Four years after a disappointing end to their last World Cup, the German national team took home their first FIBA World Cup in the country’s sixty years of participation in the competition. Unlike most successful teams in the tournament, Germany is composed of many lesser-known players in the world of sports. Out of the twelve-man roster, only four are actively playing in the NBA (www.fiba.basketball). Led by Raptors guard Dennis Schröder, the Germans held an undefeated record throughout the exhibition games and continued their dominance deep into the elimination games. The sensational Wagner brothers also heavily impacted every game with their polished 3-point shots, and finishing that work so well together in Orlando. After a stagnant battle against Serbia, Germany won their first gold medal 83-77 on September 10th, engraving themselves in FIBA World Cup history (www.fiba.basketball).
However, Serbia’s tournament run was nothing short of special. While Serbia’s global ranking has skyrocketed over the last couple of years, this can be attributed to Nikola Jokic’s massive success in the NBA. After Jokic had won his first championship in the NBA, he elected not to participate in the World Cup this year and rather spend time with his family on his farm in Serbia. This left the Serbian national team with a gigantic offensive hole to fill as Jokic is arguably the best playmaker in the world. Hawks shooting guard, Bogdan Bogdanovic, was given the green light to lead the way with averages of 19.1 points and 4.6 assists per game to earn Serbia the silver medal (www.fiba.basketball).
Another team that made headlines this September was the Canadian juggernaut full of NBA talent including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, RJ Barrett, Dillion Brooks, Luguentz Dort, Kelly Olynk, and Dwight Powell. SGA’s performances during the tournament earned him even more respect after having a breakout season on the Oklahoma City Thunder, receiving All-NBA 1st-team honors. Ramapo Senior Jacob Marcos had this to say about SGA’s performance, “He has such a unique game style and can play at his own pace. It’s hard to compare him to any players who have come before him. Canada also has a strong roster which he’ll continue to lead for years.”
Ironically, the U.S. national team received the most publicity for once again not meeting expectations in the tournament. Placing fourth in the contest is something to be proud of, but the U.S. teams are held at a higher bar due to their undoubtable global dominance in the history of the sport. However, many are beginning to question if the U.S. is losing its spot amongst the other basketball powerhouses of the world. While the team is full of NBA players, most blame the American stars who have slowly dwindled from the tournament rosters. Ramapo math teacher, Mr Kalman, remarks, “The rest of the world has been gaining on us for decades. If we don’t bring our best players to these tournaments we will never win. The issue is that American superstars don’t care about international play. They only care about their NBA team since that’s where they make their money.” Not earning the gold medal prompted NBA superstar, Lebron James, to hint at a possible return during the 2024 Olympics alongside the likes of Kevin Durant, Steph Curry, Kawhi Leonard, and many other stars (ClutchPoints.com). This leaves fans wondering who will take home the gold in the next FIBA World Cup and the future of the US dominance in basketball.
