Ub are champions of the first-ever FIBA 3x3 Athens Challenger, closing out a dominant weekend at the Panathenaic Stadium with an 18-15 win over Amsterdam Rabobank in the final. It's the Serbian side's third Challenger title of the 2026 season, and it came together the same way the previous two did: Strahinja Stojacic (197-SG-1992) doing the heavy lifting up front, with Nenad Nerandzic (203-F-1996) supplying just enough firepower behind him to make the difference in the biggest moments.
The final lived up to its billing as a clash between two of the Pro Circuit's best. Tied at 5-5 early, Ub broke the game open with a 7-1 run to build a six-point cushion, but Amsterdam kept clawing back Bryan Alberts (196-SG-1994, college: LBSU) trimmed it to one possession, and Nerandzic had to answer with three straight points just to restore breathing room. Amsterdam made one last push late in regulation to cut the gap to a single point before Marko Brankovic (200-G/F-1994) settled it, drilling the decisive two-pointer with under 20 seconds left. It capped a tournament in which Ub never really looked threatened, romping through pool play with wins over Rio (21-9) and Warsaw (21-14), then getting past Kandava Turiba in the quarterfinals before Nerandzic exploded for 11 points on 7-of-8 shooting including a pair of perfect looks from beyond the arc to beat Fuengirola in the semifinals.
Stojacic was named tournament MVP, leading the field in player value, points, highlights, free throws made and drives while finishing third in assists. He and Nerandzic both finished with a tournament-high 34 points, the clearest sign of just how balanced Ub's attack was all weekend. Amsterdam's own run to the final included wins over Kandava Turiba and London in pool play, a comfortable quarterfinal win over Rio, and a semifinal blowout of surprise package Akademija VDU, who'd upset fourth-seeded Toulouse en route to their own unlikely run to the final four. Fuengirola rounded out the podium with a third-place finish. All three podium finishers Ub, Amsterdam Rabobank and Fuengirola have now qualified for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour's TBC stop.

Liman didn't just win the first-ever Darkhan Challenger; they went through the entire weekend without losing a single game. The Serbian side beat DeQing 21-14 in Sunday's final at the Darkhan United Arena to cap a flawless 5-0 run, adding a Challenger trophy to a 2026 campaign that already included two FIBA 3x3 World Tour titles.
Liman topped Pool A from the start, beating Sansar M Bank 21-15 and Marijampole Mantinga 16-14, then carried that form into the knockout rounds a 19-13 win over Liberec in the round of 16, followed by a 22-12 demolition of Cibona Ph.Classic in the semifinals that stood out as one of the tournament's most complete performances. The final against DeQing started as a defensive grind, with the Chinese side actually holding a narrow 3-2 edge early. Liman settled in from there, edging ahead 8-7 at the midpoint before a string of defensive stops turned into easy transition baskets and opened a 17-12 lead with under two minutes left. Stefan Milivojevic (190-G-1997, college: Academy of Art, agency: 011 Sports) buried a trademark two-pointer to push it to seven, and Nemanja Zigon (191-G-1996) closed it out to seal the 21-14 win.
DeQing's own path to the final had its share of drama. The Chinese side lost its opening game to Vienna before rebounding with a win over Zavkhan, then pulled off the tournament's biggest upset by knocking out Mongolian home favorites Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy 21-19. A tight 18-17 semifinal win over Toronto powered by three clutch two-pointers from Guo Hanyu and all-around play from Dianliang Zhang (200-F-1997) completed the run to the championship game.
Milivojevic was named tournament MVP, posting a tournament-best 40.5 player value with 31 points and 10 two-pointers, while Zigon finished as the event's leading scorer with 33 points across two standout performances on the second day. Liman, DeQing and third-place finisher Toronto all secured qualification for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour TBC stop in November.

