The EuroBasket 2025 preparations are winding down, and there are good vibes surrounding one particular team ahead of the event, which begins in less than a week. The 42nd EuroBasket event consists of 24 teams playing in four countries from August 24 to September 14.
EuroBasket 2025 is loaded with quality teams and NBA talent. Thirty current NBA players have committed to playing in the event. Led by Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), and Nikola Jokic (Serbia). Additionally, 19 of the 24 teams will have at least one NBA player from France (5) and Serbia (4), having the most.
Sacramento Kings Guard Predicts 2025 EuroBasket Winner
EuroBasket 2025 is split into four brackets with six teams in each group. Group A will take place in Riga, Latvia, and feature the hosts, Turkey and Serbia. Finland hosts Group B, with Germany and Lithuania being the top dawgs. Group C is in Cyprus and is likely the “group of death” with Spain, Greece, Italy, and Georgia. Meanwhile, Group D will play in Poland, with France and Slovenia headlining the six teams.
Spain is the defending EuroBasket champion. The Spaniards, led by MVP Willy Hermangomez, defeated France 88-76 to claim their 14th EuroBasket medal, including their fourth gold, in 2022. But France went 4-2 in the Summer Olympics, falling to the USA in the finals by 11.
However, Sacramento Kings guard Dennis Schroder believes that Germany will come out victorious.
“We will win the title,” Schroder told German Website Stern.” If I weren’t convinced of that, I wouldn’t play in the tournament and would rather spend my time in Braunschweig.”
Germany, Serbia, and France have been the most consistent European teams recently. Germany won the 2023 FIBA World Cup and is 19-4 over the last three International events. The Germans have just three EuroBasket medals, claiming bronze in the 2022 event with a victory over Poland. However, they haven’t won EuroBasket gold since 1993.
A few newsy things are coming out for the EuroBaskets 2025. Cyprus is making its EuroBaskets debut, while Portugal and Sweden are back in the event for the first time since 2011 and 2013. Latvia and Iceland are back after missing out in 2022.
Meanwhile, Croatia is not participating in EuroBasket for the first time since 2009. Ukraine also failed to progress to the event for the first time since 2009.
EuroBaskets 2025 Group Previews
Serbia is the top-ranked team in EuroBaskets 2025 as they sit second behind the United States in FIBA World Rankings. Germany, France, and Spain round out the top 5. Fourteen of the top-25 ranked FIBA teams are participating in EuroBaskets 2025.
While Spain won the last EuroBasket, there hasn’t been a repeat champion since the Spaniards won in 2009 and 2011. Slovenia claimed its own medal in 2017, winning gold. France has medaled in three of the last four EuroBaskets.
Group play will run from August 27 through September 3. The Round of 16 will be played either September 6 or 7. The Quarterfinals are September 9 or 10, and the semifinals are on the 12th. EuroBakets 2025 final and third-place game is September 14.
Group A
Serbia is the top-ranked team and the clear favorite to win Group A and secure a medal in EuroBasket 2025. The Serbs, led by Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic, have nine current or former NBA players. They have run roughshod over their opponents in prep games, winning all seven games by double-digits, including over Greece and Germany.
Latvia is ranked ninth in the world. Latvia is back in EuroBaskets after missing out in 2022. Kristaps Porzingis and Davis Bertans lead the Latvians, who went 2-3 in prep games. They split with Italy, defeated Slovenia, and were blown out by Greece.
World No. 19 Czechia (2-4 Europrep games), No. 43 Estonia (3-1), and No. 56 Portugal (3-2) round out the group.
Group Winner: Serbia
Group B
No. 3-ranked Germany is not as loaded as they have been in the previous International tournaments. Franz Wagner and Schroder lead the way for the Germans, who also have Orlando’s Tristan Da Silva and former NBAers Isaac Bonga and Daniel Theis. The Germans are 4-1 in prep games with narrow wins over Spain and Turkey and a 10-point loss to Serbia.
World’s tenth-ranked Lithuania has not finished higher than sixth in international competition since taking silver in EuroBasket 2013 and 2015. Jonas Valanciunas once again led the way for the Lithuanians, who are 5-1 in prep games.
Lauri Markkanen led No. 20 Finland (4-0) and No. 16 Montenegro (2-2), led by Nikola Vucevic, are also in the group. Sweden (1-4) and Great Britain (0-4) round out the group.
Winner: Germany
Group C
Group C may be the most competitive of the four. No. 5-ranked Spain is the most successful program in the group, and Juancho Hernangomez joins his brother (Willy) and Memphis Grizzlies forward Santi Aldama. Spain is 1-4 in EuroBasket prep games with close losses to Portugal, France (2), and Germany.
This may be the year Greece, ranked 13th in the world, reintroduces itself to the world of basketball. Giannis Antetokounmpo remains among the top players in the world, though Greece has not medaled in an International event since claiming bronze in EuroBasket 2009. Greece is 3-2 in prep games this month.
Miami Heat forward Simone Fontecchio and former NBA players Danilo Gallinari and Nicolo Melli lead No. 14 Italy. The Italians have finished in the top-8 in the past four EuroBaskets. Italy is 4-1in their prep games, losing to Latvia by 15.
Orlando’s Goga Bitadze and Toronto’s Sandro Mamukelashvilli lead the way for Georgia (0-5). Meanwhile, Jusuf Nurkic captains Bosnia and Herzegovina. Cyprus (0-2) has been blown out in both its prep games and group stage matches.
Winner: Italy
Group D
Fourth-ranked France is loaded once again, with most of their 12 players having NBA experience, although there is no Victor Wembanyama, Evan Fournier, or Nic Batum. Guerschon Yabulese leads a young French squad that features Alex Sarr, Zachharie Risacher, and Bilal Coulibaly. They are 4-0 in prep games with a pair of victories over Italy.
Luka Doncic and Slovenia will attempt to pull a similar trick to 2017 when they claimed gold in this event. However, the Slovenians are just 1-5 in prep games, with all five setbacks being by double digits.
Israel, ranked 38th in the world rankings, should be able to advance to at least the top 16 for the first time since 20,15 as they have some talent. Deni Avdija, along with youngsters Ben Saraf and Yam Madar, lead the way. The Israeli is 3-2 in prep games.
Belgium (1-4), Poland (3-5), and Iceland (1-3) round out the group.
Winner: France
Last Word
EuroBaskets 2025 should be ultra-competitive. There are probably six teams that can legitimately win the event. Germany is clearly one of the favorites to claim the title this summer. However, France and Serbia will have a lot to say about it. Italy, Lithuania, and to a lesser extent, Spain. Greece. Latvia and Slovenia are dark horses.
In the end, Serbia will prove to have just too much firepower and talent.
Photo Credit: Wendell Cruz, Imagn Image
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