By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
With 91 days remaining before the start of EuroBasket 2025, Latvia—one of the tournament’s hosts—will play all its group-stage and potential knockout games in front of home fans in Riga.
Coach Luca Banchi is preparing for his final tournament at the helm of the Latvian national team, with Sito Alonso set to take over after EuroBasket.
Ahead of the tournament, the Italian coach addressed several key topics, including a notable addition to his staff: Jordan Ott, the lead assistant to Kenny Atkinson at the Cleveland Cavaliers.
“I am proud to announce an important addition: we will be joined by Jordan Ott, an American coach with NBA experience. I’ve known him for almost 10 years, going back to when he was a rookie fresh out of college in the Atlanta Hawks system. Since then, Jordan has had the opportunity to work with some of the greatest coaches in the NBA—in Atlanta, Brooklyn, the LA Lakers, and now with the Cleveland Cavaliers, one of the best programs in the league this year.
Jordan has expressed his enthusiasm and desire to be part of our coaching staff for this exciting journey. He doesn’t have direct experience with European basketball, but he has worked alongside coaches with a strong European background—such as Cavaliers head coach Kenny Atkinson, who, as you may know, will serve as an assistant for the French national team at the Paris Olympics. Jordan’s basketball vision aligns well with our playing style, and I am confident he can make a significant contribution to the entire Latvian basketball community—players and coaches alike—to help elevate our game to the next level,” said Banchi.
Banchi also noted that Ott will likely lead the Cleveland Cavaliers during the NBA Summer League before joining Latvia’s EuroBasket preparations.
Interestingly, Ott is also among the candidates for the Phoenix Suns’ head coaching position—a development that could significantly impact his summer plans in 2025.
Latvia will host Group A at EuroBasket, competing against Portugal, Estonia, Türkiye, Serbia, and Czechia.