Many observers often resemble performers on a “Sesame Street” segment when evaluating opponents playing the United States in international competitions because all they do is count.
They count the number of international players who belong to National Basketball Association teams. They add up the cumulative years of NBA experience for those players and come up with misguided assessments of the U.S. team’s opponents.
Some pundits even count the average age of the opposition, minutes played, and points per game for players with NBA experience, as if any of that matters when it comes to international play.
Suffice to say a lot of assumptions are made, with most of the comments centering on the United States having a complete roster featuring the best of the NBA with a crew of surefire and budding Hall of Famers.
The problem, though, is that it no longer falls under the category of cogent analysis, if it ever did. The proof came all tournament long at the recently completed Paris Olympics, but particularly in the gold-medal game against France. It’s as though many forget that Argentina topped the United States 89–81 in the semifinals at the Athens Games in 2004 or that Kobe Bryant had to save the “Redeem Team” at the 2008 Beijing Games in a 118–107 victory over Spain for the gold.
The United States had its golden moment in Paris when superstar Stephen Curry sank the last of four 3-pointers over the final 2:43 to seal a 98–97 victory for the fifth consecutive Olympic title for the men in basketball.
France scored late to make it a one-point difference as the mission wasn’t easy despite a group of America’s elite stars, including four-time NBA champion LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, two-time league most valuable player Curry of the Golden State Warriors, and former MVP Kevin Durant of the Phoenix Suns.
The game was tight in the fourth quarter, and the fear of losing was real. It was a far cry from the “Dream Team” of NBA legends that romped through the field at the 1992 Barcelona Games.
“I think the game has gotten so good at the global level, and the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) is getting better and better,” U.S. Coach Steve Kerr told reporters after meeting heavy expectations and guiding the team to the Olympic title.
“The difference between ’92 and the Dream Team, and now is it was hard to win,” Kerr said. “They didn’t have much difficulty then, but the world has gotten so good at basketball. So, for Steph and Kevin and LeBron to join forces and win a gold medal for their country is pretty spectacular to watch.”
Coach Steve Kerr of Team USA reacts during the men's gold-medal game against France at the Olympics in Paris on Aug. 10, 2024. (Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Before offering that comment, Kerr was asked about the legacy of this ‘24 squad, and the Warriors coach went deep.
“We’re going to have a lot of talented players coming up,” he said. “I hope that the legacy of this team is to see these superstar players and the emotion, and how much it matters to win. And then, hopefully, the stories will be out there [about] how hard Kevin Durant works every day, and Devin Booker and LeBron and Steph and all these guys.
“That’s the key. We’ve got a lot of talent in this country [and] all the young players watching this need to know how hard it is to win, how much goes into it, and how much you have to commit to each other. And that’s what this team’s legacy can be about.”
The host team featured a strong collection of players with NBA experience, not just fast-rising star Victor Wembanyama. Evan Fournier, Rudy Gobert, Frank Ntilikina, Bilal Coulibaly, and Nicolas Batum also all brought valued experience. Gobert was the most decorated of them—while not exactly the most talented—with three NBA Defensive Player of the Year awards and three All-Star appearances.
Wembanyama, the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year for the San Antonio Spurs, led France with 26 points. But it was Guerschon Yabusele who gave the Americans fits in the first half and finished with 20 points.
The fact is many countries boast rosters with NBA experienced players or unproven talent on the rise. Each country has a program that develops the team with a system and a style that caters to FIBA rules and the fast-paced 40-minute game.
Serbia, which led the Americans by as many as 17 points in their semifinal before James put together a triple-double effort that led to a comeback and a 95-91 win on Aug. 9, featured two-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic of the Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks shooter Bogdan Bogdanovic, Nikola Jovic of the Miami Heat, and Vasilije Micic of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Stephen Curry of Team USA drives past Serbia's Ognjen Dobric during a men's basketball semifinal contest at the Olympics in Paris on Aug. 8, 2024. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
South Sudan, with its inexperience and talent-short squad, gave the United States a strong run in a one-point warm-up loss to the Americans ahead of the Olympics before being a pushover in the actual competition.
So, with the Los Angeles 2028 Games now flashing on the radar screen, the development aspect Kerr touches upon will certainly move to the forefront.
James, who averaged a team-high 24.3 minutes at age 39, is sure to have a sit-down with Father Time to discuss retirement before the next Olympics. Durant is 35 and Curry 36, so they are doubtful for ‘28.
In this case, it’s all about the numbers because the countdown to L.A. is on as the United States looks to count on a new veteran core for its next run for gold.
