A Guide to the Mexico Men’s Basketball Team
The Mexico men’s basketball team, also known as the ‘12 Guerreros’ (12 Warriors), are historically one of the world’s most decorated basketball teams. Now aiming to recapture former glories, they claimed FIBA AmeriCup gold in 2013 and made their 6th appearance at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Discover more about the Mexico men’s basketball team with this comprehensive guide from the experts at Courtside 1891. Read on to learn more about the team’s legendary players, top achievements and best players ahead of their 2024 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments participation.
2024 Olympics - Men's Basketball
The Mexico men's basketball team are confirmed as one of the 24 nations that will compete in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024, which you can stream live with Courtside 1891. The tournaments are currently scheduled for July 2-7 2024.
Los 12 Guerreros will pack for Puerto Rico, where they will compete alongside Côte d'Ivoire, Lithuania, Puerto Rico, Bahrain, and Italy for a spot at the summer Olympics.
How Did Mexico Do At The FIBA World Cup 2023?
Here are the key stats from Mexico's FIBA Basketball World Cup campaign:
- → Final Standing: 25th
- → Results: Played 5 Won 2 Lost 3
- → Top Points Scorer: Pako Cruz 91 PTS (18.2 PPG)
- → Top Assist Provider: Paul Stoll 36 AST (7.2 APG)
- → Most Efficient Player: Fabián Jaimes 18.4 EPG
It was a mixed bag of results and performances for Mexico at the 2023 World Cup. Lacklustre in defeats to Montenegro, Lithuania and Egypt, they came alive in the classification games. A shootout 108-100 win over New Zealand was followed up with a comfortable win over Jordan.
Pako Cruz flashed moments of magic, including an over-the-backboard incredible finish that placed 4th on FIBA's tournament top 10 plays. Check it out below.
FIBA World Cup 2023 - Top 10 Plays
Current Star Players
Mexico announced a 20-guerrero-deep extended roster in preparation for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments 2024, with lots of experienced veterans hoping for one last shot at the Olympic games.
The final squad contained many qualifying linchpins, with their key players having represented Mexico almost a decade ago at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup: Paul Stoll and Pako Cruz.
Mexico remain reliant on the form of Cruz, who was a leading contributor at the 2014 World Cup and has spent the last several years competing in Europe. Now 34, Cruz has represented the national team for a decade and has claimed medals at the FIBA AmeriCup, Centrobasket and the FIBA COCABA Championship. He was also named to the All-Tournament Team at the 2017 FIBA AmeriCup.
Cruz starred for Mexico at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, bringing 18 points per game to the table in their 25th final placement.
Gabriel Giron Jr scored the most points (177) of any player in FIBA Basketball World Cup Americas Qualifiers on 54.8% from 2 and 40.5% from 3-point land on a sizable clip (32/79). He shot 50% from 3 during the 2023 World Cup, but it was only from 22 attempts (4 a game).
Legends of the Team
The current Mexico roster is loaded with popular talent, but on the streetball courts of Mexico’s metropolis cities, kids playing basketball all pretend to be one man: Gustavo Ayón.
A mobile center who played with intelligence at both ends of the court, Ayón represented the Mexico basketball team for more than a decade and claimed medals at the FIBA AmeriCup and Centrobasket.
The peak of his international career came between 2013 and 2014. He led the squad to gold at AmeriCup 2013 and was named to the All-Tournament Team. He was also named as the MVP of the tournament. Less than a year later, he led Mexico to Centrobasket gold. Again, he was named as the tournament’s MVP.
Domestically, Ayón enjoyed four seasons in the NBA, where he appeared in more than 130 games for four different teams. He also won two EuroLeague titles with Real Madrid.
Ayón recently came out of retirement to play for Venados de Mazatlán but will not appear at FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
Historical World Cup Performance
The Mexico basketball team will make their sixth appearance at the FIBA Basketball World Cup in 2023. To date, they’re yet to win a medal at the tournament and their best finish was eighth, which they achieved in 1967.
Previous Successes and Tournament Wins
Basketball Mexico’s greatest moment on the international stage came at the 1936 Olympic Games, when the team clinched the bronze medal. To date, this remains the only time they’ve reached the podium.
Since the turn of the century, Mexico has also begun to experience success at the FIBA AmeriCup. Here, they claimed a gold medal in 2013 and a bronze medal in 2017.
In the same timeframe, the team also won a silver medal at the Pan American Games (where they beat the USA in the semi-final) and a gold, two silvers and a bronze at Centrobasket.
How to Stream Mexico Men's Basketball
With Courtside 1891, worldwide fans can watch Mexico compete in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments (FOQTs) 2024. We stream every game of FIBA international tournaments as well as other competitions from around the world.
As FIBA’s premium streaming partner for the World Cup, Courtside 1891 provided access to every 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup game! Watch the competition's biggest games and best moments on-demand on our FIBA Basketball World Cup page.
The best way to make sure that you never miss a single second of the upcoming action is to download our app, which is available on the App Store and Google Play, or sign up to our website platform. Please be aware that, due to broadcasting rights and restrictions, access to some games might be restricted depending on your location. See our where-to-watch page for full details of upcoming competitions.
Looking for the latest results from the world of basketball? Head over to the Courtside 1891 Game Center. Here you’ll also find matchup times in your country as well as easy-to-access game highlights you can watch when you register with Courtside 1891.