Skyliners got their rematch. It didn't go any better the second time. Lausanne beat the German side 22-14 in Sunday's final at the scenic Tianyu Lake Scenic Area, avenging nothing for Skyliners and instead completing a weekend in which the Swiss side beat their eventual final opponent twice first in pool play, then again for the inaugural Hanchuan Challenger title.
Lausanne's run started with a win over Princeton before that pool-play upset over fourth-ranked Skyliners set the tone. Jonathan Kazadi (195-PG-1991) starred in a 21-14 quarterfinal win over Valencia Basket, then delivered 10 points as Lausanne buried seven two-pointers in a 22-10 semifinal demolition of home favorites Shanghai, finishing that game with more than four minutes still on the clock. The final followed almost the same script: Lausanne jumped out to a 9-3 lead and never let Skyliners find any offensive rhythm, answering every German push with a quality look inside or beyond the arc. Thomas Jurkovitz (195-G/F-1997) added seven points in the final, and Titouan Vannay (194-F-1999) delivered the exclamation point with the decisive two-pointer to seal a 22-14 win.
Skyliners' own weekend had its moments. Stefan Kojic (202-SF-1992), back after several weeks of rest, made an immediate impact in a win over Princeton and went on to finish as the tournament's leading scorer with 36 points, including a 14-point outburst that fueled a semifinal comeback win over Taipei WanBao. It just wasn't enough to get past Lausanne a second time, leaving Skyliners with another solid podium finish but no revenge.
Natan Jurkovitz (202-F-1995) was named tournament MVP after a genuinely all-around weekend first in rebounds (30), offensive rebounds (16) and dunks (6), with two double-fives and a top finish among the field in player value. Lausanne, Skyliners and a breakout Taipei WanBao side who'd upset Antwerp in pool play en route to the semifinals all secured qualification for the FIBA 3x3 World Tour TBC stop.

Guard Lucca Boracina (186-G-2007) was the top scorer of the day in the world yesterday with the 37 points he had in the Brazilian LDB. His excellent performance made his team the Pinheiros beat the Rio Claro 75 to 68. He also added 5 rebounds, 3 assists and 4 steals that evening. Boracina won the Brazilian LDB championship title in 2025.

Lucas Thor (2009) was the top scorer of the day in the world with the 43 points he had in the Brazilian LDB. His excellent performance made his team the Pinheiros beat the Bauru 100 to 50. He also added 6 rebounds, 3 steals and 1 assist that evening. Thor helped his team to make it to the Brazilian Paulista Semifinals in 2025.

Puerto Rico are champions of men's basketball at the Central American and Caribbean Games, closing out a physical final with a 94-75 win over the Dominican Republic at Arena Banreservas. The game was tight for three quarters Puerto Rico led by no more than four points through the third before a 35-point fourth quarter blew the game open and turned a competitive final into a comfortable gold-medal celebration.
Felipe Quinones (198-G-2008) was the story of the night, scoring 25 points on 8-of-14 shooting, including 5-of-8 from three, and adding nine assists for good measure. Vincent Stewart (207-C-2007) was nearly as efficient with 18 points on 7-of-12 shooting, and Dwight Gaines (156-PG-2009) added 19, going a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Fernando De Los Santos (192-G-2006) put up a monster individual effort for the Dominican Republic in the losing cause, finishing with 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting, and Ronald Garcia added 16, but the Dominicans simply had no answer once Puerto Rico's fourth quarter got rolling.
Belize claimed the bronze medal earlier in the day, holding off Mexico 80-70 behind Josiah Moseley (203-F-2006)'s 27 points on 11-of-18 shooting and Douglas Langford (201-F-2006, agency: One Motive Sports)'s 14 points and five offensive rebounds. Alejandro Munoz (203-F) led Mexico with 20 points on an efficient 6-of-8 shooting, and Ronnie Selleaze (191-G) added 18, but Mexico could never quite close the gap against a Belize side that got exactly the kind of complementary scoring it needed from Tevaughn Dawson (188-G-2006) and Ian Parham.
In the classification games, Nishon Thomas (F-2008) delivered the individual performance of the tournament, scoring 40 points on 16-of-25 shooting to lead Nicaragua past Panama 84-70 and claim fifth place; David Watson (185-SG-2007) added 19 for Nicaragua, while Ethan Brown (2007) led Panama with 16. Guatemala closed out the tournament in seventh place, beating Jamaica 66-47 behind Eric Figueroa (198-F/C)'s 13 points and Cesar Catalan (190-SG-2007)'s 11 assists; Aiden Holness led Jamaica with 16 in defeat.

