Shaquille O'Neal unsure if USA including LeBron James and Steph Curry can topple Team World lineup featuring Luka Doncic
After looking at some of the top internaitonal and national stars, Shaquille O'Neal is unsure if the top American players could win. The Hall of Fame center recently took to social media to ask others for their opinion.
Following Team USA's fourth-place finish in the FIBA World Cup, the state of global basketball talent has been a growing topic of conversation. It is clear that gone are the days where the U.S. held a vice grip on the sport of basketball.
Early Tuesday morning, Shaquille O'Neal posted a graphic of two lineups. One of the top international players, and one of the top U.S. players. Some of those shown included Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James and Steph Curry. When forced to pick which side would win, the LA Lakers legend couldn't make a clear choice.
Doncic and OKC Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander are both coming off strong showings in the FIBA World Cup. Slovenia did not get a medal, but Canada secure its first medal in World Cup history after beating Team USA to win bronze.
Shaquille O'Neal cites major shift in the basketball landscape
He might not have done it intentionally, but Shaquille O'Neal cited a major change in the basketball landscape. Over the past decade, the rest of the world has caught up to the United States.
When you look at the top stars in the NBA, most of them are from outside the U.S. Nikola Jokic (Serbia) is fresh off winning two MVP awards and leading the Denver Nuggets to a championship. Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) has also done the same in recent years.
Aside from these two, there are plenty of ther examples of international superstars in the league today. Prime examples are reigning MVP Joel Embiid and Luka Doncic.
It was tough for Shaq to pick a side because it is a real debate now. The top international stars have the talent to go toe-to-toe with the top American players.
Overall, this is great for the sport of basketball. Not only is the NBA getting talent from all over the globe now, but international play has become more competitive than ever. Heading into the 2024 Olympics, multiple countries will have rosters worthy of walking away with a medal.
The biggest thing this has proven is that the United States cannot sleepwalk to victories anymore. If they want to win, they'll need to get serious about sending their top players for international competition.