THE 2023 FIBA World Cup has wrapped, with Germany taking home gold after defeating Serbia in the final to finish unbeaten after a couple of weeks of action.

It was a thoroughly entertaining tournament, with some big upsets and fantastic individual performances coming to the forefront over the span of the fixture. Remarkably, none of the top-five ranked teams made the final, and Germany stood up in the final to take home its first ever gold medal at the FIBA World Cup on Sunday night.

With that in mind, Rookie Me Central will be taking a look at the three biggest talking points to come out of the tournament, with the first coming from a development this morning.

1. The United States should (and will) load up for Paris

Team USA were widely expected to take home gold after bringing a solid group of NBA players to the tournament and producing some strong performances early in the action. However, the United States sustained two losses, including a defeat to Germany in the semifinal. Despite having the highest-profile list of players in the tournament, Team USA fell short of a podium finish, with questions being raised around if the powerhouse nation took the best team possible to Japan and the Philippines.

Since the tournament concluded, reports have been emerging that NBA All-Time great LeBron James is eager to represent his country at the 2024 Paris Olympics, with big names such as Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant also attached. If Team USA brings a roster of this calibre next year, it is extremely hard to see them losing. Now it seems the World Cup was a wake-up call for the United States, who could return to their past level of dominance in 12 months’ time.

2. European basketball is as strong as ever

Although basketball is synonymous with the United States and the NBA (a fair conclusion given it is the biggest league in the world), European teams have found the most success in the World Cup over the past two tournaments. The 2019 instalment saw Spain emerge victorious, while Germany took home the chocolates this year. FIBA basketball is proving more and more different to the level of play at NBA level, with more lenient officiating and a higher volume of passing.

European basketball leagues play at a similar level to FIBA basketball, and that has seen plenty of results at the World Cup. It saw a number of NBA players suiting up for European teams exceed expectations in terms of on-court performance, and the final be played out between two sides from said continent.

3. Australia’s new star has fully emerged

The 2023 FIBA World Cup marked a bit of a transition for Australian basketball, with the Boomers bringing in some younger talent, as some of the experienced campaigners reach the twilight of their careers. Although the likes of Joe Ingles and Patty Mills may be winding down, Australia has a new face for the team, with Joshua Giddey producing a seriously strong campaign at the tournament.

Giddey was announced as the first ever winner of the Wanda Rising Star Award for the best young player at the tournament. The point guard was the Boomers’ best player over the course of the World Cup, despite it being his first appearance. Throughout the tournament, Giddey averaged 19.4 points, five rebounds and six assists in a seriously strong breakout performance. He will lead Australia’s team in years to come in what was an exciting showing from the 20-year-old.