England got exactly the rematch it wanted, and delivered exactly the same result. Four years after beating Australia for gold at Birmingham 2022, England edged the same opponent again, 19-17, to defend its Commonwealth Games men's 3x3 basketball title at the SEC Centre on July 29, 2026.
Nothing about the final came easy. Australia built an early 9-6 lead, but England leveled it, and a crucial two-pointer from Dwayne Lautier-Ogunleye (193-G-1996, college: Bradley) put the defending champions ahead for good with the game still tight in its closing stretch. Neither side led by more than three points for most of the contest, and it stayed that way right up until the final minute, when Jamell Anderson (203-F-1990)'s dunk and another Lautier-Ogunleye basket sealed it. England, made up of Anderson, Lautier-Ogunleye, Evan Walshe (193-G-1998, college: Barry) and Ashley Hamilton (201-F-1988, college: LMU), had gotten there by beating New Zealand 21-16 in the semifinal, a game Anderson called a "roller-coaster ride."
The moment carried real weight for Anderson personally this was his second Commonwealth gold, and his three-year-old daughter watched from the stands. "To win Commonwealth gold for England in front of my daughter, I'm finished," he said afterward, crediting the team's togetherness for getting them through. Scotland claimed bronze in the earlier medal match, beating New Zealand 18-16 behind nine points from Kyle Jimenez (187-G-1998), who'd finished fourth with the same team at Birmingham 2022.

Most Valuable Player: Stefan Joksimovic (194-F-2008) of Baskonia
Best Guard: Stefan Joksimovic (194-F-2008) of Baskonia
Best Forward: Diego Niebla (202-F-2008) of Joventut
Best Center: Leonard Kroger (205-C-2008) of Paderborn

Eurobasket.com All-FIBA U18 EuroBasket First Team 2026

Joksimovic

Niang

Niebla

Yimga-Moukouri

Kroger

First Team
Stefan Joksimovic (194-F-2008) of Baskonia
Papa Niang (196-G-2008) of Trento
Diego Niebla (202-F-2008) of Joventut
Hugo Yimga-Moukouri (205-SF-2008) of Nanterre
Leonard Kroger (205-C-2008) of Paderborn

Eurobasket.com All-FIBA U18 EuroBasket Second Team 2026

Musis

Stombergas

Chatzilamprou

Avdejev

Karutasu

Second Team
David Musis (208-C-2008) of Ramat Hash.
Ignas Stombergas (198-F-2008) of Zalgiris
Chrysostomos Chatzilamprou (200-F-2008) of Aris
Roman Avdejev (203-F/C-2008) of Reinar Halliku
Darius Karutasu (201-F-2009) of Anadolu Efes

Eurobasket.com All-FIBA U18 EuroBasket Honorable Mention 2026

Aronov

Anderson

Ciperle

Letailleur

Randuska

Kudrjavcevs

Thompson

Kolev

Drejer

Honorable Mention
Aviv Aronov (194-F-2008) of Ramat Hash.
Lucai Anderson (190-G-2009) of NGT Belgrade
Maks Ciperle (200-SG-2008) of Cedevita Ol.
Louka Letailleur (198-F-2008) of Gravelines
Bruno Randuska (191-PG-2008) of Inter SB
Raivo Kudrjavcevs (194-G-2008) of Rigas Z.
Pierce Thompson (6'4''-PG-2008) of Harvard-Westlake
Kaloyan Kolev (6'7''-G-2007) of IUPUI
Gustav Drejer (197-G-2009) of Vaerlose

Chris Widmer (198-F-2007) is a 19 year old 198cm forward playing for the Skyliners organization with their Pro B team Skyliners and NBBL team Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners. He has played most of his career with the Skyliners, but also played with TV Langen. He spoke to eurobasket about his career.

Thanks Chris for talking to eurobasket.com. You live in Germany, but play for the youth Dutch team. Talk about your childhood. You grew up in Germany, but have Dutch roots?

