FIBA announces Los Angeles will host FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final 2020-2023
MIES (Switzerland) / LOS ANGELES (USA) – FIBA, the international governing body for basketball, and the Los Angeles Times media group today announced an agreement to bring the annual FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final to Los Angeles from 2020 through 2023.
Following the FIBA 3x3 World Cup, which crowned the United States men and Chinese women on June 23 and set a record for the largest-ever FIBA 3x3 temporary venue on Museumplein in Amsterdam, FIBA announced the partnership which will expand 3x3 in North America.
“This partnership is a breakthrough for the growth of 3x3 basketball,” FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said. “We are excited to bring our urban discipline to the next level in North America with a renowned and innovative group like the Los Angeles Times. This will undoubtedly cement the FIBA 3x3 culture in the build up to the Los Angeles 2028 Games.”
As previously announced, the L.A. Times is sponsoring the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Masters on Sept. 20 and 21. In keeping with the global popularity of 3x3 and tradition of creating urban cultural festivals in association with the on-court competitions, the tournament will be the centerpiece of a larger event, the L.A. Street Festival. The World Tour Masters will be the only World Tour event in the U.S. before 3x3 basketball makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo next summer.
“Basketball is one of the most popular sports in the United States and Los Angeles is an international sports and culture capital,” said Patrick Soon-Shiong, Chairman and CEO of NantWorks and Owner and Executive Chairman of the Los Angeles Times. “We’re thrilled to extend our partnership with FIBA and host major 3x3 events in Los Angeles over the next several years.”
The L.A. Street Festival, a new, annual urban event, will debut Sept. 20-21, adjacent to the L.A. Times headquarters in El Segundo, Calif. The festival will feature FIBA 3x3 basketball, esports competitions, side contests, dunking, music, break dancing, gaming activations and kids play zones to entertain the public at the event and through digital platforms and broadcast. Starting in 2020, the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final will be held in Los Angeles as part of the L.A. Street Festival.
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About FIBA 3x3
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 2020 Games.
Nike is the Founding Partner, Wilson the Global Sponsor 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.
For further information about 3x3, visit fiba3x3.basketball, FIBA 3x3 accounts on Facebook, Instagram, Sina Weibo, Tencent, Twitter, Youku and YouTube or contact 3x3@fiba.com.
About the Los Angeles Times Media Group
The Los Angeles Times, founded in 1881, is one of the most storied media brands in the United States. The L.A. Times media group portfolio includes the flagship Los Angeles Times; its Spanish-language companion, LA Times en Español; an entertainment industry and awards specialty publication, The Envelop; a tabloid dedicated to the Southern California real estate market, Hot Property; and a collection of community news publications and lifestyle magazines. The Times’ Pulitzer Prize-winning journalism and expertise in storytelling extends beyond its pages: An in-house events team produces more than 90 events each year, including the Festival of Books, Food Bowl, The Taste, Ideas Exchange and a variety of public engagement and pop culture happenings. The Times’ 10-acre campus in El Segundo will include The Times Center, a versatile event venue and production studio. This September, the L.A. Times will be the sponsor and host of the inaugural L.A. Street Festival.