US draws Turkey, Czech Republic and Japan in World Cup group
The United States‘ quest for a third straight FIBA World Cup championship will begin with matchups against Turkey, the Czech Republic and Japan this summer.
The Americans are in Group E for the tournament that begins in China on Aug. 31. The 32 teams that qualified for the event were all placed into one of eight groups during the draw that was held in Shenzhen, China on Saturday.
The U.S. won the World Cup in 2010 and 2014. No nation has ever won it three consecutive times.
The U.S. is the world’s No. 1-ranked team by FIBA. Second-ranked Spain will meet Puerto Rico, Iran and Tunisia in the group stage. Third-ranked France drew the Dominican Republic, Germany and Jordan as its early opponents.