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“What I would tell [commissioner] David Stern and then Adam [Silver] … you know how in soccer, for the Olympics it’s 21-and-under, 22-and-under, whatever it is? And then [FIFA] own the World Cup? And the World Cup’s a bigger event? I’m like, ‘give [the Olympics] our young kids. Do the same thing as soccer. Let the 21-and-under play for the Olympics, and then create our own international World Cup.’ … And they were like, ‘Well, FIBA. We got this contract with FIBA.’ Well that contract will expire. And them immediately — like, they wouldn’t tell me anything — but they were like, ‘Okay, we signed an extension with FIBA,'” Cuban explained, giving a dramatic eye-roll.
Is there a moment that sticks out that you think was your favorite or that you cherish the most? Sergio Rodriguez: Again, it’s tough to choose one, But probably, you know, being in the NBA, winning the three Euroleagues that I had won, playing for Real Madrid, playing for the National Team, Olympic Games of 2012, that we got the silver medal. So there are moments, winning the European Championship and the gold medal at the World Cup in 2006. So there are many moments. And when I see them and reflect on those moments, I feel very grateful.
In an exceptional evening, FIBA honoured several iconic figures who have left an indelible mark on the sport’s history. Among the inductees were: Pau Gasol (Spain) – Two-time NBA champion with the Los Angeles Lakers and Spain’s all-time leading scorer in EuroBasket. Mike Krzyzewski (USA) – Legendary coach known as “Coach K,” who led Team USA to three Olympic gold medals and Duke University to five NCAA titles.] Ticha Penicheiro (Portugal) – WNBA’s all-time assists leader and one of the greatest playmakers in women’s basketball. Andrew Bogut (Australia) – NBA champion with the Golden State Warriors and three-time Olympian. Dawn Staley (USA) – Three-time Olympic gold medallist and flag-bearer for Team USA at Athens 2004. Alphonse Bilé (Côte d’Ivoire) – West African basketball icon and 1981 FIBA AfroBasket champion. Ratko Radovanović (formerly Yugoslavia) – Olympic gold medallist (Moscow 1980) and 1978 FIBA World Cup winner. Leonor Borrell (Cuba) – Four-time World Cup participant and 1986 tournament top scorer.
The expectation on the men’s side is to hold a senior team training camp in August in advance of the FIBA AmeriCup, which runs Aug. 22-31 in Nicaragua. And while the core members of the men’s Olympic team won’t be playing this summer, the hope is that they will spend a couple of days in camp to gain some familiarity with Herbert ahead of the 2027 World Cup in Qatar.
According to men’s team general manager Rowan Barrett, the chief criteria for the incoming head coach is international experience and success. “We believe our team will be ready to go for the podium in the LA 2028 Olympic Games 2028,” Barrett said, via text. “And that we are first looking for coaches that have experience winning medals at the World Cup or the Olympics … there (has) been interest candidates from all over the world.” While Canada Basketball wouldn’t offer any further comment on their process, multiple sources have suggested that Gord Herbert is the leading candidate for the men’s team.
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He certainly checks off a lot of boxes. The former Canadian Olympic team (1984) player has had a long and successful career in Europe and is currently head coach for EuroLeague club Bayern Munich. Herbert was the head coach for the German national team when it won bronze at EuroBasket in 2022 and gold at the 2023 World Cup before finishing fourth at the Olympics in Paris. He was with Canada during World Cup qualifying prior to Nurse being hired in 2019.
The Americans are not under the same pressure now, as the next World Cup is not until 2027 in Qatar. Managing director Grant Hill, who is primarily responsible for picking the coach (subject to approval by the USA Basketball board of directors), is basking in the glow of Paris gold and has not yet begun the process of selecting Kerr’s successor.
Mr. Silver said the Emirati government did not impose any restrictions on the league’s operations in Abu Dhabi, and that if it did the league would not have come. He also disagreed that the N.B.A.’s presence helped hide abuses. “Sports brings disproportionate attention, it seems, to issues positive and negative,” Mr. Silver said. “And I think what comes with this region attracting high-profile sports, no different from the World Cup that took place in Qatar, there’s been enormous amount of discussion around people’s opinions of those markets and the activities there.”
"I hear the comments about sportswashing," Silver said in reference to Middle East investment in American sports in an interview last year on "The Dan Patrick Show." "On the other hand, you're talking about it, others are talking about it. In the same way the soccer World Cup brought enormous attention to Qatar, I think people learn about these countries, learn about what's happening in the world in ways they otherwise wouldn't. So I think the media does its job. "Talking specifically about the NBA, we're such a global sport," Silver continued. "I think people are a little too dismissive these days about the benefits that come from the commonality around sports. That with a sport like basketball, our Finals are distributed virtually everywhere in the world, the sport is played, everywhere in the world. It's an opportunity to bring people together."
With Rudy Gobert… * Wolves had their second-best season ever. * Jazz had their second-best season this century. * France had its best Olympics ever (2020). * France had its two best World Cup performances ever. Correlation does not mean causation or an obvious pattern?
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As reported yesterday by BeBasket’s Gabriel Pantel-Jouve and confirmed today by L’Equipe, the 61-year-old head coach won’t be leading anymore France, in a generational change involving some of the brightest European talents in today’s basketball landscape. At the helm of the French national team, he won two Olympic silver medals (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024), two World Cup bronze medals (Spain 2014 and China 2019), and four EuroBasket medals (bronze at France 2015, silver at Lithuania 2011 and Germany 2022, and gold at Slovenia 2013).
USA Basketball to go with either Erik Spoelstra or Tyronn Lue as next head coach?
Steve Kerr is not expected to continue as USA Basketball men's head coach after coaching in the Olympics and last summer's World Cup and serving as an assistant to Gregg Popovich at the 2019 World Cup and the Tokyo Olympics contested in 2021. USAB is expected to choose either Miami's Erik Spoelstra or the LA Clippers' Tyronn Lue, both assistants to Kerr, as his replacement.
Chris Fedor: It just doesn't feel like the same kind of situation as Luke Travers and I just don't sense a whole lot of urgency from Yabusele. It's basically like ‘okay if if you're going to call me and you're going to make it worth it for me to come to the NBA and you're going to give me an opportunity that's appealing enough to come to the NBA, then I'll do it, but if not I'm fine just staying overseas and continuing to play in the Euroleague where I'm getting consistent minutes, I'm getting consistent touches, I'm getting opportunities to play in high-level environments against some really good competition, and then when the summer rolls around I can play for Team France at the World Cup or the Olympics or something along those lines’. I just think in this kind of situation I don't know that the Cavs are the most logical fit for him from an opportunity and cost standpoint.
The problem for Hill and USA Basketball is most American NBA superstars have decided they do not want to play consecutive summers. So, for the time being, Hill will likely have to piece together rosters of younger rising stars for the 2027 World Cup in Qatar, and then decide who among those players he can elevate to the Olympic team with more established stars. Anthony Edwards was Team USA’s youngest player at 22 this summer. He came off Kerr’s bench and enjoyed some huge scoring games at the Olympics, including his 26 points against Puerto Rico. He has said he is interested in more Olympic experiences for the U.S., but no more World Cups. “Hell nah,” Edwards said, when asked if he would consider a second appearance at a World Cup.
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