(Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images)
The NBA has a number of stars and superstars who are originally from foreign countries, and it has given the league an international flavor it lacked decades ago.
The international game has also grown leaps and bounds over the last 20-30 years, as the rest of the world has caught up with the United States in a competitive sense.
It has often been said that American and European styles of play are very different, and Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic, who has played professionally in both places, says the European game is more team-oriented, via Legion Hoops.
Luka Doncic on the difference between Europe and the NBA:
“I think that in Europe you play more as a team. The plays are very important. I think there are not many plays in the NBA.”
(via @BasketNews_com) pic.twitter.com/EtxUa4hnUJ
— Legion Hoops (@LegionHoops) October 10, 2023
Perhaps one reason the game overseas is more team-oriented is that European players don’t have the same natural talent as American players, which means they must be more reliant on execution and basketball IQ in order to win.
The American game, by contrast, has been much more individualistic for decades, but in recent years it has become much more up-tempo, and teams run much fewer set plays than they did two or three decades ago.
The result has been an explosion in scoring over the last five seasons — last year, teams averaged 114.7 points a game, the highest figure in some five decades.
Many accuse NBA teams and players of not playing any defense anymore, but defense is still emphasized and preached by coaches, as it should.
A host of NBA players got a taste of international basketball a few weeks ago when they participated in the FIBA World Cup, and unfortunately, Team USA only finished fourth and left the tournament without winning a medal.
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