Nowitzki: “Yoannis is a possible MVP of the World Cup – Favorite as always USA”

The 2023 Basketball World Cup is fast approaching, with the group stage draw scheduled for Saturday (29/4, 14:00).

THE Dirk Nowitzkiwho is in the Philippines to be present with him Louis Scola in the draw, he made statements regarding his expectations for Mundobasket, commenting on him Giannis Antetokounmpo but also him Victor Webanyama.

What the great German said in detail:

For the draw: “I am very happy to be here. The World Cup is the biggest event we have as FIBA, it’s always excellently organized and it’s basketball at the highest level, since great countries participate.”

For the World Cup: “I always felt excitement playing in the World Cup. I’m looking forward to seeing a great event here in Asia. There are so many basketball fans here. It’s a basketball crazy country and we’re going to meet a fantastic basketball atmosphere. Hopefully we’ll have some great teams and have a great tournament.”

On the potential World Cup MVP: “It’s always the same guys, NBA superstars if they all come, Luka (Doncic), Giannis (Antetokounmpo), (Nikola) Jokic. They all played in EuroBasket last year, which in terms of talent was an amazing tournament and in terms of attendance.

I hope the same will happen here at the World Cup, where basketball will be at the highest level. Also, we’ll have to see which players Team USA will bring. You never know. We’ll see who’s available, who’s healthy, but for me the USA is always the favorite no matter who they have because of the talent pool they have. It will be fun.”

On the game of basketball and how much it has changed: “The game has changed. When I came in, there were a lot of 4s and 5s who played close to the basket, who got rebounds and had big muscles. Then I personally was part of the change, in the early 2000s, when the game became more …”again a movement game” with less holding and less fouls. In the NBA they decided to get rid of hand checking and that really helped, both me and all the able European talls. So they could play looking at the basket, they could shoot, they could bring the ball up.

And I think that’s something we’ve seen over the last 20 years, tall players getting more and more skilled. Kevin Durant is basically a 2.10 guard who can pass and shoot the ball. Where the game has gone in the last 20 years is so much fun to watch. And what is happening with the technical skills of the players is crazy. You see Steph Curry cross half court and shoot the ball. It’s… wild. I don’t think any of us could have imagined that the game would grow as much as it has in the last 20 years.”

About Webaniyama: “You always feel like you’ve seen it all and then along comes Webanyama, who’s 2.21m tall. I was watching some highlights one day and he did a step back shot and then he ran and got the rebound and dunked before going down. I mean… Who can do that? You have to be skilled, you have to be quick running to the ball. You must be tall. It’s scary how talented this kid is.

He is so tall, he has a very high skill level, he can dribble, he can shoot. Let’s hope he stays healthy. This is the only thing that can hold him back. I’ve heard that he’s very hardworking, he’s a smart kid, he wants to be great, he puts in a lot of effort and we’re all here to support him and see all his potential. We are all waiting for him. Let’s hope his body holds up. It’s a scary talent.”