FIBA is already looking forward to LA 2028 and basketball at the Clippers' new facility

PARIS (AP) — FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis has toured Intuit Dome, the new home of the Los Angeles Clippers and the venue selected as the site for basketball at the 2028 Summer Olympics.

He was impressed. And that’s a promising sign for the next Olympics, now that a record-setting Paris Games are in the books.

“Everybody speaks about it in the most complimentary terms,” Zagklis said Sunday at his end-of-Olympics news conference before the women’s gold-medal game between the U.S. and France. He toured the Intuit Dome site when construction was still underway as part of his duties as a member of the International Olympic Committee's coordination commission for LA 2028.

“This is an arena that has been designed for the fans, for the experience of the fans,” Zagklis said. “So, I think, I expect excellent images and top-level experience for our players.”

The Clippers start play at Intuit Dome this coming season; the opening game will be announced later this week when the NBA releases the schedule for the 2024-25 season.

The first event at the $2 billion arena is set to take place Thursday — a Bruno Mars concert.

Also of note: The building will have a generic name for the Olympics, because corporate names are almost always not permitted by IOC rules. For example, Accor Arena, the official name of the venue where basketball was played in the Paris neighborhood of Bercy, went by Bercy Arena during the Games.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver told The Associated Press earlier this month that the league is ramping up talks with FIBA on how to best increase its competitive footprint in Europe either through an annual tournament or an NBA-operated league.

Zagklis confirmed the talks have been happening, noting that the NBA and FIBA have had a relationship for 35 years now and that it's only been getting stronger.

“It is natural for us to have discussions on a new project on broadening our cooperation in either new continents or other areas of our sport, recognizing that what one does best is commercializing basketball at the very top in the (NBA) and what the other does best — that's us — is developing the sport across 212 countries," Zagklis said. “There are, indeed, continuous discussions.”

Silver said the league doesn't have specifics yet, and FIBA doesn't either.

"Our vision is to unite and grow," Zagklis said. “We've been trying very hard in Europe to unite the family and grow the sport.”

The NBA first played an exhibition in Europe in 1984 and has been sending teams there regularly for either preseason or regular-season games since 1993. San Antonio — featuring French star Victor Wembanyama — will play Indiana in Paris twice in January, the first time that two NBA teams will play back-to-back regular-season games in Europe against one another.

Helped by the ability to put 27,000 fans in the building at Lille that played host to the group stage of the men's and women's tournaments, the Paris Olympics set a record for attendance, Zagklis said.

The 1996 Atlanta Games had about 1.068 million fans in 92 games. The Paris Games will finish at about 1.08 million fans in 52 games.

FIBA saw average attendance for group-phase games of about 22,000, up wildly from the average of about 3,000 at Rio de Janeiro in 2016.

“The numbers are staggering and show the growth of our sport, both on the men’s and women’s side,” Zagklis said.

He also said ratings have been strong, and there was a five-year high for searches of “basketball” on Google during the games. “The engagement has been fantastic,” he said.

The Paris Games were the sixth — and presumably the last — for a pair of Olympic basketball greats, Rudy Fernandez from Spain and Diana Taurasi from the U.S.

No other Olympian has appeared in six basketball tournaments. Unprompted, Zagklis said he wanted to salute both of them “for achieving a record that is remarkable.”

“They deserve our recognition and admiration,” Zagklis said. "And I’m sure not only their younger teammates in the locker room but many young people in their countries are inspired by the two of them.”

Nigeria’s women became the first team from Africa to make the quarterfinals of an Olympic tournament, and South Sudan’s men were one of the big stories of the Games — nearly making it to the knockout stage themselves.

This is what FIBA wants: more growth of the game on a global stage.

“It was a big first for Africa, one we have been waiting on for quite some time,” Zagklis said.

AP Summer Olympics: https://apnews.com/hub/2024-paris-olympic-games

Spain's Rudy Fernandez, center, is held off the court after being injured in a men's basketball game against Greece at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Tuesday, July 30, 2024, in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

United States' Diana Taurasi (12) celebrates with United States' Jackie Young (13) during a women's quarterfinal game against Nigeria at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Elisa Ramette (4), of Belgium, and the rest of the Belgian tam celebrate after a women's quarterfinal game against Spain at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Leila Lacan (42), Iliana Rupert, center, and Alexia Chery (6), of France, celebrate during a women's quarterfinal game against Germany at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

United States' Stephen Curry (4) reacts after winning a men's gold medal basketball game against France at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Michael Conroy)

United States' LeBron James, right dunks as France's Nicolas Batum walks away during a men's gold medal basketball game at Bercy Arena at the 2024 Summer Olympics, Saturday, Aug. 10, 2024, in Paris, France. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

WARSAW, Poland (AP) — Soldiers and volunteers in southwestern Poland laid sandbags Wednesday near swollen rivers around the city of Wroclaw to protect homes and businesses after days of flooding across Central Europe.

Poland joins Austria, the Czech Republic and Romania in being hard hit by floods following record rains in the region starting last Thursday. Authorities have reported 23 deaths, with seven each in Poland and Romania, five in Austria and four in the Czech Republic.

The floods in Central Europe combined with deadly wildfires in Portugal are joint proof of a “climate breakdown” that will become the norm unless drastic action is taken, the European Union’s head office said Wednesday.

The fourth death in the Czech Republic was reported Wednesday, when police said they found the body of a 70-year-old woman who was swept away by waters on Sunday in the town of Kobyla nad Vidnavkou near the town of Jesenik, located in the badly hit northeast.