Yes for my whole life I have lived in Frankfurt. My mother is D utch and my father Swiss. I always went there when I was on vacation to visit family and friends. So I always had a connection to my home countries and I always enjoy being there. As for basketball I came across some coaches from Amsterdam last season at a pre season tournament. I connected myself and got integrated into Netherlands Basketball.

You played JBBL with Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners, but also played a season with TV Langen. What positives could you get from your Langen season?

I made first experiences outside of youth basketball having played a few games in 1. Regionalliga. I had good coaches like Niklas Pons and Tobias Jahn who were able to give me some Input and support me on my basketball journey. They also encouraged me to take the next steps in my career. Overall it was a good learning experience.

How valuable was a player like experienced Henk Droste? What could you learn from him?

Henk Droste was a great teammate and a fun guy to be around. He himself is a good all round player and also very physical. He showed me how important it is to be consistent in what you do. As a 16 year old back then he also taught me fundamental things about basketball that helped me become a better player.

Last season you played Regionalliga in Frankfurt and this season in the Pro B. How valuable was the pro B experience? How did your game grow there?

I earned my first minutes and also scored my first points at some point for which I am very grateful. I didn't have a big role but I helped out the team when it was needed. I didn't improve my game that much just by playing Pro b but still learned a few useful things under the coaching of Markus Klusemann.

Let´s talk about your game. You're a 198cm forward. If you had to compare your game to a NBA or Euroleague player who would best fit the description?

I don´t really know who I would compare to my game, a lot of the times the players are unique in their playing style.

Talk about your strenghs as a player. What kind of an offensive player are you? Are you a guy that also does things that aren´t always seen on the stat sheet?

Offenisvely I try to use my first step to attack the rim and use my body, when I get a good shot I also take 3s. If its needed I can also be used for screens and use my strength for pick and rolls and other situations. Other than that I am good on fast breaks and defense to offense runs.

How would you rate the development of your 3 point shooting this season? You shot 27% in the NBBL. Is it tough developing it when there are others taking the bulk of the shots?

It was better at the beginning of the season but overall I'd say I improved my shooting over the last years. When you have players like Jamie and Ivan but also the other guys like Lukas Smazak for example you have a limited amounts of shots per game. But that´s also how it should be and I have of course adapted to this.

What kind of a defender are you now and what kind of a defender do you still want to become?

In my opinion I can defend almost anybody, from guard to wing to big. I want to become even quicker on my feet and maybe be more solid when boxing out. I can anticipate steels of ball pretty well and want to use this when defending on ball.

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can keep improving your game?

Definitely fundamental shooting, being able to knock down open 3s is very important for me. Over the summer I want to improve my handles and overall finishing.

You also have been a member of the Dutch U-18 team. How is the state of Dutch basketball? How good is Tayshawn Gipson? His dad played in the BBL around the time you were born?

Tayshawn Gipson is a very talanted player with crazy athleticism and ball handling. It was fun playing with him as it also was with my other teammates from nationals. I also met his family briefly, they all are very nice people, it is obvious that he got his talents from his dad and learned a lot from him. Dutch basketball is definitely evolving and starting to get more recognition. Especially with the new generation of players it will only get better from here.

You know players like Endurance Ayiamenkhue and Yanu Slingerland. How good are these 2 players and what do you like most about their games?

Both Endurance and Yanu proved that they are one of the best players in European competition. Yanu is a go to shooter with tough athleticism and Endurance a physicall center who can dominate around the rim. I believe in these boys and I'm sure they are going achieve great things.

You played at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B in Romania -2025 playing 5 games. What kind of an experience was that? What was your fondest moment there?

To be honest it was more a lesson for me to deal with pressure and having to accept your coach not having trust in you anymore. I lost my rhythm starting the tournament and didn't play much after that so I had chance to let it sink in and better myself mentally. But all in all I also had a lot of fun with my teammates and made some great connections.

What is your goal as a professional player? Is being a pro a goal? What would be your plan B?

