(Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)
There was a time when Team USA was considered intimidating because of the number of NBA stars on it.
But over the years, other national teams have gained their own NBA stars to compete and America hasn’t seemed so daunting.
Team USA director Grant Hill spoke about this change.
According to BasketNews, Hill said, “There’s no longer the mystique of playing against the NBA players. There’s still respect, but there’s not the sort of fear or the awe that was there 27 years ago.”
Team USA director Grant Hill admits that international players aren’t afraid to face their team anymore #FIBAWC #WinForAll pic.twitter.com/g26ZAtsgx9
— BasketNews (@BasketNews_com) September 3, 2023
It is true that about three decades ago, America changed the game when they started admitting NBA players onto the roster.
The 1992 Dream Team was the first time that some of the biggest names in the league were playing on behalf of the national team.
Since then, that has become the norm.
Meanwhile, the number of international stars has only grown.
Countries like Spain, China, Greece, Slovenia, and Serbia are just some of the many that have become home to major A-list talent.
All of this has detracted from Team USA and has also improved the standing of many other teams throughout the globe.
Therefore, Hill is right when he says that other teams don’t fear the American team as they once did.
Despite that, Team USA is still one of the best teams in the world.
Even though they only earned seventh place in the last World Cup, they are still considered contenders to win it all this year.
If they do that, some of the fear that has been missing might return.
That would perfectly set them up to once again be the most intimidating teams on the planet before next summer’s Olympics.
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