The FIBA World Cup has taken on more significance over the years as the NBA has become more international, which means higher expectations.
Spencer See
The FIBA World Cup is a showcase for the best basketball countries in the world. While the competition at the FIBA World Cup is often mistaken for having inferior competition as opposed to the NBA, that certainly isn't the case. In fact, Team USA, a roster filled with NBA players, have missed out on the podium in the last two editions.
While NBA players are certainly the most talented basketball players in the world, adapting to the international style of play isn't always an easy task. Here is a look at the 10 most disappointing NBA players at the FIBA World Cup, all time.
While Mario Hezonja was selected as the fifth-overall pick by the Orlando Magic and is a star in the Euroleague, Hezonja isn't one of the brightest players when it comes to the FIBA World Cup. In his lone appearance at the world stage back in 2014, the former Magic prospect only played for Croatia in two games, tallying 2.0 points, 1.0 rebound, and 0.5 assists per outing.
Kelly Olynyk is a 10 year NBA veteran who has carved out a solid role as a stretch big for various teams in the NBA. But while Olynyk has established his presence in the NBA, he also didn't help Canada's cause during its mediocre showings since 2010. However, Olynyk did make up for it after helping Canada bring home a bronze medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Still on the rise, everyone, particularly Nuggets fans, were certainly surprised that Jokic wasn't the centerpiece of Serbia's offense back in 2019. As the main facilitator with the Denver Nuggets, Jokic was relegated to become a stretch big as part of Serbia's team-centric sets.
The three-time MVP averaged a measly 11.5 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game en route to a disappointing fifth-place finish at the 2019 meet.
Despite gunning for a historic third-straight FIBA World Cup gold medal, Team USA made history for the wrong reasons in 2019. Team USA finished seventh after losing games to France and Serbia. With elite opposing big men, USA relied on two-time NBA blocks leader Myles Turner.
However, Turner was far from effective, as he only tallied 7.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.8 blocks per game on 50% shooting. Although he was solid on the defensive end, they also needed more production from him at the offensive side.
While nearly unstoppable in the NBA, it's a different story when Giannis Antetokounmpo steps into the FIBA World Cup. In 2014, he averaged 6.3 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, which was respectable for a raw player still developing. But in 2019, Antetokounmpo was coming off an MVP season, which raised expectations.
However, in the 2019 meet, Antetokounmpo struggled to dominate, averaging only 14.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Furthermore, the back-to-back MVP and NBA champion failed to lead Greece past the second round.
During his playing days, Al-Farouq Aminu solidified himself as one of the role players in the NBA, especially as a defender. However, while he is a solid role player, he needed to be a star for Nigeria, which is why Aminu struggled at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Aminu averaged a lowly 8.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 45% shooting from the field. Fortunately, Nigeria still managed to become the best-placed team in Africa to clinch a spot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
LeBron James is arguably the best basketball player in the world with four NBA championships, four Finals MVPs, four MVPs, and currently leads the NBA on the all-time scoring list. Internationally, he has two Olympic gold medals and an Olympic bronze.
Given that he is the best basketball player in the world, it is certainly disappointing that James has only won bronze when he made his lone appearance at the 2006 edition. Team USA missed out on the gold medal after losing to Greece, 101-95.
Fresh from a Defensive Player of the Year season, Jaren Jackson Jr. was expected to protect the rim for Team USA at the 2023 FIBA World Cup. But while Team USA was out for redemption, they struggled and suffered a loss against Lithuania before losing twice more to eventual world champions Germany and Canada, which salvaged bronze to deny Team USA of a podium finish.
Jackson hardly contained the likes of Daniel Theis, Mo Wagner, and Jonas Valanciunas, given that he was more of a weak-side defender. Critics slammed Jackson for averaging only 8.1 points, 2.9 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game.
Speaking of the Team USA that was supposedly out for redemption in 2023, in a team lacking in stars, there was no doubt that basketball fans expected Brandon Ingram to star for the team.
However, the Most Improved Player of the Year winner and onetime All-Star could only muster 5.7 points while shooting 28% from deep. Moreover, Ingram could only finish in double figures once in the entire tournament.
While no one really expected China to contend for a medal at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, they were still expected to at least advance to the second round with the hopes of clinching an Olympic spot as the best-placed Asian team, especially after adding Minnesota Timberwolves player Kyle Anderson to the team.
Playing as Li Kai Er, Anderson however hardly made waves as part of the Chinese national team. While Anderson averaged 13.0 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game, he still tallied a goose egg during his FIBA World Cup debut, going 0-for-9 in China's first game against Serbia.
In addition to this, Anderson also failed to help China become the best-placed Asian team or even a slot at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
Spencer See is a part-time writer at ClutchPoints focusing on the NBA, evergreen content and celebrity lifestyle. He is also a lifelong fan of LeBron James. In his free time, he either goes fishing or watches basketball.
🚨 Get viral NBA graphics, memes, rumors and trending news delivered right to your inbox with the Clutch Newsletter.
🚨 Get viral NBA graphics, memes, rumors and trending news delivered right to your inbox with the Clutch Newsletter.

source

Post Views: 7