Basketball
Red Bull Half Court World Finals in Serbia: Who are the new champions?
See which teams came out on top at Red Bull Half Court World Finals 2023 in Serbia. Alert for 2024: Red Bull Half Court World Finals will be coming to New York City.
At the historic fortress of Kalemegdan, Team Serbia delivered a Final Four triumph over a gritty USA team from Atlanta, followed by an overtime victory against Team Poland to take the men’s crown at the Red Bull Half Court World Finals.
Lethal Shooter and Dušan Bulut with Serbia men's champs in Belgrade
© Predrag Vuckovic / Red Bull Content Pool
Serbia continues to be a phenomenon in global basketball following Nikola Jokic’s MVP season and NBA title, and the more recent silver medal won by the Serbia men at the FIBA Basketball World Championship in Manila.
The most sought-after shooting coachChris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews was on-site to support the USA men’s and women’s squads that traveled more than 5,000 miles after clinching USA 3v3 national titles in Atlanta’s stifling 100-degree heat last month. Both teams advancing from the U.S. had a few weeks to prepare for Serbia where they navigated a gauntlet of 14 women’s and 25 men’s teams from 24 countries.
Lethal Shooter with participants at his workshop before the World Finals
© Predrag Vuckovic / Red Bull Content Pool
The USA men’s team, known as “Sankofa,” were led by Brannon Hopkins, Tim Mitchell, Saveyon Edwards and Carlos Nichols. In pool play, the team finished 2-1 in a strong bracket that included United Arab Emirates, the country of Georgia, and Montenegro. They advanced to the Sweet 16 where they again faced Team UAE and came away with a thrilling 19-18 victory led by the hot long-distance shooting of Hopkins. In the Great Eight, they shocked the local crowd by taking out one of the tournament favorites Team Montenegro, after losing to them a day prior in pool play. Again it was a hot Hopkins from the outside, combined with the bully ball inside moves of Mitchell. In a Final Four matchup against powerhouse Team Serbia, their journey came to an end in a hard-fought match against a well-schooled opponent.
USA men vs Team Serbia prior to Final Four matchup
© Red Bull Content Pool
USA women team
© Red Bull Content Pool
The USA women’s team, “Ball Year Round,” includes Atlanta-based players Jessica Edwards, Hasina Clark, Ashley Hagans and Khristian Lee. In pool play, they finished 2-2, taking on teams from Belgium, Turkey, Australia and Azerbaijan. They barely missed out on the Great Eight round based on a total points tiebreaker.
"These athletes are great, that’s why they are here. To represent their countries, they are the best of the best,” said Chris “Lethal Shooter” Matthews about the level of competition on display in Red Bull Half Court. “This is a top-notch player line-up. Shout out to all the countries participating here.”
Egypt's women's team with Chris Matthews and Dušan Bulut
© Predrag Vuckovic / Red Bull Content Pool
Securing their first-ever women's title, Team Egypt emerged victorious over Team Japan, the defending 2022 champion. Led by their stars Nadine Selaawi and Fila MVP Hager Amer, Egypt outperformed Japan in a decisive victory, 15-10.
Nikola Mihajlovic from Team Serbia was crowned Fila Men’s MVP after hitting the championship winning shot in overtime versus Team Poland, led by Polish American basketball professional and 3x3 Olympic bronze medalist from Tokyo 2020, Michael Hicks.
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World Champions crowned at the Red Bull Half Court World Final 2023
See the best of the action from the Red Bull Half Court World Final 2023 in Belgrade, Serbia.
As Red Bull Half Court comes to an end this year, we're already looking ahead to 2024, where Red Bull Half Court World Finals will be taking place in New York City for another remarkable chapter in the tournament's history.