The weather has improved, with warm and sunny conditions in the Czech Republic, Poland and elsewhere. Water levels were falling in some places, allowing authorities and residents to clean up debris.

Firefighters in Poland were pumping water out of flooded streets and basements. And in Romania, about 1,000 firefighters were working across the country to clean up severely affected areas, the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations said Wednesday in a Facebook post.

But some areas are still under threat, particularly in southwestern Poland.

Prime Minister Donald Tusk held crisis meetings in Wroclaw with local officials and rescue services, urging protective measures and saying his government will help those affected. Floodwaters were expected to crest late Wednesday, and high water levels were expected to continue for many hours, even days.

Soldiers and residents in Marcinkowice, near Wroclaw, laid sandbags near a bridge over the Olawa River, whose waters flow into the Oder, the major river that rises in the Oder Mountains in the Czech Republic and runs north through Poland to Germany.

The community leader of the town of Olawa, Artur Piotrowski, described the situation as difficult. He told the Polish state news agency PAP that two villages in a low-lying area have been flooded since Monday and residents have refused to evacuate.

Thousands of Polish soldiers were in action. Some evacuated people and animals — including dogs and horses — from flood-affected areas and distributed food and drinking water. The army also posted on X on Wednesday that it set up a field hospital in the town of Nysa after patients in a hospital there had to be evacuated earlier this week.

Soldiers also were building a temporary bridge in the town of Glucholazy to replace one that was washed away by the flooding.

Residents in another flood-damaged town, Stronie Slaskie, have appealed to Tusk to send someone to direct the cleaning and recovery action, saying it was chaotic and inefficient.

Experts have been preparing for flood threats due to the cresting Oder River in Opole, a city of some 130,000 residents, which seems to have avoided any major flooding, and in Wroclaw, home to about 640,000 residents, which suffered disastrous flooding in 1997.

This satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows flooded homes and fields following record rains in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies via AP)

Chicken stand on the rooftop of a garage to shelter themselves from floods in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Monday, Sept. 16, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

An aerial view of a flooded neighbourhood in Bohumin, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

A cyclist looks at Donaukanal channel flood its banks at Urania observatory in central Vienna, Austria, Sunday, Sept. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Heinz-Peter Bader)

This satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows floodwaters and debris after record rains in Glucholazy, Poland, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies via AP)

This handout photo provided by the Polish fire department, shows firefighters removing piles of debris dumped in the streets by high flood wave that is passing through southwestern Poland, in Glucholazy, Poland, on Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. ( Marcin Muskala/KG PSP via AP)

A view of a flooded area near the Danube river in Bratislava, Slovakia, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

People take photos of rising waters on the banks of the River Danube, in Bratislava, Slovakia, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Tomas Hrivnak)

Residents paddle through a flooded street in Bohumin, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

In this photo released by the Romanian Emergency Services Galati (ISU Galati), a rescuer carries a woman in Pechea, Romania, Saturday, Sept. 14, 2024 after torrential rainstorms left scores of people stranded in flooded areas. (Romanian Emergency Services - ISU Galati via AP)

An old tram car is parked in flooded area near the Danube river in Bratislava, Slovakia, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

This satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows flooded fields and damaged homes after record rains along the Biala Ladecka River in Stronie Slaskie, Poland, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies via AP)

On this handout photo provided by the State Fire Service of Poland, firefighters inspecting safety of houses following heavy flooding in the town of Stronie Slaskie, southwestern Poland, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Tomasz Fijołek/KG PSP via AP)

This satellite image released by Maxar Technologies shows debris and mud after heavy rains and flooding in Stronie Slaskie, Poland, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (Satellite image ©2024 Maxar Technologies via AP)

On this handout photo provided by the State Fire Service of Poland, firefighters inspecting safety of houses following heavy flooding in the town of Stronie Slaskie, southwestern Poland, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Tomasz Fijołek/KG PSP via AP)

On this handout photo provided by the State Fire Service of Poland, a firefighter writes "Zakaz" (Entry prohibited), on a building damaged by following heavy flooding in the town of Stronie Slaskie, southwestern Poland, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Tomasz Fijołek/KG PSP via AP)

An aerial picture taken with a drone shows a flooded area and the swollen Danube River in Kisoroszi, Hungary, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Gergely Janossy/MTI via AP)

An aerial picture taken with a drone shows a flooded area and the swollen Danube River in Kisoroszi, Hungary, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Gergely Janossy/MTI via AP)

An aerial picture taken with a drone shows a flooded area and the swollen Danube River in Kisoroszi, Hungary, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Gergely Janossy/MTI via AP)

An aerial picture taken with a drone shows a flooded area and the swollen Danube River in Kisoroszi, Hungary, Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (Gergely Janossy/MTI via AP)

A caffe is seen damaged after the high flood waves passed through the town, in Nysa, southwestern Poland, on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (AP Photo/Krzysztof Zatycki)

A view of flooded streets in Plav, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Stanislav Hodina)

Geese stand on an outdoor table in a flooded neighbourhood in Ostrava, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Darko Bandic)

A view of flooded sports club in Plav, Czech Republic, Tuesday, Sept. 17, 2024. (AP Photo/Stanislav Hodina)

This handout photo provided by the Polish fire department, shows firefighters pump water and mud from city streets and help clean the city of Głogow that was hit by a high flood wave, in Głogow, southwestern Poland, on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (KG PSP via AP)

This handout photo provided by the Polish fire department, shows firefighters pump water and mud from city streets and help clean the city of Głogow that was hit by a high flood wave, in Głogow, southwestern Poland, on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2024. (KG PSP via AP)