at this year’s William R. Jones Cup and the 33-year-old looks as focused as ever. The forward center should continue his fine form from the Jones Cup into the FIBA tournament. Kim and his forward partner Seung-Jun, who is 35-years-old, will be trying to show the younger players that they they still have what it takes to perform at the highest level.
Kim Joo-Sung will need to defend better than this at the upcoming FIBA tournament.
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LA Tenorio – Philippines
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LA is the team’s top point guard. He led the Philippines to the 2012 William R. Jones Cup, where he was named the tournament’s MVP. LA may be the smallest player in the lineup, but his ability to pick out a pass under pressure or take a shot at the perfect moment makes him a vital member of the Philippines’ team.
Tickets for the event are still available.
Photos: FIBA Asia Championships and LA Tenorio’s Facebook page.
