The Tokyo Olympic Games are behind us, and Team USA ended up bringing home the gold medal. This was, even after a couple bumps along the way. The way that the US  basketball team came together as the tournament progressed, ultimately coming out on top despite not having very much time to practice together is a statement to the unprecedented domination of NBA basketball compared to other leagues.

“The skill (of Team USA) is unmatched…” said Kevin Durant after their win. “…you dig?”

The NBA is truly a remarkable league with the most-skilled, most-talented and most-athletic players in the world. It gathers the best of the best; from middle school to AAU to high school to college to Pro Ams. So how did the NBA players perform in the recent Olympics tournament? Did they prove they’re the best in the world? The answer was pretty much a resounding yes.

The performance of Luka Doncic

We all had a chance to witness the newest member of a $200 million+ contract owner, showing the world that he still has FIBA basketball flowing through his veins by a remarkable performance.

Putting up a extremely rare triple-double and taking his national team of Slovenia into the semis, Luka once again proved his talent, potential and contested all other NBA stars to start to think of him as a worrisome factor in the next season.

However, Luka Doncic is not new to FIBA basketball, as he played professional basketball since he was 16 years old for one of the biggest clubs in Europe, Real Madrid. Some will say that he had an advantage over other NBA superstars, as he’s more familiar with playing styles and tactics involved in FIBA basketball.

While many users watched American NBA stars comfortably on a television broadcast, watching superstars like Luka Doncic was possible in some places only by using tools like Atlas VPN. In some regions, certain matches were not broadcasted by official channels. Thus, if fans wanted to see more, they had to go through other means to get the international experience.

The USA Shocked in its first Olympic tune-up

An unexpected defeat from Nigeria in the preparation period raised alarms, and many doubted that the US national team could stand a chance when competing with other teams. Many superstars like Harden, Middleton, and Durant had a long and tiring season, and it looked like they might be out of energy to complete an Olympic tournament and bring home the gold.

As time passed and coach Popovich assembled the pieces game after game, the national team looked like true contenders to win the gold medal. Players like Kevin Durant stepped up their game and proved once again why US basketball still manages to dominate the sports arena.

However, it wasn’t all as easy as it seems. Damian Lillard exclusively stated that it’s much harder scoring in FIBA basketball format and that playing D wins matches. Compared to an NBA League where defense is not a priority over scoring, FIBA basketball teams play strong D from the start, and all that on a shorter and narrower field.

The US national team had difficulties finding their form, as they’re not used to such a playstyle and had difficulties showing off their offensive skills against strong defensive teams. Adjusting to this type of game style was easier for some players, while others took some time and delivered in the knockout phase when it mattered the most.

The NBA superstars, some of them for the first time, got exclusive insights on FIBA basketball and the tactics involved in such a playstyle, and some of them might use the things they’ve learned to improve their skill set when they return to NBA courts across the US.

Can some of them stop Luka Doncic from dominating the league the next year?

Team USA improves every game

As we saw at the beginning of the Olympic cycle, the US basketball team, with Greg Popovich as the head coach, had difficulties finding their form and getting comfortable with one another enough to compete with teams that have played together, and the international style of basketball from a young age.

New York Post stated that Popovich was probably one of the figures with the most to lose. After all, he had a record of being involved with some unfortunate performances even before the Olympics. If you recall, Team USA lost under Popovich’s watch in the World Championships being eliminated by France in 2019.

The good news for the Americans is that as the tournament progressed, they continued to jell together led by the team’s leader Kevin Durant.

Who did we miss?

Of the teams that made the Olympics, the biggest name players that couldn’t represent their countries include two players that had poor performances to end their NBA seasons: Ben Simmons (Australia) and Dennis Schroder (Germany).

The recent years in the NBA League produced some of the biggest European talents such as Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and recent NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo, and we’re eagerly waiting to see what this trio can do the next season. Jokic as a reigning regular-season MVP, Antetokounpo as the reigning Finals MVP and NBA champion, and Doncic as the biggest contender for both MVP titles the next season might bring one of the biggest battles of European and American basketball to date.

Conclusion

Fueled by the recent experience, American NBA superstars will surely have better chances stopping European beasts from dominating the league in the future. Understanding the fundamentals of European basketball can bring a lot to the NBA League, and players should use their new skill set to enhance the league and make it exciting once again.