International Basketball Catching Up With the NBA

Other countries are catching up to the U.S in terms of basketball talent, as the Olympic team recently discovered. 

Team USA has gone 1 – 4 against international competition in it’s last 5 games. Prior to that, the record was 101 – 4. 

Two recent defeats in exhibition games against Nigeria and Australia highlights the increase in quality in other countries. In this respect, the U.S national team is a victory of the NBA’s success.

Deputy NBA commissioner Mark Tatum has played a vital role in growing basketball internationally. In his 7 years in the job, he has established international academies and international leagues.

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“The world is getting better, and I think that makes basketball a much more attractive game for the world to follow,” Tatum said.

“We’re happy to see that level of competition continue to grow and grow.”

This hasn’t gone unnoticed by the players, either. After the loss to Australia, Portland’s Damien Lillard remarked on the number of familiar faces he sees when he plays basketball for the USA.

“In the past, when I’ve watched Team USA win, you’d have one guy on a different team that is in the rotation in the NBA. Then, they might have a guy on the bench that’s just on a team,” said Lillard at the post-game press conference. “Now you go out there and the whole starting five is from NBA teams and rotation players.”

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“The talent really has been democratized,” said Tatum.

“These international players now are not just playing in the NBA, they are MVPs, the most improved players, defensive players of the year,” he added.

Players like Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Luka Doncic (Slovenia and Rudy Gobert (France), show the fruits of the NBA’s work. As well as that. Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo is in with a shot of being named the NBA Finals MVP this year.