I want to see how I evolve in the next years. If I see myself playing on professional level I will give everything to achieve that. My number 1 goal is to become the best player that I can be.

Who is the toughest player that you ever faced in your career that made NBA or Euroleague?

Untill now I'm not sure that I have actually played against Players that already made NBA or Euroleague but there are a number of guys where I'm sure that they will reach one of those two. Take Endurance as an example. Furthermore as I already mentioned I'm confident a few of my teammates will also reach that level.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Jamie Edoka, Ivan Crjnac, Konstantinos Kapetanakis, Julius Messer und Noah Koch.

Please list your personal NBA, Dutch and Euroleague Mount Rushmore of 4 best players of all-time?

Lebron James, Anthony Edwards, Worthy de Jong, Kendrick Nunn

Who is your GOAT?

Lebron James

Thanks Chris for the chat?

Chris Widmer (198-F-2007) is a 19 year old 198cm forward playing for the Skyliners organization with their Pro B team Skyliners and NBBL team Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners. He has played most of his career with the Skyliners, but also played with TV Langen. He spoke to eurobasket about his career.

Thanks Chris for talking to eurobasket.com. You live in Germany, but play for the youth Dutch team. Talk about your childhood. You grew up in Germany, but have Dutch roots?

Yes for my whole life I have lived in Frankfurt. My mother is D utch and my father Swiss. I always went there when I was on vacation to visit family and friends. So I always had a connection to my home countries and I always enjoy being there. As for basketball I came across some coaches from Amsterdam last season at a pre season tournament. I connected myself and got integrated into Netherlands Basketball.

You played JBBL with Eintracht Frankfurt Skyliners, but also played a season with TV Langen. What positives could you get from your Langen season?

I made first experiences outside of youth basketball having played a few games in 1. Regionalliga. I had good coaches like Niklas Pons and Tobias Jahn who were able to give me some Input and support me on my basketball journey. They also encouraged me to take the next steps in my career. Overall it was a good learning experience.

How valuable was a player like experienced Henk Droste? What could you learn from him?

Henk Droste was a great teammate and a fun guy to be around. He himself is a good all round player and also very physical. He showed me how important it is to be consistent in what you do. As a 16 year old back then he also taught me fundamental things about basketball that helped me become a better player.

Last season you played Regionalliga in Frankfurt and this season in the Pro B. How valuable was the pro B experience? How did your game grow there?

I earned my first minutes and also scored my first points at some point for which I am very grateful. I didn't have a big role but I helped out the team when it was needed. I didn't improve my game that much just by playing Pro b but still learned a few useful things under the coaching of Markus Klusemann.

Let´s talk about your game. You're a 198cm forward. If you had to compare your game to a NBA or Euroleague player who would best fit the description?

I don´t really know who I would compare to my game, a lot of the times the players are unique in their playing style.

Talk about your strenghs as a player. What kind of an offensive player are you? Are you a guy that also does things that aren´t always seen on the stat sheet?

Offenisvely I try to use my first step to attack the rim and use my body, when I get a good shot I also take 3s. If its needed I can also be used for screens and use my strength for pick and rolls and other situations. Other than that I am good on fast breaks and defense to offense runs.

How would you rate the development of your 3 point shooting this season? You shot 27% in the NBBL. Is it tough developing it when there are others taking the bulk of the shots?

It was better at the beginning of the season but overall I'd say I improved my shooting over the last years. When you have players like Jamie and Ivan but also the other guys like Lukas Smazak for example you have a limited amounts of shots per game. But that´s also how it should be and I have of course adapted to this.

What kind of a defender are you now and what kind of a defender do you still want to become?

In my opinion I can defend almost anybody, from guard to wing to big. I want to become even quicker on my feet and maybe be more solid when boxing out. I can anticipate steels of ball pretty well and want to use this when defending on ball.

On what areas of your game are you working on most now so you can keep improving your game?

Definitely fundamental shooting, being able to knock down open 3s is very important for me. Over the summer I want to improve my handles and overall finishing.

You also have been a member of the Dutch U-18 team. How is the state of Dutch basketball? How good is Tayshawn Gipson? His dad played in the BBL around the time you were born?

