Anyone Else Wish Basketball was as Competitive as Soccer Internationally?

[Swaggin916]

i certainly do. If the USA isn't playing it's not that interesting because they are clearly the cream of the crop. If it were like Soccer and you have 10-15 teams that legitimately had a shot to win. Soccer is a whole different anumal tho... there are so many variables it's much easier for a team who is clearly better than the rest to lose. It's why what Spain has done is so amazing.

[UtahJazzFan88]

Yeah, I would love for it to have more international popularity, but I think the popularity has started to catch on a little bit in the past few years, other teams are catching up to the US a little bit.

[Grinder]

these is a possibility that the last decade or so has been a kind of golden era for a few nations, and in the next few years, there will be even less parity

teams like argentina, france, spain dont have a ton of young talent coming through, at least not enough to maintain their current standing in international basketball

France and Spain absolutely do. The level of French basketball is steadily improving way down through the youth ranks, Spain has a few monsters that'll be lottery picks in the next few years and some good very young players already (Rubio, Mirotic, Ibaka, Claver), and Lithuania has an incredible generation of young players that'll be significantly better than their current team. Turkey's regularly turning out NBA prospects and have 3 promising second rounders that'll develop in Europe this season.

China and Brazil are producing some very nice young players in the coming years too.

[AlonzoGOAT]

soccer in America will never be top tier.

US has had some decent showing in cups and international play but will NEVER attract the country's best athletes.....period.


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International basketball IS very competitive.....second best team in the world was always a former soviet bloc team....but that's changed.

all time great players don't grow on vines....so when your kobes, lebron's wades retire.....there's no guarantee that USA team is always gonna win gold


you see how with bad coaching..US lost to international teams before....

so when current stars leave the game...and they get another ineffective coach a la Karl or Brown.... it's up for grabs again..

Same thing can be said about the best teams in soccer but no one has reigned like the U.S in basketball so I don't get your point and as for kobe/lebron/wade retiring we still have young players growing like kyrie, durant and more..

[AAckley1]

This is very true. Also, if you look at some of the best international players, they come from well to do upbringings. The opposite is true for most US born players.

This is actually false these days. AAU, new shoes, camps etc all cost money. I'll try to find it but there was an article talking about how the NBA is at an all time low when it comes to inner city kids.

[chips93]

France and Spain absolutely do. The level of French basketball is steadily improving way down through the youth ranks, Spain has a few monsters that'll be lottery picks in the next few years and some good very young players already (Rubio, Mirotic, Ibaka, Claver), and Lithuania has an incredible generation of young players that'll be significantly better than their current team. Turkey's regularly turning out NBA prospects and have 3 promising second rounders that'll develop in Europe this season.

China and Brazil are producing some very nice young players in the coming years too.

ill just re-iterate that i said that 'there is a possibility'

are any of these youngsters projected to be as good as ginobili, scola, parker, or the gasols?

second round talent isnt gonna keep other international teams competitive with america, the way the likes of gasol, parker and ginobili have



im not saying anything for certain, im just saying there a possibility that the last 10 years have been an anomaly for international basketball.

[Grinder]

are any of these youngsters projected to be as good as ginobili, scola, parker, or the gasols?

There's a few that could be on that level, yes.

second round talent isnt gonna keep other international teams competitive with america, the way the likes of gasol, parker and ginobili have

A lot of international players are drafted in the second round because of contract situations/uncertainty on whether or not they'll come over, not necessarily on their talent level. For example, Bojan Bogdanovic would have been an almost sure fire first rounder last year otherwise.

im not saying anything for certain, im just saying there a possibility that the last 10 years have been an anomaly for international basketball.

I don't see why it would be an anomaly rather than just a steady improvement in the cultivation of skills and better coaching and more participation in other countries. More and more countries around the world are producing big time talents nowadays. Look at Canada...they're consistently producing first rounders now and could have a future top 3 overall pick with Andrew Wiggins...same with Australia and Dante Exum, New Zealand with Steven Adams, etc.

[chips93]

i get that there may be some guys on the way, way down the line, but lets say over the last 5 drafts, how many international all-stars have been drafted? how many legit studs have been drafted? rubio, valanciunas, gallinari, ibaka. these guys are nice, but all stars they are not.

maybe the last 10 years wasnt an anamoly, but the next 5 could absolutely be some lean years for international teams.

[magnax1]

I think having multiple elite basketball leagues like Soccer would bug me, but it would make for more interesting international competitions if Basketball was as popular as soccer.

[Nick Young]

USA national team is already as good as England's, and they invented the sport. We will be a football super power soon. (Say all you want about Rooney, better individual talent blah blah but fact is both Donavan and Dempsey are better than Rooney in terms of production in international football, and football is a team game)

In terms of basketball, I think China one day can become competitive with us. They have 1 billion people, insane work ethic and love basketball and have good athletic facilities. They just need better coaches over there to train the kids up.

Brazil also is possible, huge population+good athletes with size and basketball is like 3rd most popular sport.

And if China becomes a super power, basketball will hopefully get more popular all over the world.

Already in the parks in london the courts are always full when the suns out, whereas two years ago they were usually empty and it was hard to find a game.

[FKAri]

USA national team is already as good as England's, and they invented the sport. We will be a football super power soon. (Say all you want about Rooney, better individual talent blah blah but fact is both Donavan and Dempsey are better than Rooney in terms of production in international football, and football is a team game)

In terms of basketball, I think China one day can become competitive with us. They have 1 billion people, insane work ethic and love basketball and have good athletic facilities. They just need better coaches over there to train the kids up.

Brazil also is possible, huge population+good athletes with size and basketball is like 3rd most popular sport.

And if China becomes a super power, basketball will hopefully get more popular all over the world.

Already in the parks in london the courts are always full when the suns out, whereas two years ago they were usually empty and it was hard to find a game.

[pauk]

Yes... as long as its not as boring as soccer

[Boston C's]

I dont agree with nickyoung much but hes right...england is highly overrated today

but as a soccer player I don't see the U.S being a powerhouse unless they get a striker that instills fear in the defense...thats a legit scoring threat...I don't think we have ever had a striker that was the caliber of players such didier drogba, wayne rooney, torres, etc....(Donavan and dempsey are midfielders)

[NYballin]

Basketball is ****ed, in my opinion, because you need so much special equipment to play it.

special equipment? all you need is a ball, a hoop and some decent sneakers.

[tmacattack33]

If all the best players still come to play in the NBA, and no competing league develops, then cool i'd be down for that.

But i'm good with where things are right now. The NBA is what I mainly watch and every 4 years the olympics come on and are cool to watch.