DEQING (China) – The FIBA 3×3 World Tour returns to China this weekend, and World Tour Deqing 2026 has no shortage of star power. With 14 teams set to battle on September 26-27, several of the biggest names on the Pro Circuit will be looking to make their mark as the season enters its decisive stretch.

Here are the players to watch in Deqing.

Strahinja Stojacic (Ub)

There is little introduction needed for the man known as “Doctor Strange.” Stojacic remains the benchmark of the FIBA 3×3 World Tour and continues to lead all players in overall player value. He recently helped Serbia reach the knockout rounds of the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup Crelan 2026, adding another international challenge to an already packed season. Now back with Ub, Stojacic will be looking to lead the Serbian side to a third World Tour stop win of 2026. With Ub entering Deqing as the top seed, all eyes will once again be on the World No. 1.

James Parrott (Miami)

Few players on the Pro Circuit can match Parrott’s combination of athleticism and explosiveness. The Miami high-flyer has been central to his team’s outstanding run on the Challenger circuit, helping the Americans capture the recent Sansar Challenger before playing a key role in their Phoenix Challenger title run.

Parrott was particularly sharp in Phoenix, shooting 5-for-5 from the field and 1-for-1 from the free-throw line in Miami’s Semi-Final win over Bordeaux. With Miami now carrying three Challenger titles this season, Parrott and company will look to translate that momentum to the World Tour and add a second stop win of the year.

Worthy de Jong (Amsterdam RABOBANK)

When Amsterdam need a big play, de Jong has repeatedly shown he can deliver. The Paris 2024 Olympic champion led Amsterdam to the World Tour Vienna title and has continued to produce during a busy stretch of the season, including top three finishes at World Tour Amsterdam, the Singapore Challenger and the Beijing Challenger.

Amsterdam also reached the Final in Phoenix before falling to Miami, giving de Jong another strong performance heading into Deqing. He will now look to cap that recent run with their second World Tour stop win of 2026.

Dennis Donkor (Antwerp)

Donkor remains one of the most dangerous shooters on the Pro Circuit, particularly when he finds his rhythm from the midrange and beyond the arc. The Antwerp star recently represented Belgium at the FIBA 3×3 Europe Cup Crelan 2026, where the Belgians reached the Quarter-Finals before falling to eventual champions Latvia. He then helped Antwerp reach the Quarter-Finals at the Phoenix Challenger, scoring seven points in their loss to Princeton. Antwerp will need Donkor at his best in Deqing as they prepare to navigate a difficult Pool D alongside Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy and the winner of the Qualifying Draw.

Anand Ariunbold (Ulaanbaatar MMC Energy)

Ariunbold has been one of Ulaanbaatar’s most reliable two-way contributors throughout the season, earning his reputation as a player capable of impacting the game at both ends of the court. “The Archer” helped Ulaanbaatar reach third place at the Sansar Challenger, where he finished among the tournament’s leading scorers. He was also a key presence during the team’s run at the Hongcheon Challenger.

Westher Molteni (Toronto)

Veteran presence meets a team looking for a breakthrough in Deqing. Molteni was part of the FIBA 3×3 MotoGP Showcase and remains an important piece for Toronto as the Canadian side looks to turn promising Challenger results into a major World Tour achievement. Toronto have shown signs of progress on the Challenger circuit, including a top-three finish in Darkhan and a top-four result in Beijing. Now, Molteni and Co. will be looking to take the next step and disrupt the established powers in Deqing.

Jules Rambaut (Toulouse)

Toulouse enter Deqing with added responsibility on Rambaut’s shoulders. With Franck Seguela and Hugo Suhard unavailable, the French big man will shoulder more of the offensive and defensive workload. Rambaut’s physical presence and experience could prove particularly important in Pool B, where Toulouse will face second seeds Miami and Taipei WanBao. Toulouse are still searching for their first World Tour stop win of 2026, and a strong showing from Rambaut could give them the platform to make a deep run.

Quincy Diggs (Vienna)

Fresh from an MVP performance, Diggs arrives in Deqing with plenty of momentum. He led Vienna to their first FIBA 3×3 Pro Circuit stop win of the season at the Hongcheon Challenger, where he combined scoring, rebounding and playmaking throughout the tournament. Vienna will now take that confidence into Deqing, where they face top seed Ub and hosts DeQing in Pool A. If Diggs can reproduce his Hongcheon form, Vienna could be a difficult matchup for anyone.

