Ten years ago, images of the Dream Team crushing opponents by an average of 44 points before signing autographs for the dudes they just dunked on were distant memories. Gone was the easy path to Gold. Team USA’s humiliating bronze medal finish during the 2004 Olympic games was proof that the quality of basketball had improved worldwide much faster than anticipated. It was time for honest, self-reflecting change here in America.
The embarrassment prompted an overhaul of the USA Basketball program, as longtime NBA executive Jerry Colangelo was appointed director the following year. Although this swift and necessary intervention led to gold medals at the 2008 and 2012 games and a victory in the 2010 FIBA World Championship, the assumption of domination by the United States was eliminated. The globalization of basketball increased the value of international competition, making it more crucial to the sport on all levels.
Last month, the Nike World Basketball Festival was held in Chicago, a city where basketball exceeds sport and enters religious territory. The main attraction was Team USA’s 95-78 victory against Brazil at the United Center in preparation for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup, but that was preceded by domestic and international teams facing off for more than just bragging rights. Summer basketball is about improving as a player, and the opportunity to play against the best from other countries is something the World Basketball Festival offers that the average summer league circuit cannot. Still, looming over this celebration of basketball was the memory of Paul George’s horrific injury, and, to a less severe degree, Kevin Durant’s abrupt decision to leave Team USA because of cited exhaustion. Both sparked questions about the future of USA Basketball and the true value of international play in general.
As the head of the program, Colangelo reaffirmed its importance, emphasizing not only the honor, but the integral part it plays in player development.
"USA Basketball is in existence because it’s all about representation; representing your country in international play, not just on the senior men’s level, but all of the age levels—both male and female," he said. "When we played in the World Championships in 2010, we had six players 21 years of age and under. None of the players had experience prior to that competition, and we won the World Championship. We know that young players in particular, when they can get that experience early on, it just makes them better sooner because it’s a different game. It’s competitive, and I just think it’s a wonderful opportunity for them."
Repetition leads to perfection, as the only way to raise your game is through frequent play against superior opponents. Players are forced to bring their best when vying for Team USA roster slots, and they only benefit from the head-to-head battles, particularly the less experienced players.
"For the younger guys, they get exposed to playing with the older guys on this team, and you learn from sharing best practices," USA head coach Mike Krzyzewski said. "Guys get better from playing against good guys. That’s one of the things about USA Basketball: These guys get better because they’re practicing against the best and they’re playing against other pros who are playing at a high level for their country."
Echoing Colangelo’s position, Krzyzewski also said that the experience becomes a turning point in the careers of players on the verge of superstardom. "For a younger guy to have this experience, they grow up," he said. "[Kevin] Durant ending up being the leading scorer in the league from that; [Derrick] Rose ended up being the MVP. I don’t think those things happen unless they have that experience." Tom Thibodeau, who coached Rose during his MVP season in 2010-11, agreed.
"I know for Derrick in 2010, it was a springboard to his MVP season," the gravel-voiced Thibodeau said. "Guys gain a lot of confidence from it. They’re around other great players, and I think you learn from everybody. You learn from the players, you learn from great coaches, and you learn from great international players. You can’t do anything but grow." What’s more, the players are well aware of the advantage they’re granted by competing against each other and the best that other countries have to offer.
"You’re just exposed to different styles of play and each guy on this team has to play a different role than they would on their normal team," Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry said. "It’s a matter of adjusting, and you become a more well-rounded player for sure."
Even at the ripe age of 22, Cleveland Cavaliers guard Kyrie Irving, who played in the 2010 FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship, understands the importance of this opportunity as much as any of his teammates. "For me, I got to play against international competition and represent the country on the 18-and-under team, and now it’s on a bigger stage and just means that much more," a gracious Irving said. "It’s similar, but on a bigger stage with better players." That initial exposure does transitional wonders for players at the youth level, just as it did for Irving four years ago.
