FIBA, the international governing body for basketball, and the Los Angeles Times media group have announced an agreement to bring the annual FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final to Los Angeles from 2020 through 2023.
The first FIBA 3×3 event in Los Angeles will be a World Tour Masters competition as part of the L.A. Street Festival on September 20—21, a new urban event adjacent to the L.A. Times headquarters in El Segundo, California. The festival will feature 3×3 basketball, esports competitions, side contests, dunking, music, break dancing, gaming activations and kids play zones. The World Tour Masters will be the only World Tour event in the U.S. before 3×3 basketball makes its Olympic debut in Tokyo next summer.
“This partnership is a breakthrough for the growth of 3×3 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 3×3 culture in the build up to the Los Angeles 2028 Games.”
Starting in 2020, the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Final will be held in Los Angeles as part of the L.A. Street Festival. The 2019 World Cup was recently held at a temporary venue on Museumplein in Amsterdam. The United States men and Chinese women were crowned champions.
“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 3×3 events in Los Angeles over the next several years.”