Francis Lacis (DeQing)

The home crowd will have plenty to cheer for with Lacis leading the charge. The Latvian is a reigning FIBA 3×3 World Cup champion and brings that championship experience to a DeQing side looking to make an impact on home soil. DeQing have already secured their place at FIBA 3×3 World Tour Macau 2026, but the home World Tour stop offers another opportunity to make a statement in front of their supporters. Placed in Pool A alongside Ub and Vienna, Lacis and DeQing will have little room for error. Their ability to handle the pressure of the home crowd could be crucial.

Honorable Mention: Jimmer Fredette (Miami)

It did not take Fredette long to remind everyone why his return to the Pro Circuit was generating so much attention. The former NBA veteran made his return to FIBA 3×3 competition at the Phoenix Challenger and immediately helped Miami capture the title, scoring eight points in the Final against Amsterdam. Fredette was subsequently named tournament MVP after finishing with 27 points, 10 two-pointers, 15 key assists and a tournament-best 47.6 total player value.

With Miami now boasting three Challenger titles in 2026, Fredette’s return adds another dimension to an already dangerous team. Whether he takes the court in Deqing remains one of the storylines to watch, but his recent form has certainly added another layer to Miami’s World Tour campaign.

Stay Connected

Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3×3 World Tour throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official World Tour website, where you can find the latest news, team standings, player statistics and everything you need to follow the Race to the Final. Fans can also keep track of the Event Calendar and the latest FIBA 3×3 Individual and Federation Rankings as teams and players continue their push toward the season finale.

Want to learn more about 3×3 basketball? Explore the official FIBA 3×3 Rules to understand the unique fast-paced format of the game, or discover the FIBA 3×3 Competition Structure to see how the discipline’s global pathway connects grassroots events, professional tours and world-class international competitions.

FIBA

HONGCHEON (Republic of Korea) – Vienna (AUT) captured their first FIBA 3×3 Pro Circuit win of the season in dramatic fashion, edging Cotai WOLFUNITED (MAC) 21-20 in the FIBA 3×3 Hongcheon Challenger 2026 Final on September 19. With the victory, Vienna secured tickets to the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Macau 2026, joined on the road to Macau by Cotai WOLFUNITED and Taipei WanBao (TPE).

Vienna Prevail

Vienna navigated a demanding field to reach the Final, overcoming Liberec DEKSTONE (CZE) and Taipei WanBao in pool play before defeating top-ranked Ub (SRB) 21-13 in the Quarter-Finals. They then faced Cibona Ph.Classic (CRO) in the Semi-Finals, where Vienna pulled away late to win 20-14 and book their place in the Final.

Quincy Diggs was instrumental throughout the tournament, combining scoring, rebounding and playmaking to help Vienna complete their run. His performance earned him the MVP award, with Diggs finishing the event with 49.5 total player value, two double-fives, six two-pointers, 10 drives and nine offensive rebounds.

Cotai Falls Short

Cotai WOLFUNITED played through the Qualifying Draw before advancing from a pool that included DeQing (CHN) and Cibona Ph.Classic. After eliminating Lausanne (SUI) 22-21 in an overtime Quarter-Final thriller, Cotai defeated Taipei WanBao 20-17 in the Semi-Finals to reach the Final. They pushed Vienna all the way but fell short.

Final Thriller

In the Final, Vienna established early control. They raced to an 8-4 lead before Cotai responded to level the game at 11-all midway through the contest. Neither side could create separation from there, with the score tied 15-15 with less than four minutes remaining. Toni Blazan’s two-pointer gave Vienna a 20-17 cushion, but Cotai refused to go away. Stanislav Sharov responded with three straight points to bring the game level at 20-20.

With the title and Macau ticket on the line, veteran Nico Kaltenbrunner drove to the basket and converted the game-winning point to seal Vienna’s 21-20 victory. Kaltenbrunner finished with nine points in the Final, while Sharov’s tournament-leading 35 points helped Cotai secure second place and their tickets to WT Macau.

The Reward

The Hongcheon Challenger delivered three tickets to the FIBA 3×3 World Tour Macau 2026. Vienna, Cotai WOLFUNITED and Taipei WanBao all earned qualification after finishing in the top three, adding another important chapter to their Pro Circuit 2026 campaigns. Taipei had been unbeaten through pool play and continued their impressive run by defeating Utsunomiya BREX.EXE (JPN) 21-15 in the Quarter-Finals before falling to Cotai in the Semi-Finals.