Tayshawn Gipson is a very talanted player with crazy athleticism and ball handling. It was fun playing with him as it also was with my other teammates from nationals. I also met his family briefly, they all are very nice people, it is obvious that he got his talents from his dad and learned a lot from him. Dutch basketball is definitely evolving and starting to get more recognition. Especially with the new generation of players it will only get better from here.

You know players like Endurance Ayiamenkhue and Yanu Slingerland. How good are these 2 players and what do you like most about their games?

Both Endurance and Yanu proved that they are one of the best players in European competition. Yanu is a go to shooter with tough athleticism and Endurance a physicall center who can dominate around the rim. I believe in these boys and I'm sure they are going achieve great things.

You played at the FIBA U18 EuroBasket Division B in Romania -2025 playing 5 games. What kind of an experience was that? What was your fondest moment there?

To be honest it was more a lesson for me to deal with pressure and having to accept your coach not having trust in you anymore. I lost my rhythm starting the tournament and didn't play much after that so I had chance to let it sink in and better myself mentally. But all in all I also had a lot of fun with my teammates and made some great connections.

What is your goal as a professional player? Is being a pro a goal? What would be your plan B?

I want to see how I evolve in the next years. If I see myself playing on professional level I will give everything to achieve that. My number 1 goal is to become the best player that I can be.

Who is the toughest player that you ever faced in your career that made NBA or Euroleague?

Untill now I'm not sure that I have actually played against Players that already made NBA or Euroleague but there are a number of guys where I'm sure that they will reach one of those two. Take Endurance as an example. Furthermore as I already mentioned I'm confident a few of my teammates will also reach that level.

Please name your 5 best teammates of all-time?

Jamie Edoka, Ivan Crjnac, Konstantinos Kapetanakis, Julius Messer und Noah Koch.

Please list your personal NBA, Dutch and Euroleague Mount Rushmore of 4 best players of all-time?

Lebron James, Anthony Edwards, Worthy de Jong, Kendrick Nunn

Who is your GOAT?

Lebron James

Thanks Chris for the chat?

Riyadi are champions of the Lebanese Basketball League, closing out a decisive Game 7 with a 100-79 win over rivals Sagesse to settle a series that went the full distance. It was Karim Zeinoun (188-G-1999) who made sure there was no drama left in the deciding game, catching fire from every part of the floor 12-of-15 shooting overall, including 6-of-7 from three, for 32 points in a performance that earned him Finals MVP honors.
Zeinoun wasn't alone. Dusan Miletic (213-C-1998) controlled the paint with a near-perfect 24-point, 12-rebound double-double, converting 10-of-12 from two-point range, and Hayk Gyokchyan (203-F-1990, college: F&M) added 11 off an efficient 3-of-6 shooting night. Kouat Noi (201-F-1997, college: TCU) chipped in nine, and Riyadi shot a remarkable 61.7 percent from the field as a team, including 71.8 percent at the free-throw line and a lethal 42.9 percent from beyond the arc, numbers that reflected a team peaking at exactly the right moment.
Sagesse fought until the end but simply ran out of answers for Zeinoun and Miletic. Sekou Doumbouya (206-PF-2000) led the resistance with 19 points on 5-of-11 shooting, going 4-of-6 from three, and Deshawndre Washington (201-G, college: NM State) added 23 points across the full 40 minutes, though it took him 23 shot attempts to get there. Tyrell Harrison (214-C-1999) and Youssef Khayat (206-F-2003, college: BGSU) each scored in double figures, but Sagesse's night was undercut by a rough 30.8 percent clip from three as a team and 13 turnovers that Riyadi consistently turned into extra possessions.

