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The 1992 Summer Olympics is often cited as the big bang for international basketball because of the star power of the Dream Team. I hadn’t quite realized how shallow the global talent pool was until I dug into the rosters for the 1992 Olympic squads. Here’s what I found: Only one team, Croatia, boasted multiple players who was actively playing in the NBA in the summer of 1992, and they only sported two such players, Drazen Petrovic and Stojko Vrankovic. Three others on the roster — Toni Kukoc, Dino Radja and Zan Tabak — would come to the NBA later.
Think about that. Croatia, which took home silver in Barcelona, represented the stiffest competition for Team USA but they only had two active NBA players and five total when we look at the roster’s entire careers. Do you know how many non-USA teams in the 2024 men’s basketball field have multiple NBA players? Not one. Not two. Try seven. That’s right, seven teams today have as much active NBA players as the strongest non-USA team in 1992.
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BasketNews: 🇬🇷 Greece will go up against 🇭🇷 Croatia for the ticket to Paris Olympics 👀 #FIBAOQT pic.twitter.com/KNyjPOFJSt
Christos Tsaltas: Ivica Zubac has put Croatia on his back today with a monster game, dominating on both ends. Against New Zeeland (3 quarters) 27 points, 14 rebounds, 11-13 FG, 40 ranking #FIBAOQT #iznadsvihHrvatska #ClipperNation pic.twitter.com/NAwv89CjyU
Croatia rolls over Slovenia in Olympic Qualifying Tournament despite Luka Doncic's triple-double
Luka Doncic recorded a triple-double, but Slovenia had a night to forget in their FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) opener in Piraeus, Greece. Despite Doncic scoring a game-high 26 points, he struggled with his shooting, hitting only 8 of his 23 field goals (35%) and missing all nine of his three-point attempts. Slovenia lost their first OQT game 108-92 to Croatia.
The NBA frontcourt duo of Dario Saric and Ivica Zubac proved difficult for Slovenia to contain, given their clear size advantage. Croatia outscored Slovenia 31-16 in the first 10 minutes and maintained their lead throughout the game.
Croatia will participate in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Piraeus, and their national team coach Josip Sesar has decided on the final squad for the tournament. Leading the way will be two NBA players: Ivica Zubac from the LA Clippers and Dario Saric of the Golden State Warriors, alongside Real Madrid‘s star Mario Hezonja.
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Croatian Heritage Night will be celebrated when Detroit Pistons face the Utah Jazz at the Little Caesars Arena in Detroit on Thursday, December 21, 2023. This promises to be a night filled with Croatian cultural performances, and, of course, some thrilling basketball action. One of the highlights of the evening is the presence of Croatian talent on both teams. Bojan Bogdanović will be wearing the colours of the Detroit Pistons, whilst on the opposing side, Luka Samanić will be playing for the Utah Jazz.
Donatas Urbonas: Luka Doncic 🇸🇮 has scored 200 points in the FIBA World Cup in only 8 games. The other three players to reach this mark in 8 games or fewer– Shin Dong-pa (7 games, 1970) Nikos Galis (6 games, 1986) Drazen Petrovic (8 games, 1986) 📊 Opta Stats
Donatas Urbonas: Arturs Zagars 🇱🇻 set the new FIBA World Cup record with the most assists in a single game – 16. This record has been held by Toni Kukoc since 1994, and Carlik Jones tied that number this year (15). 📊 Opta Stats
Dario Saric leads Croatia to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament
Led by Dario Saric’s strong performance, Croatia defeated Turkey 84-71 in the 2024 Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament held in Istanbul, with the Golden State Warriors forward recording a double-double of 22 points and 11 rebounds.
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