The opening tip  Steve Kerr, shown serving as an assistant during the Tokyo Olympics in 2021, has taken over as head coach for USA Basketball. (Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) | USA Basketball begins a new era with the FIBA World Cup. Here's what to know. When USA Basketball launches its FIBA World Cup journey in Las Vegas this week, the storied program will offer a first glimpse at its most significant regime change in nearly 20 years. Longtime managing director Jerry Colangelo has passed the baton after rebuilding a program that won gold at four straight Olympics, while coach Gregg Popovich left on a triumphant note following the Tokyo Games. USA Basketball's new leadership team boasts deep ties to their predecessors and the program. Grant Hill, a Hall of Fame forward who won gold at the 1996 Olympics and played for former USA Basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski at Duke, has stepped in for Colangelo. Golden State Warriors Coach Steve Kerr, who won gold as a player at the 1986 FIBA World Championships before serving as an assistant in Tokyo, has succeeded Popovich. Together, Hill and Kerr have assembled a brand-new 12-man roster to compete in the upcoming FIBA World Cup. In advance of the tournament, which will be held in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia in August and September, here's everything fans need to know as USA Basketball launches its next era and seeks to avenge a humbling seventh-place finish at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.  Gregg Popovich stepped aside as head coach of USA Basketball following the Tokyo Games. (Toni L. Sandys/The Washington Post) | What is the FIBA World Cup? Formerly known as the FIBA World Championship, the FIBA World Cup is a major international basketball tournament held every four years. In soccer, the FIFA World Cup is the most prestigious tournament, overshadowing even the Olympics. The reverse is true in basketball: The Olympics are the grand prize, and the FIBA World Cup is secondary. With veteran NBA stars often opting to skip the FIBA World Cup because of its six-week time commitment, the event has seen greater parity than the Olympics: The United States has won three of the past eight FIBA World Cup tournaments compared with seven of the past eight Olympics. Spain is the defending FIBA World Cup champion after claiming gold at the 2019 tournament in China. Who was selected for USA Basketball's FIBA World Cup team? USA Basketball announced its 12-man roster in July: Paolo Banchero, Mikal Bridges, Jalen Brunson, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Josh Hart, Brandon Ingram, Jaren Jackson Jr., Cam Johnson, Walker Kessler, Bobby Portis and Austin Reaves. That group includes four NBA all-stars — Edwards, Haliburton, Ingram and Jackson — but no players with previous experience in the FIBA World Cup or the Olympics. The World Cup roster will begin training Thursday along with a 14-man Select Team roster: Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Langston Galloway, Jalen Green, Quentin Grimes, Chet Holmgren, John Jenkins, Herb Jones, Eric Mika, Trey Murphy, Keegan Murray, Payton Pritchard, Naz Reid and Jalen Williams. If a member of the World Cup team gets injured or withdraws before the tournament, USA Basketball typically draws a replacement from the Select Team.  Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves is on the Team USA roster. (José Luis Villegas/AP) | Will USA Basketball be favored to win? Yes. Oddsmakers have already listed the Americans as heavy favorites. As of Monday morning, DraftKings has the Americans at -105 to win the event (a winning $105 bet pays $100), while Canada has the second-lowest odds at +400 (a winning $100 bet pays $400). USA Basketball still enters every international tournament with "gold or bust" expectations, and it will easily boast the deepest collection of talent in the field. Of course, that hasn't always translated to gold in the past. Serbia's Nikola Jokic and Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo are both expected to skip the tournament, thereby aiding the Americans' redemption quest. What are the stakes for USA Basketball? Colangelo's departure after nearly 20 years sets up a natural crossroads for the program, which he helped revive following a disappointing showing at the 2004 Olympics. After a distinguished NBA career as an executive, Colangelo helped craft a culture that appealed to top stars such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony, all of whom won multiple Olympic golds. USA Basketball's showing at the FIBA World Cup will serve as a first impression for Hill and Kerr, and a gold medal could bolster their recruiting efforts among A-list stars for the 2024 Paris Games and beyond. However, a repeat of the discombobulated play from the 2019 FIBA World Cup run would lead to swift criticism and questions about the American developmental system. The 2019 result was particularly troubling because the American team, which included Khris Middleton, Donovan Mitchell, Jayson Tatum and Kemba Walker, never came close to reaching the "Dream Team" standard. Instead, USA Basketball suffered exhibition losses to Nigeria and Australia, lost by double digits to France in the quarterfinals and lost again to Serbia in the tournament's consolation bracket. The seventh-place finish