Portland has found its fourth head coach in as many seasons for the Rip City Remix, hiring Ameer Bahhur to run the G League affiliate, according to HoopsHype's Michael Scotto. The Blazers also brought in James Brocato as director of basketball innovation, rounding out a pair of hires that touch both the bench and the front office's analytics side.
Bahhur steps into the role after two seasons as an assistant on Jamahl Mosley's staff in Orlando, a stint that followed two years as the Magic's head video coordinator after he joined the organization in 2022. Before that, he spent the 2021-22 season as an assistant with the Rio Grande Valley Vipers, Houston's G League affiliate giving him a coaching resume built almost entirely within the G League ecosystem before this promotion to a head job. He replaces Jonah Herscu, who left Portland's organization to join Tiago Splitter's new coaching staff in Chicago.
Brocato brings a very different background to his new post. He'd been with Dallas since 2014, most recently as the Mavericks' director of basketball analytics since 2015, a decade-long run in one of the league's more established analytics departments. The timing of both hires lands amid a rockier stretch off the court for the organization ongoing, occasionally tense negotiations between the Blazers and the city of Portland over the team's future though one Portland-focused report has characterized relocation as unlikely any time soon, noting the franchise doesn't have many obvious markets to move to even if Seattle and Las Vegas end up reserved for expansion, and that the team is already getting stronger local financial backing than the Seattle SuperSonics received in their final years before that franchise relocated.

Fresh off an assistant coaching stint with the San Antonio Spurs at the 2026 NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, rising Kiwi coach Josiah Maama has officially joined the BNZ Breakers as an Assistant Coach for the NBL27 campaign.

Maama's appointment brings a potent blend of NBA Summer League exposure, historic international success, a lifelong passion for the Breakers, and deep Auckland roots to Head Coach Gordon Herbert's staff at the BNZ Breakers.

A proud Glen Innes resident of Tongan heritage, Maama was part of the coaching team with the Junior Tall Blacks who orchestrated a historic fourth-place finish at the FIBA U19 World Cup in Switzerland. Working with fellow assistant BNZ Breakers coach Matt Lacey, this was the highest World Cup placement ever achieved by a New Zealand basketball team at any junior level.

Working inside the San Antonio Spurs' system during the California Classic and Vegas Summer League has added modern NBA player-development mechanics and high-level scouting experience to his already extensive skill set.

Maama's rapid ascent through the coaching ranks is anchored by a proven track record of player development across Auckland. In addition to co-founding East Auckland's GI Rise Basketball grassroots initiative, he led Dilworth School to its first Auckland Premiership title in 2025 and served as an Assistant Coach for the Auckland Tuatara in the NZNBL.

"Josiah is widely recognized as one of the sharpest young basketball minds in Australasia," says Dillon Boucher, BNZ Breakers President of Basketball Operations.

"Adding Josiah to our coaching staff under Gordon Herbert is a huge coup for our club and for his own development as a Kiwi coach."

Incoming Head Coach Gordon Herbert is delighted with the appointment.

"We have assembled a team of great Kiwi coaches which will help me connect with the local basketball culture," says Herbert.

"Josiah has recent experience inside an elite NBA organisation at the San Antonio Spurs and has shown great basketball acumen which will help us get the best from the roster."

Maama has a passion for development and deep connections within the local Auckland community.

“I've been a lifelong fan of the club - so it means a lot to represent the BNZ Breakers. I used to watch games on TV and dream of being involved. Coaching is a vocation for me, and to be able to serve and be part of the legacy of this organization is special to me, my family and Glen Innes.”

Maama is excited with the direction the club is taking under the guidance of Chairman and majority owner Marc Mitchell.

“As someone who has worked in basketball from the ground up, I have seen how vital it is to have pathways for aspiring athletes/coaches/staff to become the best versions of themselves and for the club's future success.

“The BNZ Breakers has a rich history in this through their academy, and I am excited to help coach, mentor and grow the next Reuben Te Rangi, Tom Abercrombie, or Sam Mennenga. It's also important for the club to give back to the grass roots and pay homage to the community who make this club what it is today.”

With a coaching staff featuring world-class international leadership, NBA exposure, and top domestic talent developers, Maama's arrival completes an elite coaching unit on the sidelines as the BNZ Breakers prepare for the NBL27 season.

Maama will assemble with the players for a start to their pre-season in the coming days, with the first full day on court next Tuesday (August 11) as the club prepares for NBL27 and the season opening Blitz tournament in Bendigo from September 2nd.