COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – USA Basketball and Basketball Australia today announced the nations’ men’s national teams will play two exhibition games in Melbourne in 2019 in the lead-up to the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup that will be held Aug. 31-Sept. 15 in China.
The USA-Australia exhibition games will be played at Etihad Stadium in Melbourne on Aug. 22 and 24.
Fans can register their interest in buying tickets to the Boomers v USA matches ahead of the ticket on sale in July. A limited number of corporate hospitality packages are on sale now. To join the waitlist or purchase corporate hospitality packages go to www.teglive.com.au.
“I’d like to express our thanks to Basketball Australia and Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews for all their help in making these exciting exhibition games a reality,” said Jim Tooley, USA Basketball CEO. “Prior to the basketball world’s attention being focused on the 2019 FIBA World Cup, the USA-Australia exhibitions will be an opportunity for basketball fans worldwide to see two of FIBA’s top teams compete. These games will not only be important in the USA’s World Cup preparations, but they renew a special international basketball rivalry.
“The USA-Australia game at the 2016 Rio Olympics was intense, passionate and a very competitive game that came down to the final minutes. We expect these friendlies in 2019 will again showcase international basketball at its highest level and offer sports fans a very memorable event.”
NBA San Antonio Spurs mentor Gregg Popovich is serving as head coach of the 2017-20 USA Basketball Men’s National Team. Players selected to represent the USA in 2019 are expected to be NBA players who are part of the 2019-20 USA National Team roster.
“This announcement is a landmark moment for Basketball Australia and all those fans of our great game. I believe that this event will be long remembered in Australian sporting history,” said Basketball Australia CEO Anthony Moore. “I am thrilled that Basketball Australia will be hosting the USA Basketball Men’s National Team in Australia for the first time since the 2000 Sydney Olympics and my sincere thanks go to Premier Andrews and Visit Victoria for sharing in our vision.
“It is a momentous partnership between two leading national federations and shows the level of respect that Australian basketball now commands on the world stage.”
Last meeting on Aug. 10, 2016, in preliminary round play of the 2016 Rio Olympics, it took the U.S. nearly all four quarters to pull away from Australia and record a 98-88 win.
The two nations have met in each of the last four Olympics, with the USA winning each of those meetings – 98-88 in 2016, 119-86 in 2012, 116-85 in 2008 and 89-79 in 2004.
The USA and Australia last clashed in FIBA World Cup play in 2006, which was a 113-73 victory for the USA.
The two national teams also met in a memorable pre-Olympic exhibition game on Sept. 9, 2000, in Melbourne, a game in which the USA claimed an 89-64 win.
“This is the one Australian basketball fans have been waiting for, and there’s no better place to host the USA team than in the sporting capital of the country – Victoria,” said Premier Andrews.
The USA-Australia games are promoted by TEG, Australasia’s leading Ticketing, Live Entertainment and Data Analytics company.
2019 FIBA World Cup of Basketball
Under FIBA’s new competition system, a total of 80 national teams from FIBA’s four regions of Africa, Americas, Asia (which now includes Oceania) and Europe are competing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Qualifiers over 15 months, looking to earn a qualifying berth in the 32-team 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup competition that will be held Aug. 31-Sept. 15 in China. Eight cities in China will host World Cup games – Beijing, Foshan, Wuhan, Shenzhen, Dongguan, Nanjing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.
The FIBA World Cup Qualifying games are being used to qualify 31 of the 32 nations that will compete in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. China automatically qualified as the host nation. Five teams will qualify from Africa, seven teams from the Americas, seven teams from Asia (including Oceania) and 12 European teams also will qualify.
The USA currently owns a 4-0 record and sits atop of the FIBA Americas World Cup Qualifying first-round Group C standings. Puerto Rico (2-2) and Mexico (2-2) currently list tied for second in the Group C standings, while Cuba (0-4) is fourth.
In the third and final first-round window of FIBA World Cup Qualifying, the USA will play away games at Mexico on June 28, 2018, and at Cuba on July 1, 2018.
After completion of the first round, the top three finishing teams in each of the four, Americas first-round groups advance to the second round. The three advancing teams from Group A and Group C will form Group E, while the top three finishers from Group B and Group D will form Group F. The three second-round windows of competition will take place Sept. 13-17, 2018; Nov. 29-Dec. 3, 2018; and Feb. 21-25, 2019.
Following completion of the Americas second-round games, a total of seven teams will qualify out of the Americas zone for the 2019 FIBA World Cup, including the top three finishing teams from second-round Group E and Group F, and the best fourth placed team between Group E and Group F.
The current two-time defending FIBA World Cup champion USA men have participated in 17 FIBA World Cups and have collected 12 medals – five gold medals (1954, 1986, 1994, 2010 and 2014), three silver medals (1950, 1959 and 1982) and our bronze medals (1974, 1990, 1998 and 2006). USA Men’s World Cup teams own an overall record of 123-27, and a current win streak of 19 games, having last suffered a loss, 101-95 to Greece, in the semifinals of the 2006 FIBA World Cup.
About USA Basketball
Based in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and chaired by retired Gen. Martin Dempsey, USA Basketball is a nonprofit organization and the national governing body for basketball in the United States. As the recognized governing body for basketball in the U.S. by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) and the United States Olympic Committee (USOC), USA Basketball is responsible for the selection, training and fielding of USA national teams that compete in FIBA-sponsored five-on-five and 3×3 international competitions, as well as for some national competitions, and for the development of youth basketball.
The USA Basketball Youth Development division is tasked with the development of youth basketball initiatives that address player development, coach education and safety, while promoting, growing, and elevating the game. USA Basketball is committed to providing youth throughout the country safe, fun and developmentally-appropriate environments in which they can enjoy the game. Current USA Basketball youth initiatives include coach licensing and education; organization accreditation; coach academies; regional camps; youth clinics; open court programs; Women in the Game conferences; and the U.S. Open Basketball Championships.
Connect with USA Basketball at USAB.com and on Facebook (USABasketball and USABYouth), Twitter (@usabasketball, @USABYouth, @USAB3x3), Instagram (@USABasketball) and YouTube (therealusabasketball).
