PORTLAND — More than 100 NBA scouts and executives packed Coach Okay Gym on Nike’s campus final week for the Nike Hoop Summit, simply to observe practices and scrimmages with 12 of the nation’s prime gamers. In addition, 12 worldwide athletes from 12 international locations, together with Qatar, additionally attended. Lithuania, Ghana, Bahamas. To cap off the festivities, 24 gamers performed a FIBA-arbitrated recreation Saturday night time on the Moda Center, house of the Portland Trail Blazers.
The recreation between Team USA and Team World felt like greater than only a highschool all-star recreation with gamers competing from the soar. It was a two-point recreation within the first half, and each groups remained shut till the center of the fourth quarter. Team USA put him up by 10 factors, however Team World had no reply and Team USA pulled away and he received 98-75. Several future NBA stars shared the court docket and it was a fair recreation over three quarters.
The USA group was led by Duke’s Cooper Flagg, who bumped into foul bother early within the first half however actually got here again to life within the second half, making threes, taking pictures off the dribble and catching lobs. . Flagg contributed to the victory with 19 factors, 11 rebounds, and a pair of assists. Also main the group for USA was 6-foot-9 wing Asa Newell. The Georgia product performed nicely out and in of the paint, scoring 17 factors and grabbing 10 rebounds.
“It means a lot extra to put on this jersey and signify your nation,” Flagg stated after the sport. “The World Team has a variety of expertise and we have been listening to all week that they are higher than us, so this recreation undoubtedly meant greater than that.”
This group was probably the most gifted world group in current reminiscence, with AJ Divanza, a five-time main collegiate participant and the No. 1 participant in the highschool junior class, main all gamers with 21 factors. Ta. French level guard Nolan Traore was a strong ground basic all recreation, attending to the rim with ease and posting 18 factors and 4 assists. Baylor’s VJ Edgecomb was additionally strong within the backcourt, including 17 factors and 5 rebounds within the loss.
“Every nation has a Hooper,” Edgecombe instructed Yahoo Sports. “It’s changing into extra common, and now we’re getting expertise from throughout, not simply U.S. buddies. [Hield] and deandre [Ayton] He paved the best way for guys like me from the Bahamas, and I need to do the identical for the little youngsters who watch me play.”
There’s no query that the NBA is changing into a extra international recreation. Many of the NBA’s prime stars are worldwide: Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada), Victor Wenbanyama (France), and many others. is. Several abroad gamers are anticipated to be ranked excessive on this 12 months’s draft, with Alex Sarr (France), Zachary Lizacher (France), and Nikola Topic (Serbia) all more likely to be chosen by lottery.
DiVanza, a 6-8 guard who represented Jamaica and the Republic of Congo, is likely one of the prime gamers in highschool no matter class. He performed his junior 12 months at Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and has been a participant on the radar of NBA scouts for the previous two years, enjoying in two divisions in Nike’s EYBL final 12 months and being on the group. has all the time been the No. 1 choice on offense. court docket. Divanza and Cameron Boozer are trending towards the highest of the 2026 NBA Draft.
“[Dybantsa’s] “His scoring instincts are unparalleled at the highschool stage and his 3-point capturing is exhibiting enchancment,” one NBA scout instructed Yahoo Sports, “with so many executives right here this week. There’s a motive for that, and it is not simply Cooper.” [Flagg] and ace [Bailey]. ”
Traore, a 6-3 guard from France, is the world group’s ground basic and a part of France’s subsequent gifted group, becoming a member of Wembane Yama and Washington Wizards guard Bilal Koulibaly.
“The subsequent technology of French gamers goes to be actually nice,” Traore instructed Yahoo Sports. “It’s changing into increasingly more aggressive, the expertise is excellent, younger gamers are arising and we’ll see what Victor does.” [Wembanyama] and Bilal [Coulibaly] I’m enjoying within the NBA. ”
Hamad Moussa, a 6-6 guard from Qatar, first caught the eye of NBA scouts together with his three-ball capturing and prowess on perimeter protection throughout Basketball Without Borders throughout All-Star Weekend. His time on the World Team court docket was particular, as his father, Yashin, performed within the recreation 24 years in the past.
Yassin Moussa competed within the Nike Hoop Summit in 2000, and tonight he bought to observe his son Hamad play for the World Team in the identical recreation 24 years later. A particular second for his household and the nation of Qatar. pic.twitter.com/AV1ZHlmpyr
— Kristen Peek (@krystenpeek) April 14, 2024
“It’s actually particular to have the ability to play on this recreation. This has all the time been a aim of mine, particularly since my dad performed in 2000,” Musa instructed Yahoo Sports. “Just being from Qatar means lots and I get a variety of messages from individuals who help me from my house nation. There aren’t that many gamers that come out of Qatar, so I need to signify my house nation and encourage different youngsters to play at this stage. It means lots simply to indicate that I can play there.”
The hole between U.S. and international expertise is changing into smaller and smaller. Saturday night time’s recreation will likely be an early have a look at what’s coming to the NBA from all over the world, and basketball followers needs to be excited concerning the younger expertise coming from exterior the United States.