“We are not yet at the level of the United States”

Is American basketball losing ground to the rest of the world? The debate is more relevant than ever, and the NBA even opted for a “USA vs. the rest of the world” format for the first time during the last All-Star game.

A choice that stems from the observation that international basketball, especially European, can increasingly compete with American hegemony. Even if Team USA still rules world basketball having won the last five editions of the Olympic Games, the Americans are no longer as dominant as in the past: the gap has narrowed to over 40 minutes, especially against established teams, with automatism and identified managers.

Furthermore, on an individual level, international players have never shone so brightly in the NBA. So much so that we have to go back to 2018 to find traces of America’s MVP of the season (James Harden). But the FIBA ​​tournament rewards cohesion, continuity and complementarity as much as the sum of talents. Should the US Federation be worried? For Kevin Durantthere shouldn’t even be a debate.

“I just don’t like the American versus European approach to the game”, recently launched. “All I hear is, ‘AAU is ruining the game, the Europeans are doing it right, the Americans are doing it wrong.’ It’s really nonsense.”

A much more quantitative contingent of high-level players

When asked by BasketNews, Evan Fournier rather, he agreed with KD: according to him, the American contingent remains at the top. Maybe not in “pure quality” at the top, but clearly in quantity, that is, in the number of players capable of being dominant at a high level and taking on big offensive responsibilities.

“He’s not necessarily wrong”that’s how the Olympiakos footballer slipped. “I think the world and Europe are improving, but we’re not at the level of the United States yet. I mean, talent-wise, we’re just not there, so he’s not wrong. Can we beat them in the semifinals or finals of the FIBA ​​tournament? Yes, it’s possible. We beat them in the group stage in Tokyo, but they almost lost to the last semifinalist, Serbia, in the final. The United States has the advantage in terms of developing talent and superstars. He’s not wrong in that regard.

The nuance is important: Europe (and by extension, the rest of the world) today produces superstars who dominate the NBA. But when it comes to building a team in a short period of time, covering all positions, multiplying profiles and absorbing absences, the United States has an even bigger “breeding pool”.

The France international is quite well placed to express himself as he has been in recent battles between France and Team USA, and he often spoke on this subjectespecially recalling that the level of NBA basketball had no equivalent on the planet and that this density of talent remains a structural advantage for the Americans.

Will “Wembi” have the shoulders to compete?

If the United States can logically be concerned about the future as Stephen Curry, LeBron James and Kevin Durant approach retirement, Evan Fournier isn’t as worried about Team USA as he worries the next generation is already underway. The challenge for the Americans will be less about “finding the stars” than about building a coherent team in the FIBA ​​format, with clear roles and continuity.

“Luka Dončić, Nikola Jokić and Giannis Antetokounmpo are the main (European) headliners, but after them the level drops significantly”he added. “The absence of Steph, LeBron, KD and everybody else is only going to give more room to the younger players, like Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Jaylen Brunson. These players are going to stand out. They’re so talented. They may not have the generational talent of LeBron, Steph or KD anymore, that kind of almost untouchable talent, but they still have untouchable talent.

Before the trio of Doncic-Antetokounmpo-Jokic, Evan Fournier, at only 22 years old and a year and a half before the Olympic Games in Los Angeles, forgot the name of the one who makes the whole USA tremble: Victor Vembanyama.

With Zachary Rizacher, Alex Sarr, Bilal Coulibaly and the rest of the young French on his side, can “Wemby” lead France to the highest step of the Olympic podium? In Los Angeles?

“My generation, Rudy Gober, Thomas Hertel, Nicolas Batum, we kind of followed in the footsteps of Boris Diaz, Tony Parker. These guys raised the level of French basketball, and our generation raised it even more. So we have to hope that the younger generation can continue the tradition by holding big tournaments. We had some good results, even if we didn’t win the World Cup title, we didn’t make it. Games etc… We hope they continue on this path” concludes Evan Fournier anyway.