Luka Dončić was just a young teenager when he first caught the eye of the Dallas Mavericks.
Roberto Carmenati repeatedly heard from reliable friends about a talented young prodigy from Slovenia.
In April 2012, Dončić seized a unique opportunity to compete against his own and made the most of it.
A grainy highlight video showcases a young teenager with the talent and expertise of an experienced professional. Many are impressed by his abilities.
w he performed under pressure.
The Mavericks observed with increasing interest as Dončić joined Real Madrid over the following five years.
Donnie Nelson, the former general manager, along with at least four other Mavericks executives, flew from Dallas.
The Mavericks’ evaluation process concluded with confidence that Dončić was the top player in that year’s draft.
Carmenati learned about the trade as dawn approached in Italy. Immediately, he offered his congratulations.
Carmenati expressed great satisfaction in being involved in the process as a scout.
Recently, the NBA has started to give more attention to international prospects after neglecting them for a surprisingly long time.
me.
Just a few decades later, the NBA has transformed into a worldwide powerhouse that never sleeps.
Not only has the number of international players increased, but the overall quality has also seen improvement.
The trend continues to gain momentum as the NBA Draft approaches its first round on Wednesday. An influx of
International players are making a bigger impact than ever in the NBA, with a new influx of foreign talent on the horizon.
The former meat and dairy inspector is the most underestimated figure in the development of international basketball.
Boris Stanković laid the groundwork for the creation of the Dream Team through his solo efforts to unlock the O
During that time, FIBA’s rule on amateurism determined the eligibility of athletes for the Olympics.
Before Stanković, no one had dared to question that rule. The NBA in America had not required its large number of players.
Stanković believed that it made no sense to declare someone an Olympic or world champion without considering the top 350 athletes in the sport.
In late 1985, after years of FIBA actively avoiding any connection with the NBA, Stanko
He essentially stated that international competition would be illogical without the participation of the.
Stern and Granik had not previously considered the concept of NBA players participating in the Olympics.
Stern was not prepared to request top-tier NBA players to participate in the Olympics in addition to their current commitments.
The first McDonalds Open was broadcast on ABC in October 1987, showcasing the current European club champion.
Granik must be tempted to say that he and Stern immediately understood the potential.
Granik said that we never discussed how this would appeal to new players.
It is not surprising that Stern and Granik could not have predicted a player like Tony Parker emerging from France, or a Pau Gasol.
Most of the NBA’s first international players were developed through the U.S. system.
It was challenging for NBA teams to recruit top talent directly from Europe. This was due to the restrictions set by FIBA rules.
When Alexander Volkov was a child in the northern Ukrainian city of Chernihiv, he stated, “If someone…”
The only way for us to reach the NBA was to travel to the United States or another Western country and pursue our dreams.
Over the years, NBA front offices cautiously began exploring the international talent pool, testing the waters.
These were talented players who would have excelled in the NBA if given the opportunity.
In 1985, a player who had been trained and developed in Europe made his debut in an NBA game.
Stan Kasten, the general manager of the Atlanta Hawks, was one of the first NBA executives to make a significant investment.
Richard Kaner would travel to Europe several times a year to attend games and connect with his extensive network.
Kaner modestly stated that he was likely among the initial international scouts hired by an NBA franchise.
With a seven-round NBA Draft, the Hawks had the luxury of taking calculated risks on unknown prospects.
In 1988, the Hawks selected Jorge Gonzalez with the 54th overall pick. Gonzalez was a slow-moving 7-foot-6, 380-pound Argentine.
“He displayed a great shooting ability from beyond the 3-point line,” former Hawks coach Mike Fratello told Yahoo Sports.
During the peak of the Cold War, Hawks owner Ted Turner became enthusiastic about utilizing sports to promote.
As Gorbachev introduced changes that relaxed government oversight of the economy and allowed for greater individual initiative.
In 1985, the Hawks made history by selecting Arvydas Sabonis, a 7-foot-3 Lithuanian considered a big-man guru.
Just a year later, Portland surprised the basketball world by selecting Sa with their first-round pick.
Volkov realized it was the genuine article and began to consider, “This could really happen.”
Volkov’s once-impossible dream of playing in the NBA became increasingly attainable as he joined the Hawks.
Turner facilitated Sabonis’ trip to Portland for medical treatment following his injury.
The success of that journey paved the way for another, which would permanently change the NBA for the better.
In July 1988, Stern and a few others accompanied the Hawks on their trip to the Soviet Union.
Mike Fratello will always remember the moment he was welcomed to the Soviet Union.
The Hawks had recently arrived at a secluded airstrip in Georgia, close to the Soviet Olympic Training Center in S.
Brother borrowed a truck from nearby, gathered a few players, and went to pick up their bags.
The Hawks were informed that Sukhumi was a picturesque resort town located on the Black Sea coast. The players brought
All the squashed mosquitoes on the wall were still visible, indicating that someone had been in your room.
meet and discuss the situation.
Hawks players may not have completely grasped the reason for their journey of over 11,000 miles round trip.