was the program's worst at a FIBA event. "We're looking at an international game that has inarguably three of the top five basketball players in the NBA," Kerr said. "[We're also facing] the continuity and the other advantages that a lot of international teams have keeping their teams together [for several tournaments]. From my experience in China and Japan, it's rough. It's tough competition." How did USA Basketball select its roster? Constructing a World Cup roster is no easy task given the tournament's extensive time commitment and lower profile compared with the Olympics. Top veteran stars such as James, Durant and Stephen Curry all competed in the event years ago and have little motivation to return, and players who are heading into contract years in the NBA tend to be wary of the added workload burden and potential for injuries. In the past, USA Basketball has had success targeting younger stars who are interested in using the FIBA World Cup as a steppingstone to the Olympics. Every player on this year's team is 28 years old or younger, and rising stars such as Edwards, Haliburton and Jackson appear to be strong candidates for the Paris Games. Additionally, Edwards, Haliburton, Johnson and Reaves all signed new NBA contracts this summer. "There was a real, genuine excitement to be a part of this, and I found that very encouraging," Hill said, adding that he made "no promises or guarantees" about Paris to FIBA World Cup candidates.  Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers is on the FIBA World Cup roster and could represent the United States at the Paris Olympics next year. (Darron Cummings/AP) | What are the roster's strengths and weaknesses? The USA roster is loaded with athleticism, versatility and outside shooting, which are three top priorities in any international tournament. Hill said the 12-man group was designed to be "prepared for anything and everything that we anticipate" seeing from opponents, and it boasts good positional balance and upgrades at point guard and center compared with Popovich's 2019 squad. The biggest questions for USA Basketball always concern its ability to develop chemistry despite a lack of shared experience. During the 2019 FIBA World Cup, the Americans struggled to generate flow on offense and execute in late-game situations, two clear signs they hadn't developed enough cohesion during their accelerated preparation schedule. Brunson and Haliburton will be tasked with ironing out the offensive rhythm issues as lead distributors, while Bridges and Jackson are slated for lead roles on defense. NBA players must also adapt to FIBA's shorter 40-minute games and other rule changes, including goaltending and illegal defense guidelines. "My experience from the last go-around was that you really have to see the team unfold," Kerr said. "I will definitely go into this with a vision of Jalen Brunson taking on a pretty big role given the way he plays. There's no question in my mind that Mikal Bridges is going to be a huge factor for us defensively. … To have a shot-blocker of Jaren's quality and a presence at the rim like him, I think it's almost a necessity if you want to win a gold medal." Which international teams represent the biggest threats? Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is expected to lead Slovenia, which finished fourth at the Tokyo Olympics. Australia could field as many as 10 NBA players, including Josh Giddey and Patty Mills, following a bronze medal in Tokyo. And Canada is hoping to make a splash with a roster that could include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray, RJ Barrett and other players with NBA experience. Traditional powers Spain and France are lighter on top NBA talent this time around, but they should remain in the mix. Victor Wembanyama, the top pick in this year's NBA Draft, will not compete for France as he prepares for his rookie season with the San Antonio Spurs. What is the FIBA World Cup's tournament format? The FIBA World Cup will include 32 teams divided into eight groups of four that will play first-round games in the Philippines, Japan and Malaysia. USA Basketball was placed in Group C with Greece, Jordan and New Zealand, and it will play each of those countries once in first-round games held in Manila on Aug. 26, Aug. 28 and Aug. 30. After those first-round games are complete, the top two teams from each of the eight groups will advance to the second round of the group stage beginning Aug. 31. The group stage's second round will consist of four new groups of four teams. If the Americans advance, they will play second-round group stage games against the top two teams from Group D, which comprises Egypt, Lithuania, Mexico and Montenegro. USA's second-round group games would also be in Manila. Once the second-round group stage games are complete, the top two teams from each of four remaining groups will advance to an eight-team knockout round beginning Sept. 5. The entire knockout round, including the gold medal game Sept. 10, will be held in Manila. To win the tournament, USA Basketball must play five group-stage games and then win three consecutive do-or-die games in the knockout round. How can I watch the FIBA World Cup? The ESPN Plus streaming service will air the FIBA World Cup, and a select number of games will be televised on ESPN2. | 
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