USA Basketball back atop FIBA men's world rankings, overtaking Spain for No. 1

USA Basketball has regained its position at the top of the FIBA men's world rankings, even though the team failed to medal at the FIBA World Cup . In the updated rankings, the USA has moved ahead of Spain , reclaiming the No. 1 spot. This change comes after Spain had overtaken the USA in November 2022, ending a 12-year streak of the Americans holding the top spot. Despite not medaling at the World Cup, the USA's strong performance at the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro and Tokyo has contributed to its return to the No. 1 ranking. The U.S. men's national team will aim for its fifth consecutive gold medal at the Paris Olympics, and the team is currently in the top spot heading into the event. The updated FIBA rankings take into account results from the most recent eight years, with the Olympics playing a significant role in the rankings. Germany, the World Cup champion, has surged to No. 3 in the rankings, its highest-ever position. Canada also saw a significant improvement in its ranking, climbing nine spots to No. 6 after winning the bronze medal at the World Cup. Latvia, which reached the quarterfinals in its first World Cup appearance, rose 22 spots to No. 8. The top 10 teams in the FIBA men's world rankings are the USA, Spain, Germany, Australia, Serbia , Canada, Argentina, Latvia, France, and Lithuania. South Sudan, the biggest climber in the rankings, moved up 32 spots to No. 31 after finishing as the top African team in the World Cup. In addition to the men's rankings, USA Basketball also holds the No. 1 position in FIBA's women's, boys', and girls' rankings by a significant margin. (with AP inputs)