The second topic discussed the attendance of Kasten and Portland Trail Blazers president Harry Glickma.
The key factor in the negotiation was Stanković’s increasing confidence in the support for his idea to m
The Soviets suggested focusing on the Seoul Olympics, but our strategy involves permitting certain athletes to participate.
Soviets were dominating the game against the Hawks.
In September, the Soviets won the Olympic gold in Seoul with players like Sabonis, Marčiulionis, and others.
In 1989, Soviet players were finally allowed to move to the western hemisphere, with Volkov joining Atlanta and Ma.
Some people in the NBA community were haunted by Glouchkov’s transformation from the Balkan Banger to the Balk.
The response was a resounding affirmative.
Petrović proved himself to be the Croatian Mozart after being traded to New Jersey, maintaining an average of 22.3 points.
Bohuny says that those players dramatically shifted the NBA’s perspective on European players and served as inspiration.
They provided a plan for the countless children worldwide who were on the brink of becoming captivated.
On April 8, 1989, shortly after the FIBA World Congress decisively voted to remove Amateur from its title.
Not everyone shared the same level of optimism.
The American media was deeply concerned at the time about whether the U.S. should.
According to the survey, only 58% of NBA players expressed a willingness to participate in the Olympics if given the chance.
Jerry West told the Los Angeles Times that if he were the owner, he would not allow the players to participate.
The sentiment had shifted by the time Granik and fellow NBA executive Rod Thorn started making contact.
Traveling with the Dream Team, head coach Chuck Daly once compared to touring with Elvis and The Beatles.
The Dream Team’s average margin of victory in every Olympic game was 44 points, showcasing their overwhelming dominance.
Pau Gasol expressed his gratitude to the Dream Team when he was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in August of last year.
My life was transformed by it, Gasol stated. The Dream Team demonstrated to us the potential of basketball. It inspired me.
Two of Gasol’s fellow 2023 Hall of Fame inductees experienced similar emotions while watching the Dream Team.
Stern may not bear personal responsibility for NBA players being granted the opportunity to take part in the Barc.
he Dream Team accomplished in the realm of international basketball was unprecedented, according to Bohuny.
gan to realize the value of having a diverse roster.
In the 1990s, Marty Blake, the NBA’s director of scouting for many years, along with his son Ryan, started going to junior basketball games.
By the early 2000s, it became trendy to recruit international players. Nearly every NBA team had at least one foreign player on their roster.
In 2002, Nikoloz Tskitishvili, a 19-year-old 7-footer from Georgia, was selected as the fifth overall pick by Denver.
uld have stayed in college for four years if I knew I was going to be a second-round pick.”
aking strides in identifying talent from around the world.
couts to every corner of the globe in search of the next basketball star, showing that distance is no obstacle in their pursuit of talent.
At the beginning of the previous season, over 25% of NBA players were from international countries.
When NBA scouts are asked to identify the next international talent hub, they frequently highlight Africa as a promising option.
In order to fully utilize this opportunity, the NBA has recognized that it must do more than just focus on discovering talent.
Amadou Gallo Fall began playing basketball at the age of 17.
When his older brother returned home from school in France, he brought him a basketball as a gift.
The sole basketball court in Kaolack, Senegal, the hometown of Gallo Falls, was located at the local high school.
A few years later, Gallo Fall was residing in Tunisia when he attracted the interest of a Peace Corps representative.
fore he even saw me play.
The unpredictability of Gallo Falls’ basketball journey stayed with him well beyond the end of his career.
Hakeem Olajuwon only participated in soccer and handball until he turned 15, when he began playing basketball at his Nigerian high school.
e footsteps of their predecessors.
oundation to provide resources and support for young athletes in Africa.
ople with great potential but without the necessary resources and support, it is difficult for them to succeed,” Gallo Fall explained.
Gallo Falls’ vision for Africa was already in line with the NBA’s even when he was just a scout for the Dallas Mavericks.
The hands-on developmental work began with the first Basketball Without Borders Africa event hosted by the NBA.
The yearly three-day camp rapidly evolved into a unique platform for young African players to display their talents in front of American audiences.
Despite the presence of players such as Joel Embiid, Pascal Siakam, and Luc Mbah a Moute in the basketball world, they have all moved on.
Chris Ebersole, the head of international basketball for the NBA, admitted that there was not always a definitive answer.
Ebersole believed that the key was to enhance the African basketball ecosystem so that players could reach their full potential.
One of the NBA’s most impressive success stories is Khaman Maluach, a talented 7-foot player who has achieved great success in a short amount of time.
The NBA envisions its future in players such as Maluach. The league is committed to discovering talented young prospects.
hosted Basketball Without Borders camps in 33 countries on six continents.
In October, the NBA announced that a record number of 125 international players had been included on opening-day rosters.
any teams willing to take on Westbrook’s massive contract.
Ebersole stated that the rest of the world is beginning to close the gap with the U.S. and Europe, which is a positive development.
Jeff Eisenberg is a senior writer.
Jeff Eisenberg has been reporting on college basketball for Yahoo Sports since 2010. Originally from California, he came to the platform to share his insights on the sport.