Final Standings

1. Vienna (AUT) – qualified to WT Macau
2. Cotai WOLFUNITED (MAC) – qualified to WT Macau
3. Taipei WanBao (TPE) – qualified to WT Macau
4. Cibona Ph.Classic (CRO)
5. Lausanne (SUI)

Top Scorers

1. Stanislav Sharov (Cotai WOLFUNITED) – 35 pts
2. Nico Kaltenbrunner (Vienna) – 34 pts
3. Alexander Zuev (Cotai WOLFUNITED) – 33 pts
4. Roko Spaseski (Cibona Ph.Classic) – 31 pts
5. Petar Ivanovic (Taipei WanBao) – 30 pts

What’s Next

Attention now shifts back to the FIBA 3×3 World Tour, with World Tour Deqing 2026 set for September 26-27. The Challenger circuit also returns on the same weekend, with the Mataró Challenger taking place in Spain.

For Vienna, Cotai WOLFUNITED and Taipei WanBao, the next stop is Macau, where their Hongcheon success will be put to the test against many of the world’s leading 3×3 basketbal pro teams.

Stay Connected

Follow all the latest action from the FIBA 3×3 World Tour throughout the 2026 season by visiting the official World Tour website, where you can find the latest news, team standings, player statistics and everything you need to follow the Race to the Final. Fans can also keep track of the Event Calendar and the latest FIBA 3×3 Individual and Federation Rankings as teams and players continue their push toward the season finale.

Want to learn more about 3×3 basketball? Explore the official FIBA 3×3 Rules to understand the unique fast-paced format of the game, or discover the FIBA 3×3 Competition Structure to see how the discipline’s global pathway connects grassroots events, professional tours and world-class international competitions.

FIBA

Hongcheon Challenger, the only FIBA 3×3 professional circuit competition to be held in Korea in 2026, will kick off.

KXO (Chairman Park Geon-yeon), Hongcheon-gun (Gun Governor Shin Young-jae), Hongcheon-gun Council (Chairman Chung Kwan-kyo), and Hongcheon-gun Sports Council (Chairman Shin Eun-seop) will hold the NH Nonghyup Bank FIBA 3×3 Hongcheon Challenger 2026 (Hongcheon Challenger) and the NH Nonghyup Bank 2025 KXO 3×3 Hongcheon SUPER STOP (Hongcheon SUPER STOP) at the Hongcheon K Convention Center in Hongcheon-gun, Gangwon State from the 18th to the 20th.

The Hongcheon Challenger, which began in 2023, will be held for four consecutive years until this year, and is the only FIBA 3×3 professional circuit competition to be held in Korea in 2026. The FIBA 3×3 Pro Circuit consists of a world tour and a challenger.

Following last year’s Hongcheon Challenger, the Hongcheon SUPER STOP, which will be eligible for the FIBA 3×3 Challenger following the Hongcheon Challenger, will be held immediately on the 20th, leading to fierce competition among participating teams.

The Hongcheon Challenger, which will involve a total of 16 teams, has confirmed the participation of the best teams of all time.

First of all, the current FIBA 3×3 world No. 1 Upp (Serbia) has been confirmed to participate, while Lieberetz (Czech Republic), Vienna (Austria), and Warsaw (Poland), consisting of Czech, Austrian and Polish men’s 3×3 national teams, will also visit Hongcheon.

On top of that, Kluginapoca (Romania) and Shivona (Croatia), who will challenge the Hongcheon Challenger for the first time this year, are also confirmed to show the essence of Europe’s 3×3.

Asian men’s 3×3 powerhouses will also gather together.

Ulaanbaatar (Mongolia), Utsunomiya (Japan), Tsukuba (Japan), and Duching (China), which are composed of men’s 3×3 national teams from Mongolia, Japan and China, which are called the third strongest teams in Asia, will compete with European powerhouses in Hongcheon, while Sansar (Mongolia), which includes Kang Vail from Samsung, will also challenge the Hongcheon Challenger. In particular, Ulaanbaatar is a strong team that won the 3×3 Asia Cup, the 3×3 World Tour, and the Challenger, and is expected to play well in this tournament.

In Korea, Hongcheon, who joined David Leamer, who played in Hamburg, Germany, and Kim Joon-sung, a former U23 3×3 national team, will compete for the only time.

NH Nonghyup Bank FIBA 3×3 Hongcheon Challenger 2026, the beginning of the three-day 3×3 festival, will kick off with a qualifying draw A qualifying match between Hongcheon and Liberets at 11 a.m. on the 18th.

The pre-tournament games will be broadcast live on FIBA 3×3 official YouTube, and the main games will be broadcast on TV on KBS N Sports.

[MIN JUN KU, MK Sports Reporter]