By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
In the past, the Top 10 would have been a Top 12, and it would consist of the entire Team USA. These days, things are entirely different, and not because more All-Stars turned down the opportunity to play in the American team than any other time. Non-Americans are not only increasing and multiplying in the NBA, the top basketball entertainment industry, but they’re also even dominating. Giannis Antetokounmpo is the best example. And not the only one.
Eurohoops composed the Top 10 players of the World Cup that will be hosted in China (31/8-15/9).
In alphabetical order:
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
Point forward | December 6, 1994, | Greece
Many people are saying that they’ve never seen before in their lives a lot of what the 25-year-old point forward does. In the World Cup, they’ll get to see him do something more since a current NBA MVP has never been present in the final phase of the competition before. Paradoxically, this is not his first appearance in the tournament, since, as few will remember, he was present in 2014, a year after his selection with the 15th pick by the Bucks. It’s just that a lot has changed since then. Only in the previous season, aside from MVP, he was also team captain in the All-Star Game, a member of the All-NBA First Team and the NBA All-Defensive First Team. Together with his brother and now teammate, Thanasis, they are the two NBAers on the Greek roster.
FACUNDO CAMPAZZO
Point guard | March 23, 1991 | Argentina
The time when he had to be loaned out (Murcia 2015-17) in order to prove his worth is gone for good for Real Madrid’s 28-year-old point guard and now he has the track record to prove it and, at the same time, to show it off since he’s a two-time EuroLeague Champion (2015, 2018). Intelligent as few are, more audacious than perhaps he should be, but, above all, able to lead the “Gauchos” in his second appearance in the final phase of the competition.
MARC GASOL
Center | January 29, 1985 | Spain
The 34-year-old center has won everything in his career, including the gold medal in the 2006 World Cup, but with the addition of the championship win in the NBA (with the Raptors in 2019), the word ‘everything’ is not an exaggeration or a figure of speech. He’s one of the oldest-serving players on the roster of the “Rojas,” who have four NBAers, and he appears in the final phase of the competition for the fourth time. This fact alone betrays his age, but he’s still one of the smartest big men in the world, and one of the most skilled.
RUDY GOBERT
Center | June 26, 1992 | France
The 27-year-old center is one of the five NBAers on the roster of “Les Bleus,” but he stands out among them. In six years in the NBA (selected by the Jazz with the 27th pick in 2013) he has managed to evolve into one of the best big men in the world. He’s one of just ten players who have won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award more than once (2018, 2019), while he can dominate above the rim as well as in offense. He was a member of the silver medal-winning team in the 2014 World Cup, in his then first appearance in the final phase of the competition.
NIKOLA JOKIC
Center | February 19, 1995 | Serbia
The 24-year-old center may not be as athletic as modern basketball demands, but his basketball intelligence is more than enough to make up for any disadvantage. The Nuggets had seen it right from the beginning, and they hit the jackpot when they selected him with the 41st pick in 2014. He’s coming off his first All-Star season, in the course of which he was also included in the All-NBA First Team. He’s one of five NBAers on the Serbian roster, in his first appearance in a World Cup.
PATTY MILLS
Point guard | August 11, 1988 | Australia
Ten years in the NBA – the last eight with the Spurs (Champion in 2014) under the instructions of Gregg Popovich – are more than enough to make the case that Patty Mills belongs on the list of the top players in this World Cup, the second of his career after the one in 2010. In case it’s not enough, he was also the one who drove Team USA to their first defeat after 78 consecutive wins in big international competitions and preparation games. The 31-year-old point guard is the leader of the “Boomers,” who have four NBAers on their roster.
DONOVAN MITCHELL
Shooting guard | September 7, 1996 | USA
Looking at his resume, one won’t come across a lot of achievements: selected with the 13th pick by the Jazz, NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2018 and winner of the NBA Slam Dunk Contest. Looking at his game, though, one can find everything they need to know to understand that the 23-year-old shooting guard deservedly has an entire state (Utah) at his feet. Even though he’s not an All-Star (yet), “Spida” plays like one and Team USA has placed on him a large part of their hopes to win another gold medal.
CEDI OSMAN
Small forward | April 8, 1995 | Turkey
2019 is turning out to be a milestone year in the career of the 24-year-old small forward. After first earning a steady role in the Cavaliers (2017-today), the 31st pick selected by the Timberwolves in the 2015 draft is ready to lead Turkey in his fourth appearance in an international competition after the 2014 World Cup, the 2015 EuroBasket, and the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament, when he was still young. Now he’s of three NBAers on the Turkish roster.
DOMANTAS SABONIS
Power forward | May 3, 1996 | Lithuania
With a heavy name in terms of its history, time and again the 23-year-old left-handed power forward is called to prove that he’s not having a career because of his father. Being an NBAer since 2016 (selected with the 11th pick in 2016 by the Magic and traded to the Thunder) and with seasons like his last ones with the Pacers (2017-today) under his belt, he has no reason to worry. He was included in the preliminary list of 24 players for the Lithuanian national team in the 2014 World Cup, he was a member of the squad in the 2015 EuroBasket and the 2016 Olympic Games, he didn’t join for the 2017 EuroBasket but has returned for his first appearance in the final phase of the competition. He’s one of two NBAers on the Lithuanian roster.
KEMBA WALKER
Point guard | May 8, 1990 | USA
The 29-year-old point guard has plenty of reasons to hold on to this summer: signing with the Celtics after eight years – his entire career – with the Hornets (selected with the 9th pick in 2011), as well as his appearance in the World Cup with Team USA. He’d like to have even more reasons as he aspires to lead the American team to maintain their reign. Paradoxically, even though their roster consists of 12 NBAers, the only one with so many among the 32 teams of the final phase – and how could it be otherwise? – he’s one of just two All-Stars in the squad (Khris Middleton is the other).