Another component of the World Basketball Festival is the Nike Global Challenge, which pits eight teams of elite players 19-years-old and under from around the world against each other. As with the Olympics, games adhere to FIBA rules, giving the collection of rising talent the opportunity to feel the difference in how the game is played internationally. There’s a different fluidity due to the depth and talent, and it’s especially evident in the foreign teams who, as often seen on the professional level, have likely been playing together for years.
The Chinese team that lost to the USA Midwest squad in the third place game was the best example of this. Even in the loss, China’s ability to break the Midwest team’s press for most of the game showed a cohesion that was an obvious result of familiarity. There’s a distinct difference between that and American kids who might know each other from the AAU wire but only play together a few times annually at most.
What’s more, team China’s brand of basketball exhibited a strong American influence. From the way the players swung the ball through defenders’ outstretched arms in attempts to draw fouls like Kevin Durant to the no-look passes and their guards’ eagerness to break defenders down off the dribble, they flashed an impressive flair. They grew up watching Durant, LeBron James, and Kobe Bryant highlights just like the American kids, a testament to how universal basketball has become.
"There are great players all over the world, and the game is so global now that they get the opportunity to see it," said Tyrone Slaughter, who has coached at Whitney Young High School and for the Pan African team. "So as a result of seeing it, now they want to be a part of it, and they want to be a part of it earlier. The earlier they’re involved, the more they do and the better they’re going to be, so I think that America now is going to see a great deal of competition in the marketplace. "
Perhaps the most rewarding revelation from the Global Challenge is the attitude the younger players have about international basketball. As Jalen Brunson, son of former NBA player Rick Brunson and one of the top prospects in the class of 2015, explained, they’re all up to the challenge. "It surprised me that everyone’s trying to give it their all," he said. "You would think that no one would really play hard, but everyone’s really giving it 100 percent." That motivation likely comes from being part of a generation that grew up watching German-born Dirk Nowitzki win regular season and NBA Finals MVP awards, as well as Argentina’s Manu Ginobili and France’s Tony Parker become key pieces for a San Antonio Spurs franchise that’s won four NBA titles since 2003.
Citing NBA data, Forbes noted that the league set a record during the 2013-14 season with 90 international players on rosters, more than four times the number that were present in the league back in 1992. This past season, the aforementioned NBA champion Spurs led the league with seven international players.
Today’s high school players understand that the proliferation of foreign talent in the NBA will only continue over time, so adapting to it now simply aids their progress.
"Playing against [international players] right now and learning how to guard them and seeing what they’re doing is going to help me a lot [at the next level]," USC commit Chimezie Metu said. "I think pretty soon, the league is going to be filled with a lot more players from other countries because of how fundamentally sound they are."
Metu’s Pan African teammates Joseph Toye and Jordan Nwora share a similar awareness.
"It gives me inspiration to go harder because it shows there aren’t just kids in the U.S. playing ball, there are kids everywhere playing ball and they’re competing for what you’re competing for so you have to step it up more," Vanderbilt commit Toye said. Meanwhile, Nwora insists that nothing should be taken for granted. "You just always have to work hard, especially against these kids who are the top players in their country where some of us aren’t even ranked," he said.
If nothing else casts a positive light on the international game, the enhanced competition across each level should. As basketball’s popularity continues to rise around the world, its become more than just another accolade or something to occupy time during the off-season.
"It was a great ride and great journey to learn, watch basketball grow and be globalized, and meet a lot of other international players to see how they measured up against us," Hall of Famer, six-time NBA champion, and two-time gold medal-winner Scottie Pippen said of his experience playing in the 1992 and 1996 Olympics.
To a slightly lesser extent, international play could be the difference in a solid pro crossing the elite threshold or a high schooler cracking a Top 100 list. Even with Paul George’s injury remaining the elephant in the room during conversations about its positives, the future of international basketball remains vibrant.
Years later, Julian Kimble wishes he would’ve pushed himself a little harder during the summer. Follow him on Twitter here.
