The FIBA Basketball World Cup begins next month. Yes, more exciting professional basketball beckons as you gear up for the start of college football and the NFL season. You have to love an active sports calendar! Check out the names on this summer’s roster.
- Paolo Banchero, F, Orlando Magic
- Mikal Bridges, F, Brooklyn Nets
- Jalen Brunson, G, New York Knicks
- Anthony Edwards, G, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Tyrese Haliburton, G, Indiana Pacers
- Josh Hart, G, New York Knicks
- Brandon Ingram, F, New Orleans Pelicans
- Jaren Jackson Jr., F, Memphis Grizzlies
- Cam Johnson, F, Brooklyn Nets
- Walker Kessler, C, Utah Jazz
- Bobby Portis, F, Milwaukee Bucks
- Austin Reaves, G, Los Angeles Lakers
As an avid NBA fan, does this list inspire confidence? If you’re reading this as someone who occasionally catches NBA games or news, do you even recognize any names? This is what the future of Team USA basketball looks like, and it is scary.
The American Basketball Star
The American basketball star was a tale woven into our culture. An athlete from limited means develops a competitive prowess that galvanizes his team. Several movies/documentaries that came out this year were inspired by this exact storyline.
That’s not the case anymore.
The pipeline from high school ball to pros is spotty at best. The future of Team USA basketball on the women’s side looks great! I witnessed the McDonald’s All-American Basketball game in person and was thoroughly impressed by the ladies but disappointed in the men. The bright spots for the men like USC freshman Bronny James are currently in the news for health reasons.
The Importance of the Basketball World Cup
Whether you have heard of the FIBA Basketball World Cup or not, it is vital globally. Over three billion people viewed the last tournament in 2019 (won by Spain).
The executive director of Team USA Basketball is former superstar and Hall-of-Famer Grant Hill. Current Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is manning the bench. I like some of the names on the World Cup roster, like Brunson, Banchero, and Ingram, but I’m unsure if they are ready for the world stage.
Grant Hill: “There is the expectation to win. It’s really, I think people care more about us losing than us winning. And what I mean by that is we’re supposed to win. There’s maybe in a way a lack of appreciation for the international game here in the US. And what I mean by that is that it’s hard, like it’s not easy. You think back to some of those legendary teams, the Redeem Team in 2008. You think back to the 2012 big team with Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, all the talent on those teams, and you get on those medal games, it’s a two-point game with 90 seconds left, you know? It’s not the original Dream Team where you steamrolled the competition. The rest of the world has improved, and the talent level has increased.”
Source: Apple Podcasts
International Gold in Jeopardy
Team USA basketball is fortunate that superstar Nikola Jokic played into June and won NBA Finals MVP and the championship. He now rests while the Serbian team competes in the World Cup without him. I wrote about how we should expect Jokic to win often over the next few seasons. Be assured that the 2024 Olympics in Europe is circled as a work month for him.
The French phenom, Victor Wembanyama, is skipping the World Cup to focus on his rookie NBA season. The rest of the French roster is dangerous. Australia has a ton of NBA talent on their roster, headlined by point guard Josh Giddey. Greece has two-time NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Slovenia has superstar Luka Doncic. These teams are chock full of NBA talent and will be problems.
The days of recognizable Hall-of-Fame names like LeBron James and Stephen Curry on the international roster are over. The players get paid too much. The desire to compete for free for international pride is waning from under-the-table high school deals, followed by U.I.L. money in college, and now $60 million-dollar-a-year contract extensions. Expect many losses in Team USA’s future.
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