HoopsHype.com Rumors

Emiliano Carchia: Rumors from Lebanon are that Loren Woods might get Lebanese Passport and join National Team Twitter @SportandoBasket

FIBA, Loren Woods, Lebanon 

Alvaro Martin: Albert Agusti, ExecDirGen of Spain's ACB: "we publicly reaffirm our absolute rejection of the [WCoB qualifying] project promoted by FIBA." Twitter @AlvaroNBAMartin

FIBA, Spain 

Alvaro Martin: NBA spokesperson: “There are no plans to take in-season breaks,” regarding FIBA’s new qualifying format for the 2019 World Cup. Twitter @AlvaroNBAMartin

FIBA, USA Basketball, Olympics 

Alvaro Martin: USABasketball spokesperson: "Newly-elected Board of Directors will study [FIBA 2019 WCoB qualif procedures] in its first meeting coming up." Twitter @AlvaroNBAMartin

FIBA, USA Basketball, Olympics 

Q: What do you think about the changes FIBA is making to the international calendar? Think we'll ever get to the point where the NBA takes breaks during the season like they do in soccer, so players can join up with their national teams and play qualifying games during the (NBA's) regular season? A: To be honest, I don't know. Unfortunately I'm not going to make it (long enough) for when these changes get in. You want me to play until I'm 40 years old? I don't think so. ESPN.com

Minnesota Timberwolves, FIBA, Andrei Kirilenko, Russia, Olympics 

Mark Woods: Feeling among NBA players, coaches is that international ball in mid-season is non-starter. Euroleague will oppose, say shutdown wont happen Twitter @markbritball

FIBA, Olympics 

The FIBA Europe Board has expressed its dissatisfaction with certain aspects of the planned reform of the global calendar, decided by FIBA's recent Central Board in Kuala Lumpur. In particular, the FIBA Europe Board, which convened in Ljubljana, Slovenia this weekend, reiterated its rejection of the FIBA proposal for a four-year cycle for EuroBasket, its flagship even and Europe's premier basketball event. FIBA Europe believes that the two-year cycle should be maintained. FIBA Europe

FIBA, Olympics, Eurobasket 

The Board, in principle, agrees with the introduction of windows during the season for the National Teams competitions. FIBA Europe has decided to have a full analysis of the proposed changes, informally through a working group and seminars involving its member Federation, and formally by bringing the issue before the General Assembly next spring. FIBA Europe

FIBA, Olympics, Eurobasket 

Yet one of the more interesting changes to the international basketball calendar involves the introduction of six planned qualifying windows for the 2019 World Cup that will be staged in November 2017, February 2018, June 2018, September 2018, November 2018 and February 2019. You'll notice, as you re-read that sentence, that four of those six windows take place at the same time that the NBA schedule calls for NBA players to play NBA games. ESPN.com

FIBA, USA Basketball, Schedule, Olympics, World Championship 

The notion of an international break in the NBA, however, is a complete non-starter. Even at this early juncture, one source familiar with the NBA's long-range thinking told ESPN.com that building breaks into the NBA's regular-season schedule is simply "not being considered." Not now and not later. ESPN.com

FIBA, USA Basketball, Schedule, Olympics, World Championship 

How big a deal is that? Not that massive, realistically, when viewed through a strictly American prism. USA Basketball will continue to field teams that qualify for every major tournament even if it has to trot out a pack of All-Stars from the D-League for most of the qualifying games starting in November 2017. As one longtime European coach told ESPN.com this week: "There's no way FIBA would go to a system that hurts the big countries. They want the stars playing in the biggest tournaments." ESPN.com

FIBA, USA Basketball, Schedule, Olympics, World Championship 

As we touched on the other day, FIBA is hoping to get three-on-three basketball in the 2016 Summer Olympics. While this sounds very exciting, it does create a lot of questions that could not be answered until the International Olympic Committee actually makes a decision on the idea. But if you are wondering how “official” three-on-three basketball can look, the FIBA 3×3 World Tour can give you an idea. Dime

