Basketball On The Internet.

ONE of Australia's most seasoned campaigners and popular players, Lucas Walker, will spearhead Champions League Basketball's 3x3 team at the FIBA World Tour opener in Utsunomiya, Japan next week, bringing the experience of an NBL championship at Perth Wildcats with him.

Walker, who had NBL stops at Melbourne Tigers, Melbourne United, Adelaide 36ers, Perth Wildcats, Cairns Taipans, Sydney Kings and Illawarra Hawks, is also now a part owner of the Illawarra Heat.

The Heat are a 3X3 club and part of Australia's 3X3 national league run by CLB (Champions League Basketball).

This is the first time CLB has sent a team to the World Tour opener. The World Tour is FIBA's flagship competition of its 3x3 professional season and will travel around the globe.

After its Utsunomiya Opener on April 29-30, what will follow is the Manila Masters (May), Macau  Masters (July), Edmonton Masters (July), Prague Masters (August), Lausanne Masters (August), Debrecen Masters (August), Constanta Masters (September), Cebu Masters (September), Amsterdam Masters (October), Chengdu Masters (October), Abu Dhabi Masters (October), with the World Tour Final in December.

CLB qualifying for Japan is a vision finally bearing fruit and opens up extraordinary opportunities for the 2023-24 season.

It culminates seven years of promoting dedicated 3x3 players through committed FIBA-endorsed CLB events, seasons, finals, training, rankings and playing into Challenger events such as those in Mongolia, Malaysia and the Philippines, along with multiple world stage events.

CLB's World Tour team comprises:
#6 Lucas Walker       (Aus rank #6)
#2 Cooper Wilks       (Aus rank #5)
#1 Mike Golding     (Aus rank #10)
#2 Luke Jamieson    (Aus rank #65)

This is a quality outfit of hard working, passionate and experienced 3x3 players, carrying Australia's hopes in Japan.

(*The exact location and dates of the FIBA 3x3 World Tour Final 2023 will be announced at a later stage.)