Which NBA stars aren’t playing at the 2023 FIBA World Cup? LeBron, Jokic, Ricky Rubio…

The 19th edition of the FIBA World Cup tipped off at the weekend with expectation with five-time winners the United States, Canada and France as the three top favorites to lift the trophy. Some of the big name stars from the greatest league in the world won’t be taking part in the event - in fact none of the NBA’s six most recent MVPs will be present at the tournament, which runs from 25 August 25 to 10 September across three host countries: Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines.

Most of the 32 teams taking part in international basketball’s top event will be without at least one NBA player for one reason or another. Some will be without their stars - for example Serbia, who are missing Nikola Jokic while Greece have been making do without the mercurial powers of Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Meanwhile Spain, the defending champions, travelled to the far east without Ricky Rubio who picked up the MVP award at the last edition in 2019. Others, like Canada’s Jamal Murray were expected to be in the list but bowed out at the last minute.

We take a look at the NBA stars who will not be participating at the 2023 World Cup.

Australia: Ben Simmons

Simmons has backed out of a number of summer tournaments with the Boomers, including the 2019 edition, although there was hope he might join the team’s training camp in Cairns to prepare for the showpiece event. In the end he decided that it would be best to get over an ongoing back issue and continue his rehabilitation in Brooklyn.

Canada: Jamal Murray

The 2022-23 season was one to remember for the Denver Nuggets who lifted their first NBA title in May. But that success took its toll on some of the team’s key players, including Murray, who racked up more minutes on court than anyone else. He made 65 appearances during the regular season, averaging 32.8 minutes per game and was one of seven players who featured in all 20 games during the playoffs, averaging 39.9 MPG. So if anyone was in need of a rest - or at least with a good excuse not to overload his work schedule before the new season tips off, it’s Jamal.

Murray explained why he would be sitting out the World Cup on 17 August: “When I came into training camp, I wanted to see how my body would respond after a long and demanding season and if I would be physically able to compete at the highest level required for the World Cup. In consultation with medical staff and the team, it is clear that additional recovery is required, and I have made the difficult decision to not participate in the tournament. It’s still a dream of mine to represent Canada at the Olympics, and I will support the team every step of the way as they pursue this goal”.

France: Victor Wembanyama

Many had hoped to see the 2023 Draft’s No.1 pick in action with the much-fancied France side at the World Cup. But the 19-year-old pulled out, explaining that he was not put under any pressure to do so by the Spurs but after talking it through with his inner circle and medical team, decided to withdraw. He told L’Équipe: “I’ve decided to dedicate this summer to preparing my body for the many events awaiting it in the coming years. This meant skipping the World Cup. It was a difficult decision, and one that required the advice of many people. But I sincerely believe it’s the best one for the French team and myself. [The Spurs] know what’s at stake - they would have supported me whatever my choice. In the past, as soon as I could go to international competitions, I did. I’ve never been able to enjoy a summer with several months of development for my body. For this new phase of my life, it’s essential. The Spurs staff are ready to make this summer profitable. We can’t afford for it to be wasted time. I hope people will understand. It’s frustrating for me too. The France team is still my focus. I want to win as many titles as possible with it. But I think it’s a necessary sacrifice.”

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Greece: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Antetokounmpo’s absence is a huge blow for Greece, the 9th ranked team in the world and runners-up in 2006. The Milwaukee Bucks had surgery to clean up the inside of his left knee in July and didn’t want to take any risks, as he explained in a lengthy post on social media. “After months of work and multiple meetings with medical staff it is clear that i am not ready to compete in the level that I need to be to participate in the World Cup. This was not a choice but my only option in ensuring I get back to the level of basketball I have worked so hard to achieve so far in my career. I am extremely disappointed in this outcome but this was a decision made with the medical staff. My personal, and our ultimate team goal is to qualify for the 2024 Olympics games [sic] and it will be an honor to represent my national team next year.”

Japan: Rui Hachimura

Back in June, Rui Hachimura broke the Japan Basketball Association’s hearts by delivering the news that he would not be taking part in the tournament on home soil. The 25-year-old played a pivotal role in helping the Lakers reach the Western Conference Finals, averaging 11.2 points and 4.5 rebounds. He’s set to be a free agent this summer and is focusing on where he will end up next. In a statement issued by the JBA, Hachimura said, “I have decided to skip this year’s FIBA World Cup. All apologies for the disappointing news to the fans who were looking forward to the World Cup. It was a very difficult decision but after the season and a long play-offs, and with my first free agency ahead of me, I made this decision in the best interests of my future NBA career. This summer, I hope to focus on the training and getting my body ready for next season. I want to thank everyone at the JBA and coach Tom Hovasse for their understanding. I really appreciate it. I wish the team nothing but success and will be their biggest fan.”

Japan’s other NBA player, Watanabe Yuta is at the tournament and contributed four points in the epic 98-88 win over Finland - the Aka-tsuki Faibu’s first World Cup victory since 2006.

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Latvia: Kristaps Porzingis

Celtics forward Kristaps Porzingis is not available for Latvia but was in the stands to cheer his team on as they logged an historic victory over France. Latvia, who are making their first appearance at a FIBA World Cup have made it two wins from two even though they cannot count on Porzingis who is recovering from plantar fasciitis issue with his right foot.

He explained, “The foot hurts after exercise, I feel almost nothing when walking, a really funny injury. I have an idea what the origin of the injury might be, but it’s something that builds up over the course of a career and pops out at one point. It got worse during the training process; it started to hurt, then I couldn’t get rid of the inflammation. It’s not the ideal scenario that I imagined, but it is what it is. I wanted to be with the team. I came to continue my recovery process, to support the guys, to be connected with the national team”.

Lithuania: Domantas Sabonis

Sacramento Kings All-Star forward Domantas Sabonis underwent surgery to repair an avulsion fracture of the ulnar collateral ligament - a long-standing issue affecting his right thumb at the start of July That effectively ruled him out of the World Cup.

“The main reasons behind Domantas availability this summer was his contract and health,“ Lithuania head coach Kazys Maksvytis told reporters. “He tried to recover without the surgery, but it didn’t work, and he lost time. After the surgery, everything takes longer. He apologized for not coming and promised to be available next summer”.

The 27-year-old Sabonis and the Kings agreed on a 5-year $217 million deal this summer but it is not known when he will be given the medical all-clear to play.

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Serbia: Nikola Jokic

The Joker is another of the big absentees at the World Cup. Like his Nuggets team mate, Jamal Murray, he has just come out of a gruelling season and needs time to build his energies back.

Serbia coach Svetislav Pesic explained, “We knew back in June that we couldn’t count on Lucic and Kalinic, as both players informed us about their unavailability due to various physical and mental fatigue issues. With Jokic, we had several conversations, and I must say they were some of the best conversations I’ve had with players who couldn’t make it to the roster. He’s physically and mentally exhausted. He’s not feeling ready to take responsibility at the moment.”

Spain: Ricky Rubio

Title holders Spain are without the MVP of the last World Cup Ricky Rubio who has taken time out to deal with personal issues, which understandably come first. The Cleveland Cavaliers guard said in a statement issued by the Spanish Basketball Federation (FEB), “I have decided to stop my professional activity to take care of my mental health. I want to thank all the support I have received from everyone to understand my decision. Today #family makes more sense than ever. Thank you. I would ask that my privacy be respected so that I can face these moments and be able to give more information when the time is right.”