Timberwolves at FIBA World Cup 2023: schedule, updated scores & more
Gobert #Gobert
The Minnesota Timberwolves will be well represented at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Tied with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Wolves have an NBA-high six players playing in the World Cup: Anthony Edwards (USA), Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic), Rudy Gobert (France), Kyle Anderson (China), Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Canada) and Matteo Spagnolo (Italy).
Gobert and Alexander-Walker will even face other in the World Cup as both France and Canada are in the same group for the First Round. Towns and Spagnolo could also play against each other in their bracket.
With the World Cup tipping off on Friday, here’s how you can watch all six of the Wolves, their team’s schedule, updated scores and more.
What is the FIBA World Cup?
Taking place from Aug. 25 through Sept. 10, the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 is essentially a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
There are 32 teams playing in the tournament: 12 from Europe, eight from Asia and Oceania, seven from the Americas and five from Africa. Those 32 teams are divided into eight groups of four for the First Round.
The winner of the tournament becomes the World Cup champion and will receive a gold medal. Silver (2nd place) and bronze (3rd place) medals will also be awarded.
The top seven teams by region will secure a berth for the Olympics: one team from Africa, two teams from the Americas, one team from Asia, two teams from Europe and one team from Oceania.
France has an automatic Olympic bid for 2024 because they are the host team. The other four remaining Olympic berths will be determined by Olympic qualifying tournaments in 2024.
All World Cup games will be played in Japan, Indonesia and the Philippines. Here’s the group breakdown:
How to watch Anthony Edwards in the World Cup:
All of Anthony Edwards and Team USA’s First Round games will be played in the Philippines at the Philippine Arena in Manila. ESPN2 will broadcast all three of Team USA’s First Round games.
Click here for more info about Edwards and Team USA.
Here’s Edwards and Team USA’s First Round schedule:
Date Opponent Time (CT) TV Channel Score Saturday, Aug. 26 vs. New Zealand 7:40 AM ESPN2 Monday, Aug. 28 vs. Greece 7:40 AM ESPN2 Wednesday, Aug. 30 vs. Jordan 3:40 AM ESPN2
How to watch Karl-Anthony Towns in the World Cup:
For the first time since he was 16, Karl-Anthony Towns will play for the Dominican Republic in international play. The 27-year-old Towns get his Dominican heritage from his mother, Jacqueline Cruz.
ESPN+ will broadcast all three of the Dominican Republic’s First Round games, which will take place at the Araneta Coliseum in Manila, Philippines.
Here’s the First Round schedule for Towns and the Dominican Republic:
Date Opponent Time (CT) Channel Score Friday, Aug. 25 vs. Philippines 8 AM ESPN+ Sunday, Aug. 27 vs. Italy 4 AM ESPN+ Tuesday, Aug. 29 vs. Angola 4 AM ESPN+
How to watch Rudy Gobert in the World Cup:
As he’s been doing since 2012, Rudy Gobert will man the middle for France in the World Cup. Gobert helped lead France to a silver medal in the 2020 Summer Olympics, and bronze medal finishes in the World Cup in 2014 and 2019
All three of France’s First Round games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and will take place at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Here’s Gobert and France’s First Round schedule:
Date Opponent Time (CT) Channel Score Friday, Aug. 25 vs. Canada 9:30 AM ESPN+ Sunday, Aug. 27 vs. Lativa 9:30 AM ESPN+ Tuesday, Aug. 29 vs. Lebanon 5:30 AM ESPN+
How to watch Kyle Anderson in the World Cup:
Eligible for Chinese citizenship through his maternal great-grandfather, Kyle Anderson obtained Chinese nationality in July and will be representing China in the World Cup.
Anderson will wear No. 1 for China and his jersey will feature his Chinese name, Li Kaier, on the back.
“My relatives in China told me that No 1 is a very special number in China,” Anderson said in video posted to his Weibo account. “It has many excellent meanings, such as smooth sailing, unyielding, always striving to be the first, united as one, and descended from the same strain. Therefore, I am eager to wear the No 1 jersey and try my best with my brothers in the men’s basketball team at the World Cup without leaving any regrets.”
China’s three First Round games will be played at Manilla’s Araneta Coliseum in the Philippines and be broadcast on ESPN+.
Here’s Anderson and China’s First Round schedule:
Date Opponent Time (CT) Channel Score Saturday, Aug. 26 vs. Serbia 8 AM ESPN+ Monday, Aug. 28 vs. South Sudan 4 AM ESPN+ Tuesday, Aug. 30 vs. Puerto Rico 8 AM ESPN+ 
How to watch Nickeil Alexander-Walker in the World Cup:
Continuing to represent his home country, Nickeil Alexander-Walker first played for Canada in the 2016 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship, where he helped lead the team to a silver medal finish.
The World Cup is the second time Alexander-Walker will play for the Canadian senior team. The first was in 2021 for the Olympic qualifying tournament.
Canada’s three First Round games will be held at the Indonesia Arena in Jakarta, Indonesia and will be broadcast on ESPN+.
Date Opponent Time (CT) Channel Score Friday, Aug. 25 vs. France 9:30 AM ESPN+ Sunday, Aug. 27 vs. Lebanon 5:30 AM ESPN+ Tuesday, Aug. 29 vs. Latvia 9:30 AM ESPN+
How to watch Matteo Spagnolo in the World Cup:
Picked 50th overall by the Timberwolves in the 2022 NBA Draft, Matteo Spagnolo is the third-youngest player to play for Italy’s senior team. He first played for Italy’s senior team during the 2020 EuroBasket qualification tournament.
Italy’s three First round games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and will be played at Manilla’s Araneta Coliseum.
Date Opponent Time (CT) Channel Score Friday, Aug. 25 vs. Angola 4 AM ESPN+ Sunday, Aug. 27 vs. Dominican Republic 4 AM ESPN+ Tuesday, Aug. 29 vs. Philippines 8 AM ESPN+ 