FIBA, Olympics 

Basketball's governing body will try to lure NBA stars to play in some World Cup qualifiers after creating a new format with more matches in their home countries. The path to the revamped 2019 World Cup includes round-robin qualifying groups played in six separate fixture windows over a 14-month span starting November 2017. "Having the home and away games brings basketball back to the countries themselves," FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann told The Associated Press in an interview. "Eventually this will benefit the whole sport around the world." ESPN.com

FIBA, World Championship 

FIBA agreed a new competition schedule at the weekend that removed some continental events from a packed four-year tournament cycle. "NBA owners were making it relatively clear that it was not a situation they would continue to support," Baumann said by telephone from Shanghai. "We were really filling the calendar so much that we felt players were either not at the top (of their form) or had to choose which summer to play." ESPN.com

FIBA, World Championship 

Jeff Zillgitt: As expected, FIBA will ask International Olympic Committee by year's end to expand Olympic event to 16 teams & introduce 3X3 to Oly program. Twitter @JeffZillgitt

FIBA 

The men's World Cup of Basketball will skip 2018 and be played instead in 2019, serving as a qualifier for the 2020 Olympics. The former world basketball championship also will expand from 24 to 32 teams, basketball's world governing body said Sunday. Normally played every four years, the next World Cup of Basketball will be held in 2014 in Spain. It will continue to be held every four years starting with 2019. FIBA says the qualification period for the tournament will be held over two years starting in November 2017. ESPN.com

FIBA, World Championship 

Most importantly, though, is that FIBA will qualify teams for the World Cup and Olympic tournament much as its football brothers do: through multiple qualification periods through the year. These periods will, for the 2019 World Cup, be in November 2017, February 2018, June 2018, September 2018, November 2018 and February 2019. You may note that the NBA is typically in session in November, February and, for two teams, June. Whether this means that NBA players will no longer participate in global basketball remains to be seen. If so, it's a huge dent to the sport. SB Nation

FIBA, World Championship 

Regardless of how uncomfortable the idea made fans who believe 30 teams was enough — and regardless of how inconceivable it might be to have a team in a time zone six hours ahead of the Eastern US — Stern was going to add the London Abbeys to the NBA. But that idea seems to have fizzled along with the international economy and the lack of NBA-worthy venues overseas. What Stern realized is that many of the arenas that house Euroleague teams are not up to NBA standards. Boston Globe

FIBA, David Stern, Europe, Owners 

“I don’t think having a single team in Europe is practical,” Stern said last week in Milan before watching the Celtics take on Emporio Armani Milano. “I never have. “What I’ve said is if we’re going to have an NBA presence here in terms of the league, it should be five teams. It’s safe to say that there aren’t enough buildings, there aren’t adequate TV arrangements, we don’t have owners, and I’m not sure we could charge the prices that would be necessary. I don’t think our fans are that avid yet. “But every year it gets better. Every year we have more fans. They tune into our games more. We now have an arena in London and one in Berlin that could probably house an NBA team. There is a planned renovation for Bercy in Paris that will be some years off.” Boston Globe

FIBA, David Stern, Europe, Owners 

Stern said part of the problem is that European cities, where soccer rules day and night, are not financially prepared to build arenas to house anything more than an exhibition game. “In one of my recent visits here, there was a discussion about both an arena in Rome that construction ceased upon, and the possibility that there would be a new arena in Milano in connection with the world expo, but that’s not happening, either,” he said. “So right now, it’s the same two buildings, with the prospect of construction in France that will start in 2014. So, realistically, there is no short-term way that we could, I think, profitably consider that. “So the mode for us is to work with the federations, work with FIBA, work with the leagues, and work with the Euroleague, which we’re doing right now.” Boston Globe

FIBA, David Stern, Europe, Owners