NEW YORK (USA) – Every single player in the Top 10 of ESPN’s NBA Rank has competed in FIBA competitions since the summer of 2023.
And a whopping 76 out of the Top 100 NBA players, according to the U.S. media network, have represented their countries in international competition. The trend is now undeniable.
The players who show up for national team events want to represent their countries. They crave the intense competition that FIBA Ball offers. It’s a feeling like no other.
Year after year, the best in the world continue to show up – and they keep saying how special it is to wear their nation’s jersey.
This summer, Giannis Antetokounmpo was in tears, calling the bronze medal he won at EuroBasket the biggest accomplishment of his life.
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And in 2024, at the Paris Olympics, Stephen Curry – the greatest shooter in basketball history – said the most important shot of his life was “the Golden Dagger,” his final three-pointer in the Olympic Final.
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And the list goes on.
NBA superstars Lauri Markkanen of Finland faced Serbia’s Nikola Jokic
Since NBA players were first allowed on national team rosters at the 1992 Olympics, their presence at continental championships, FIBA Basketball World Cups, and the Olympic Games has skyrocketed — driven by the global growth of the game and the rise of new basketball powers.
The USA still dominates this ranking, of course, with 70 players in the Top 100 — but notably, none in the Top 5.
In total, 21 countries are represented in ESPN’s NBA Top 100.
Canada’s Olympic team had five players in the top 100, including Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at No. 2
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