Team Vienna took off
Completely crazy trip around the world ends in Hong Kong
What began in Japan in the spring will end in Hong Kong next week. Behind the 3x3 basketball players of Team Vienna, which is identical to the national team, lies a completely crazy year on the World Tour. They flew to China on Thursday after experiencing the gigantism in Neom, Saudi Arabia, last weekend. Their realization after the trip around the world: "Vienna is already the leiwandste city."
Team Vienna has had an incredible year. As a national team, Nico Kaltenbrunner and Co. won the European Championship title in a dramatic final against Serbia in Vienna in August. On the World Tour, the team played its way to second place in the world rankings with two tournament victories and several top rankings. On Thursday, Team Vienna took off for Shenzhen, where the penultimate tournament of the World Tour will take place this weekend. They will then head straight to the big final event in Hong Kong, the end of their world tour this year (see graphic).
The Viennese basketball players also have high hopes in Hong Kong. Youngster Nico Kaltenbrunner says: "It's the highlight of the year after the European Championships. We're fired up for this tournament and want to show that we're the best team of the year."
Team Vienna's results so far on the 2024 World Tour
Utsunomiya (Japan) fifth place
Marseille (France) third place
Edmonton (Canada) second place
Almaty (Kazakhstan) first place
Lausanne (Switzerland) eighth place
Debrecen (Hungary) sixth place
Shanghai (China) Sixth place
Wuxi (China) First place
Abu Dhabi (United Arab Emirates) Third place
Neom (Saudi Arabia) Fourth place
"Behind me lies the craziest year of my life"
The 24-year-old adds: "I've had the craziest year of my life. It's incredible what we've experienced." Most recently, the team got to know the gigantism in Neom, Saudi Arabia (a settlement project covering an area of 26,500 square kilometers). Nico: "They built apartments there especially for the 3x3 event. Two players lived in each one. They also built a food hall where we all ate. There was also a separate entertainment area for the players."
"I'm always happy when I get home"
Fabio Söhnel, who once played for the Vienna Timberwolves as a junior with current NBA star Jakob Pöltl, says: "It's crazy how cities are built in Saudi Arabia. China is completely fascinating. You get to know a lot of different cultures through the different venues and the other teams that we always live with. But I'm always happy when I get home. Vienna is the liveliest city of all."
This is 3x3 basketball
- 3x3 is a variant of classic basketball in which two teams of three players play against each other for one basket, instead of 5 against 5 for two baskets as in classic basketball. There is one substitute player.
- The scoring method is also different: in 3x3, a basket inside the shooting circle counts as 1 point instead of 2 points as in traditional basketball. A shot from outside the shooting circle counts as 2 points instead of 3.
- In addition, 3x3 is played once for 10 minutes instead of four times for 10 minutes - or until a team scores 21 points. If you have 24 seconds to complete an attack in classic 5-on-5 basketball, you only have 12 seconds on the shot clock in 3x3.
- Another important difference to classic team basketball is that the ball does not have to be thrown in again after scoring a basket before the game can continue. In 3x3, the ball changes teams immediately after a successful basket and the game continues without interruption or a throw-in. This is another reason why 3x3 basketball is considered a "10-minute sprint".
"That's blatant from my point of view"
Veteran Enis Murati, who is currently out of action due to a complicated finger injury, says: "From my point of view, it's amazing how far AI is already being used in China, for example. They already have more AI patents there than the USA. In comparison, Europe is well behind in this respect. Anyone who doesn't jump on this bandwagon will have a hard time."
"You'll flinch at some point"
Air travel is difficult for the tall and broad basketball players. How do they arrive at their destination as rested as possible after the long flights? The currently injured captain Matthias Linortner (who will be out for around three months after tearing his Achilles tendon and calf muscle) laughs: "Find a sponsor and fly business class." Söhnel says: "We try to get seats at the emergency exit on every flight. And we never sit next to each other because we're all tall and broad." Murati adds: "A middle seat with a free seat next to it is best. Aisle seats are also okay. But you get the flight attendants' wagons all the time. You'll wince at some point."
The injured captain on the quartet for China
Nico Kaltenbrunner, Quincy Diggs, Toni Blazan and Fabio Söhnel boarded the plane on Thursday. Captain Matthias Linortner characterizes them as follows: "Nico is an emotional package. When he's on fire, he can get the whole team going and then he gets loud. Quincy is the joker who can decide a game on his own. Toni is the all-rounder. He can do everything, dribble, shoot, pass and defend. And Fabio is the worker who plods and drills all the time, a lot of dirty work. That's a great mix."
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