After the 2024 Olympics , many basketball fans continue to say that the gap between the Americans and the rest of the world continues to narrow.
That's because despite Team USA sending perhaps the best team possible, the Americans had a tough game against South Sudan in the group stages, almost lost to Serbia in the semifinals, and could not blow out France in the gold medal game.
However, Chicago Bulls center Nikola Vucevic doesn't think that is the case. While Vooch acknowledged that the competition has indeed gotten better, he believes that the Americans couldn't blow out the opposition partly because they played under the FIBA setting, which favored their opponents more.
According to the Montenegrin big man, if it were the other way around, the international teams would have struggled to keep up with Team USA.
“If NBA rules were applied, it would be much harder for FIBA teams," said Vucevic.
FIBA rules apply in international competition
Although NBA players have been allowed to play in international tournaments since 1992, these American pros have had to adjust their game because international tournaments like the Olympics and World Championships use FIBA rules.
"First, the three-point line in the NBA is half a meter farther, which is not small in basketball," added Nikola. "The three seconds in defense is also a big deal; I know that from my experience. It’s different offensively, too; it’s much easier for me to cover space on defense here than there. If they played by NBA rules, the U.S. would be even stronger.”
Aside from the ones that Vucevic mentioned, Team USA also has to adjust to playing on a smaller basketball court and with less game time. Players also foul out after their fifth personal foul. Given that most pro leagues around the world adopt FIBA rules, they are more adept at playing in the Olympics or World Championships than the Americans.
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Batum says the world is no longer scared of the Americans
After Team USA defeated France in the 2024 Olympics gold medal game, Frenchman Nicolas Batum, who has played in the NBA since 2008, said that the world continues to get closer to its U.S. counterparts and that no one is scared of them anymore .
“We are going to try to compete,” Batum said . “We know it's going to be difficult, we're going to need a perfect game. We're going to get closer because we're not scared of them. Every team respects them but is not scared of them. We didn't beat them tonight because they are that good, but it's going to happen at some point.”
Nicolas has a point: global basketball talent has greatly improved since 1992, and the American team no longer inspires the same level of fear it once did. However, according to Vooch's argument, if the Olympics were played using NBA rules, Team USA would be dominant. Or, if the NBA permanently adjusts to FIBA rules, they would be a much superior team going forward, but that's unlikely to happen.
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