Paris Olympics Showed How Global Basketball Is Better Than Ever

The United States isn’t as far ahead of the rest of the world as many might imagine.
Paris Olympics Showed How Global Basketball Is Better Than Ever
LeBron James of Team USA dunks during the men's gold-medal basketball game against France at the Olympics in Paris on Aug. 10, 2024. Mark Terrill/POOL/AFP via Getty Images
|Updated:
0:00

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.

John E. Gibson
John E. Gibson
Author
John E. Gibson has covered pro baseball in Japan for about 20 years and brings great knowledge and insight across the sports spectrum. His experience includes stints at The Orange County Register, The Inland Valley Daily Bulletin, The Redlands Daily Facts and The Yomiuri Shimbun’s English newspaper in Tokyo.