Dragons Begin Eurobasket Campaign: Preparations Without Musa and Nurkić, Garza's Status Uncertain

(Patria) - The Bosnia and Herzegovina national basketball team officially begins preparations today for the upcoming Eurobasket, which will be held from August 27 to September 14 in four countries – Cyprus, Finland, Poland, and Latvia.

Head coach Adis Bećiragić's chosen players are gathering in Sarajevo, where they will hold their first training session at the Skenderija hall at 6 PM. The preparations will last for six days, after which the national team will travel to China, where they will play friendly matches against the host team in Nanjing.

The Dragons, however, are not starting with a full squad. The biggest stars, Jusuf Nurkić and Džanan Musa, will not be present at the start of preparations. Nurkić will join the national team later due to NBA regulations, while Musa is on an extended vacation after an exhausting club season.

The same applies to Xavier Castaneda, who is expected in Sarajevo with a delay. The biggest enigma remains the status of Luka Garza, a new member of the Boston Celtics, who is on the roster with an asterisk. He does not yet have domestic player status, and FIBA rules allow only one naturalized player in the squad for matches.

Bosnia and Herzegovina will play the group stage of Eurobasket in Cyprus, where they will compete against hosts Cyprus, as well as the strong national teams of Italy, Georgia, Spain, and Greece. The top four teams from the group will advance to the next stage of the competition.

List of players for preparations:

Amar Alibegović, Edin Atić, Jusuf Nurkić, Miralem Halilović, Amar Gegić, Džanan Musa, Ajdin Penava, Aleksandar Lazić, Sani Čampara, Adin Vrabac, Adnan Arslanagić, Kenan Kamenjaš, Ismet Sejfić, Luka Garza, Xavier Castaneda, Fahrudin Manjgafić, Markus Lončar, Asim Gutić, Tarik Hrelja, Haris Delalić, Kosta Kondić, Njegoš Sikiraš, Jasmin Jakupović, and Amsal Delalić.

Bosnia and Herzegovina aims to make a strong impression on the European stage again this year, and despite personnel challenges, fans are eagerly awaiting the first matches and the return of the Dragons to the court.