PORTLAND — Over 100 NBA scouts and executives packed the Coach Okay fitness center on Nike’s campus this previous week for the Nike Hoop Summit to not solely watch 12 of the highest U.S. gamers follow and scrimmage but additionally 12 worldwide gamers from 12 totally different nations, together with Qatar, Lithuania, Ghana and the Bahamas. To conclude the festivities, the 24 gamers performed a FIBA-ruled recreation Saturday night time on the Moda Middle, house for the Portland Trail Blazers.
In the course of the recreation between Staff USA and Staff World, it felt like greater than only a highschool all-star recreation with gamers competing from the bounce. It was a two-point recreation on the half and each groups saved it shut till midway by means of the fourth quarter. Staff USA went up by 10 factors and Staff World did not have a solution, with Staff USA pulling away and getting the 98-75 win. It was an evenly matched recreation for 3 quarters with a couple of future NBA stars sharing the court docket.
Staff USA was led by Duke commit Cooper Flagg, who hit early foul hassle within the first half however actually got here alive within the second half, hitting 3s, making photographs off the dribble and catching lobs. Flagg completed with 19 factors, 11 rebounds and two assists within the win. Additionally main the cost for Staff USA was 6-foot-9 wing Asa Newell. The Georgia commit performed effectively each inside and outdoors the paint, netting 17 factors and grabbing 10 rebounds.
“Whenever you put this jersey on and also you’re representing your nation, it means one thing extra,” Flagg mentioned after the sport. “There’s numerous expertise on the World Staff and all week we had been listening to that they had been higher than us so this recreation positively meant extra.”
This was probably the most gifted World crew in current reminiscence with 5 high-major school commits and the No. 1 participant in the highschool junior class, AJ Dybantsa, who led all gamers with 21 factors. French level guard Nolan Traore was a gradual flooring normal all recreation and received to the rim with ease, ending with 18 factors and 4 assists. Baylor commit VJ Edgecombe was additionally stable within the backcourt and added 17 factors and 5 rebounds within the loss.
“Each nation has hoopers,” Edgecombe informed Yahoo Sports activities. “It’s turning into extra common and there’s expertise coming from all over the place now, not simply the U.S. Buddy [Hield] and Deandre [Ayton] paved the best way for somebody like me from the Bahamas and I am simply seeking to do the identical for little children watching me play.”
There isn’t any query that the NBA is turning into a extra international recreation. Most of the prime NBA stars are worldwide gamers: Nikola Jokić (Serbia), Luka Dončić (Slovenia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) and Victor Wembanyama (France). On this yr’s draft, there are a number of abroad gamers projected towards the highest, with Alex Sarr (France), Zaccharie Risacher (France) and Nikola Topić (Serbia) all potential lottery picks.
Dybantsa, a 6-8 guard who represented each Jamaica and Republic of Congo, is likely one of the prime gamers in highschool, no matter class. He performed his junior yr at Prolific Prep (Napa, California) and has been a participant on NBA scouts’ radar for the final two years, taking part in up two divisions in Nike’s EYBL final yr and being the No. 1 choice on offense anytime he is on the court docket. Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer are trending towards the highest of the 2026 NBA Draft.
“[Dybantsa’s] scoring instincts are unmatched on the high-school degree and his 3-point shot is exhibiting enchancment,” one NBA scout informed Yahoo Sports activities. “There is a motive why so many executives are right here this week and it is not only for Cooper [Flagg] and Ace [Bailey].”
Traore, a 6-3 guard out of France, was one of the best level guard for the World crew and is a part of the following group of French expertise developing, following Wembanyama and Washington Wizards guard Bilal Coulibaly.
“The subsequent technology of French gamers goes to be actually good,” Traore informed Yahoo Sports activities. “It is getting an increasing number of aggressive and the expertise is so good with youthful gamers developing and seeing what Victor [Wembanyama] and Bilal [Coulibaly] are doing within the NBA.”
Hamad Mousa, a 6-6 guard from Qatar, first caught NBA scouts’ consideration at Basketball With out Borders throughout All-Star Weekend with how effectively he shot the 3-ball and defended the perimeter. His time on the court docket for the World crew was additional particular along with his dad, Yassin, taking part in within the recreation 24 years in the past.
Yassin Mousa performed within the Nike Hoop Summit in 2000 and tonight he received to look at his son Hamad play for the World crew in the identical recreation 24 years later. Particular second for his household and the nation of Qatar. pic.twitter.com/AV1ZHlmpyr
— Krysten Peek (@krystenpeek) April 14, 2024
“It’s actually particular to have the ability to play on this recreation, particularly with my dad taking part in again in 2000, this was all the time a aim of mine,” Mousa informed Yahoo Sports activities. “Simply being from Qatar is large and I get numerous messages from again house with folks simply supporting me. Not numerous gamers come out of Qatar, so simply to signify my nation and present different children they’ll play at this degree, it means loads.”
The hole between expertise in the US and abroad is getting smaller and smaller. Saturday night time’s recreation is an early style of what is coming to the NBA from everywhere in the world and basketball followers ought to be thrilled in regards to the younger expertise developing exterior of America.
