Former NBA players Turiav and Antich will serve as FIBA ​​Intercontinental Cup ambassadors in 2025

FIBA official post: Former NBA players Ronnie Turiaf and Pero Antic will become the image ambassadors of the 2025 FIBA ​​Intercontinental Cup.

Frenchman Ronnie Turiaf was selected by the Los Angeles Lakers with the seventh pick in the second round of the NBA draft in 2005. He played for the Lakers, Warriors, Knicks, Wizards, Heat, Clippers and Timberwolves in his career. In 2012, he won the NBA championship with the Heat. At the age of 42, he was a member of the golden generation of the French men's basketball team. He won the U18 European Cup championship with Tony Parker, Burris Dior and others in 2000. He has also represented the French men's basketball team in international competitions such as the Olympics, World Cup, and European Cup.

Turiaf said in an interview: "I am honored to be the image ambassador of the 2025 FIBA ​​Intercontinental Cup. I am very clear that basketball is not a sport that is only played on one or two continents. It is a global sport. I am very happy to see teams from Africa, Australia or Asia with their own eyes because they have made progress in all major events in recent years."

Pero Antich from North Macedonia also played for two seasons with the NBA Hawks. He is also the first North Macedonian player in NBA history. In European basketball, he won two Champions League titles with Olympiacos and won his third Champions League title in the 16-17 season with Fenerbahce. As a celebrity of the North Macedonian men's basketball team, he led the team to the semi-finals of the European Cup in 2011.

Antic also expressed his 'little regret' when talking about the FIBA ​​Intercontinental Cup: "I missed an opportunity to participate in the FIBA ​​Intercontinental Cup. My former Olympiacos teammates won this honor in 2013, just a few months after I left the team for the NBA Eagles."

"It's always fun to see different basketball styles and philosophy colliding on the court. When I played for the national team, I always enjoyed that we were the inconspicuous role and the ‘lower dog’, which is why I desperately wanted to see the story of one of these teams being able to make a counterattack in Singapore." Antic said.

The 2025 FIBA ​​Intercontinental Cup will start in Singapore from September 18 to 21, which is also the event will be held in Singapore after 2024.