How can Chicago Bulls fans watch the 2023 FIBA World Cup?

The last time the FIBA World Cup came around in 2019, the Chicago Bulls’ lone two representatives in Cristiano Felicio and Tomas Satoransky were nothing to get too excited over. However, things could be different this time, as two-time All-Star center Nikola Vucevic will be representing not only Chicago, but his home country of Montenegro at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

It’s already been nearly four months since the Bulls were defeated by the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament, so this event looks to be a welcome distraction to an offseason that has dragged on far too long. Next year, hopefully the Bulls can keep their vacation plans on hold with an extended postseason run to show for it.

When does the 2023 FIBA World Cup begin?

Training camp for Team USA formally began on August 3rd, with members of the World Cup roster and the Select Team arriving in Las Vegas to begin preparations to bring home their first gold since 2014. Although no members of the current Bulls roster have been selected for Team USA, former Chicago fan favorite Bobby Portis will suit up for the team.

Meanwhile, Nikola Vucevic will be the star of the show for a Montenegrin team with no other NBA players on the roster. Vooch averaged 14.6 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per game while shooting 47.6% from the field and 40% from three-point range when he last suited up for Montenegro in the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Unfortunately, he’d lose four consecutive contests to Greece, New Zealand, Brazil, and Turkey before scratching out their lone win against Japan in their final contest of the World Cup.

How can Chicago Bulls fans watch the World Cup?

For this year’s World Cup, ESPN came to an agreement with FIBA for exclusivity rights to the event. Six games of the group stage portion of the event will be free to watch either on ESPN or at the official FIBA event website. Team USA will play in three of these six games, while Vucevic will take on Luka Doncic and Slovenia in a free-to-watch exhibition game later this evening.

To watch the remaining World Cup games, you’ll need an ESPN+ subscription. The event will span 92 games across two weeks, so this could be well worth the $9.99 subscription price tag if you’re interested in watching the entirety of the action.