The interest in this entertaining content was only increasing since the first World cup in 2012. The popularity of Basketball 3×3 was growing permanently due to the rules of play. Simple regulations of the game were giving attractive and dynamic games to the audience. That was followed by World Cup 2016, where we saw the clash between fearless Serbian guys and at that time dominant USA stars.
Serbia won comfortably against Netherland and Spain in the games before the final game and the USA won against Qatar and Slovenia in nerve-racking matches. Serbia was a one-time world champion and the USA never won a title. It was a promising great exciting battle in front of a large crowd in Chinese Guangzhou. The atmosphere was electric and expectations were huge shortly before the match. This match even before started was sending good vibrations in the air. There are many reasons for that.
The American Team was led by Myke Henry who was playing that same calendar year for Chicago and went undefeated in USA Basketball 3×3 national championship. Alfonzo McKinnie played alongside him in USA national squad and Chicago so they were forming a superior duo in 2016. The third player was less-known Kavon Lytch and the fourth player was Stefan Hannah. An interesting fact was that the USA eliminated the current champions at that time – Qatar. That game was legendary because it had only twenty-three combined points scored and it was the lowest total of any game played until that moment. The question was who will defend better and the USA was coping with that situation wiser. They made it to their first final with good momentum and they had a huge boost and motivation ahead of the gold medal clash.
On the other hand, it seemed that Serbian main player Dusan Domovic Bulut was playing the tournament of his life. He was playing for a club with the name Vojvodina and he had already established himself as a player you can rely on in difficult situations. Bulletproof is his nickname because of his mental ability and resilience and he was later MVP of that championship. Dejan Majstorovic who represented the Serbian team Novi Sad was the second biggest star in Serbia. They played very smartly together and their intellect was beating all obstacles on road to the final. The other two players were guys with the same name- Marko. One was Marko Zdero and the other one was Marko Savic. They defeated Netherland with 12 points difference in the quarterfinals. They wanted to show the whole world that they could face physically strong rivals.
Serbia and USA played for the fourth time on the 3X3 Basketball world scene. Serbia was successful in all of its three previous encounters. USA didn’t like to play against Serbia because they were always ending USA road on planetary championships. Serbia played two final games before this championship in China and we can almost say they ruled the world in this beautiful game. This game was a chance for them to establish themselves as absolute kings. Both sides saw their opponents as a big challenge that could improve them.
The game between USA and Serbia was very much back and forth. Every team had their periods of control of the game, but overall it was a very tight game. It seemed that in one moment Serbia is succeeding in stopping the USA’s flow and in the next second, it looked like the USA was playing completely in their rhythm. This sport is about the speed of making decisions on the court. You could feel at the beginning of the game that was going to be an exciting finish and those small nuances would decide the winner of a gold medal. It was a psychically aggressive game with a lot of faults that interrupted the game. That was the normal consequence of the importance of the clash. Serbian and USA sides were exchanging small result advantages. There were a lot of turnovers on both sides but also some fascinating moves and actions which resulted in scores. As the game progressed players were more nervous because a very mistake could cost a lot.
The result 9-9 told a lot about the equality of those two teams. Dusan Bulut, who later became the MVP of the tournament, had difficulties defending against strong USA players in the first half of the match. Bulletproof was doing his usual job in the offensive part with assists and his anticipations of the game. Americans, on the other side, were very tough to handle on the inside. The battle on the court can be compared to two heavy-weight boxers who constantly get up after knockouts and fight back. Both teams had that “never surrender” mentality. Five minutes before the end of the game score was tied – 12-12.
The large crowd kept supporting their favorites but the Serbian spectators were louder as we were approaching the finish of the clash. Serbia scored two points shots and took the lead 17-13. USA players got panicked and lost the structure of their style of play. On the opposite, Serbia got more and more relaxed as they could feel the smell of the win. It looked like McKinnie’s dunked out of anger with a nasty one-handed punch that almost broke the rim. Dusan showed in the last couple of minutes why he was regarded as maybe the best player of this game on the planet with unbelievable build-ups and creativity. Eventually, Serbia was leading 19-16 and BulletProof took the ball, played the mismatch, and scored deciding two points from a shot behind the arc. He brought gold to Serbia nation and made happy millions of spectators. It was a thrilling game and now is widely considered the best thing this sport has provided to us.
After the game, USA players were a little devastated over the outcome of the game. They stated that they were short one or two plays and that was enough for Serbia to claim the prize. On the other hand, they were very proud of their performances during the tournament. The majority of the USA squad thought they were lacking experience in a crucial game like that. Their best scorer was Myke Henry who scored 50 points in seven games. Many players had the impression that they played a clever and well-balanced game in the final clash. USA guys finally broke some mental barriers in their heads and that helped them in the upcoming tournaments.
Serbian chemistry and energy were impressive and they had a strong connection during the whole championship. The key was maybe they played in the same clubs. They were training together in clubs for a long time and it was somehow evident while the national team was playing. Dusan Bulut was the best scorer with 58 points and he deservedly won Most Valuable Player Award (MVP). I must not take the contributions of his teammates who perfectly supplemented with him. Their character and hunger for the win made it easier for Bulletproof to display some of his best moves.
Serbia had a mixture of all necessary ingredients for success among the 20 countries that competed in this tournament. Specific body types, positive stubbornness, talent, and discipline sealed them the title of world champion. After classic basketball, another sport became officially something Serbia can take praise for. Serbia showed the way how everyone can achieve good results in the future.
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