USA basketball didn’t take too kindly to the fact that Spain took the top spot in FIBA’s men’s rankings and took a subtle dig at the organization on social media.
The official FIBA site made the announcement that Spain was now numero uno, with the USA placed second. The release said that Spain leads the list with 758.6 points, followed by the United States with a close 757.5 points.
It was a major accomplishment for Spain as they pipped their competitor, who had held the spot for 12 years. The former is only the second team to take the top spot since 2010.
The FIBA official release also added:
Spain’s jump from No. 2 to the top spot resulted from their consistency in recent years in each game of each competition. Spain captured the titles at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 and the FIBA EuroBasket 2022 while also reaching the Quarter-Finals of the Tokyo Olympics. Their qualification campaigns since 2017 have also been very solid to help gain more points.
Needless to say, the USA, which was a dominant force, wasn’t too happy to be dethroned.
USA Basketball Takes A Subtle Shot At FIBA Following Spain’s Rise To No. 1 In The Rankings
Following FIBA’s announcement, USA basketball had a smart retort. The message on Twitter was crisp, but it did throw some major shade at the organization.
The latter has been a powerhouse in international basketball. They pipped France to clinch the gold during the Tokyo Olympics.
LOL. That's cute.
— USA Basketball (@usabasketball) November 18, 2022
“LOL. That’s cute.”
Responding to the rankings, Spain’s coach Sergio Scariolo was aware that the achievement would also mean the competition fighting to take its position back. He took to Twitter to share a grateful but wary message. You can read the translated version below:
No es propiamente un nuevo titulo y probablemente no pueda mantenerse durante demasiado tiempo, pero es algo tan unico, prestigioso e historico que me siento tremendamente orgulloso de tod@s l@s que, desde la U12 a la Absoluta, han contribuido a ello. #LaFamilia pic.twitter.com/pYPrgimea5
— Sergio Scariolo (@sergioscariolo) November 18, 2022
“It’s not exactly a new title and it probably can’t be maintained for too long, but it’s something so unique, prestigious and historic that I feel tremendously proud of everyone who … contributed to it.”
Australia is third in the rankings, followed by Argentina and France, who form the Top five. In related news, the U.S. is still ranked No. 1 in women’s basketball.
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