By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Everybody was waiting for the big names to deliver on the Olympic stage at Paris 2024. LeBron James, Steph Curry, and Kevin Durant for Team USA; Victor Wembanyama playing in his first senior International tournament with France; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with Canada.
And the list could go on and on with Franz Wagner and Dennis Schroder for Germany, Nikola Jokic and Bogdan Bogdanovic for Serbia, or Patty Mills for Australia, among many other superstars. The Olympic Games are the moment in which élite basketball players come over to give their countries a boost.
However, the hectic and exciting days both in Lille and Paris demonstrated that this year’s Olympic Men’s Basketball Tournament also brought other players under the spotlight. Names we weren’t really thinking of prior to the start of the competition, but who definitely exceeded everybody’s expectations.
Isaia Cordinier – France
Age: 27 – Club: Virtus Bologna (ITA)
Stats at the Olympics: 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists
Like the vast majority of French players on the national-team roster this summer, Isaia Cordinier didn’t have the best of performances during the group phase in the Pierre Mauroy Stadium of Lille. Only in the latest game in Group B, he tried to spark France’s offense against Germany.
However, once Vincent Collet found adjustments in the Quarter-Finals against Canada, the 27-year-old slasher benefited from starting, answering with a 20-point night. If that wasn’t enough, he doubled his effortless showing in the Semi-Finals against Germany, dropping 16 points and 7 rebounds in the win.
Extending his stay in Bologna until at least 2026, he will likely use the motivation gained. Expect something huge coming from Isaia Cordinier in his third straight EuroLeague season with the black-and-white Italian side. Watch out for dunks if you’re under the rim, most importantly.
RJ Barrett – Canada
Age: 24 – Club: Toronto Raptors (CAN)
Stats at the Olympics: 19.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists
RJ Barrett was the 3rd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Alongside Kevin Durant, he put his name in the history of the NBA by collecting at least 60 points, 15 rebounds, and 5 three-pointers after making his debut in the league with the New York Knicks.
So, the question consequently comes next: why are we inserting such a high-level caliber player in this list? Well, because looking at one of the candidates for last year’s World Cup MVP nominee and another huge addition to his team, he wasn’t surely option No.1 for Canada in Paris.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander kept on delivering for Jordi Fernandez, but instead of Jamal Murray, who joined the team for this highly anticipated Olympic participation, RJ Barrett was the name to follow. 19.8 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.5 assists aren’t averages that come by mistake.
Yuki Kawamura – Japan
Age: 23 – Club: Memphis Grizzlies (USA)
Stats at the Olympics: 20.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 7.7 assists
Basketball is one of those sports where tall people usually suit better; Victor Wembanyama is a pretty good example of that. But in a game of giants, small icons impress the audience even more.
That’s what Yuki Kawamura did for Japan, displaying an effortless showing first in the narrow miracle win over France with 29 points, 7 rebounds, and 6 assists, and then making everything work in the do-or-die losing clash with Japan – ending the night with a double-double of 21 points and 10 assists.
As the Yokohama Corsairs announced before the Olympic Games, he’s set to embrace the challenge in the NBA with an Exhibit-10 contract agreed with the Memphis Grizzlies. In his 172 centimeters of height, there’s dynamite, wide shooting abilities, and vast pride for his country.
Josh Hawkinson – Japan
Age: 29 – Club: Sun-Rockers Shibuya (JPN)
Stats at the Olympics: 18.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists
Talking about Japan, there’s another player on Tom Hovasse’s national team who struck the attention in Paris. Despite the Asian side concluding Group B without a single win, if they came close to making it to the Quarter-Finals is not only Kawamura’s merit but also Josh Hawkinson’s.
The 29-year-old, who got the Japanese passport a few years ago after establishing himself as a foreign legend in the B-League, finished the Olympic campaign by almost averaging a double-double with 18.3 points and 9.7 rebounds (2nd in the whole tournament behind Jokic and next to Wemby) per game.
On the eve of this summer’s Olympic Games, Japan could mainly hope on the impact provided by both Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe, but – alongside Yuki Kawamura – Josh Hawkinson was the one making the most noise. A versatile package that combines strength, smooth touch, and experience.
Nuni Omot – South Sudan
Age: 29 – Club: Free agent
Stats at the Olympics: 16.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.2 assists
If South Sudan made the big step from emerging in the AfroBasket scene to crossing the ocean and heading to the FIBA Basketball World Cup, a huge merit belongs to Nuni Omot, the protagonist of an excellent run in the African Qualifiers.
While he delivered in Manila as well, moving to Paris the spotlight was mainly on former Los Angeles Lakers big man Wenyen Gabriel, triple-double machine Carlik Jones, and 17-year-old gem Khaman Maluach. However, with 24 points against LeBron James and teammates, he shocked everybody.
“Any team that gives me a chance, I promise you won’t regret it”, he said after facing Team USA. If there’s a guy who deserves such an opportunity after surprising the audience in his first-ever Olympic Games, there’s no other name possible other than Nuni Omot.
Vasilis Toliopoulos – Greece
Age: 28 – Club: Aris (GRE)
Stats at the Olympics: 10.8 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.8 assists
Imagine learning in every single practice, on a daily basis, from one of your country’s icons, the last one capable of leading Greece in scoring (14.3 points per game) in the Beijing Olympic Games 2008. That’s what Vasilis Toliopoulos did when admiring Vassilis Spanoulis at Olympiacos from 2015 to 2019.
After the best personal season of his career, making his presence felt in the BKT EuroCup and being named Most Improved Player in Greece with Aris, the 28-year-old guard finally found the opportunity of a lifetime. But he surely wasn’t the guy with the most attention on the Hellenic national team.
As the Olympic Games came to an end for Greece in the heartbreaking Quarter-Finals against Germany, however, he was only behind Giannis Antetokounmpo (25.8) in points scored per game, finishing at 10.8 per encounter. Paris 2024 demonstrated Vasilis Toliopoulos is here to stay for his country.
Bul Kuol – South Sudan
Age: 27 – Club: Sydney Kings (AUS)
Stats at the Olympics: 13.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, and 2.3 assists
Unlike Nuni Omot, Bul Kuol wasn’t in the Philippines with the South Sudanese national team as the Bright Stars played their first-ever FIBA Basketball World Cup. But he made sure people would remember him too from now on.
Second-highest scorer in the defeat against then gold medalist of Team USA with 16 points, he demonstrated consistency all throughout the three-game tournament for Royal Ivey’s team, stealing everybody’s attention by shooting with excellent performances: 50.0% from two and 72.7% from deep.
To keep an eye on him also with club basketball, you would need to tune in to NBL action, as he’s still linked with the Sydney Kings for the near future. But as the Bright Stars are here to stay in upcoming tournaments, don’t rule out the South Sudanese all-around forward.