The United States Men’s Basketball Team did everything it was supposed to do at the 2014 FIBA World Cup. They dominated on both ends of the floor while showcasing their superior talent with jaw-dropping, highlight reel plays en route to one of the least-unexpected gold medal runs in recent memory. But the ease with which Team USA disposed of its competition may actually hurt its chances of attracting the best NBA players from participating in future international events.
The numbers are obscene. The Americans averaged just under 105 points per game, 21 more than Spain, who couldn’t even make it out of the quarterfinal round. The U.S. won their nine games by an average of 33 points, with their 22-point beatdown of Turkey in group play being the closest they would come to actually losing a game. If there were any lingering questions as to whether or not the United States was still the gold standard when it comes to international basketball, Team USA left no doubt as to the answer.
So why is this a bad thing for USA Basketball?
The U.S. cakewalked to victory over the best the world had to offer with a squad that was, with all due respect to those who represented the stars and stripes, a collection of second-tier NBA talent. Lest you think that’s a harsh assessment, think about this: of the 13 players who were named first, second, or third team All-NBA this season and were eligible to compete on the United States team (Tony Parker and Goran Dragic played for their respective home nations), only two, James Harden and Steph Curry, played in this year’s tournament.
That’s right: the Americans systematically dismantled the rest of the world without the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, and so on, and so on. If the U.S. can maul the competition without its best players even setting foot on the floor, why should those players risk tens of millions of dollars to do so?
Remember the Americans’ disappointing bronze medal finishes in both the 2004 Olympics and the 2006 FIBA World Cup? Upon hearing that the rest of the world may have “caught up” to them in their sport, the 2008 “Redeem Team” went to work on reestablishing American hoops dominance on the international stage. The league’s best players (LeBron, Kobe, Carmelo, etc.) eagerly joined the effort, and the 2008 squad won the gold in Beijing, sending a message to the rest of the world that the United States would hear no more talk of playing second fiddle to the likes of Spain and Argentina.
But as expected, that burst of patriotism played its course. And after the horrific injury to Paul George (who would have been the third All-NBA representative on this year’s team), a litany of excuses and petty “injuries” kept the NBA’s elite from signing on to this year’s effort.
And really, who can blame them? It’s not as if basketball legacies are defined by performances in international competition as they are in other sports like soccer. Players don’t walk across the stage on draft night donning a Team USA cap and gushing to ESPN about finally having the opportunity to realize their lifelong dream of winning a gold medal. For American-born NBA players, it has been, and always will be, about winning an NBA title.
Team USA has accomplished its goal at the 2014 FIBA World Cup of maintaining its status as the most dominant basketball force on the planet. But the fact that they did so with their best players sitting at home does not bode well for basketball fans hoping to see the NBA’s best suit up for the red, white, and blue anytime soon.
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