The 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup, will take place for the first time across three host nations in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia from August 25 to September 10.

Today, we bear witness to a surprising turn of events in the World Championship as Team USA suffered defeat in the bronze medal match against Canada. The upcoming final showdown pits two European powerhouses, Germany and Serbia, against each other. It’s worth noting that Team USA’s earlier loss came at the hands of Germany in the semi-finals.

Picture: After team Germany beat USA 113-111 in the semifinals

This prompts us to reflect on the state of basketball in 2023, not only in the world championship but also in the NBA 2022-2023 season. A remarkable trend has emerged since 2019: the NBA MVP title has consistently eluded American players.

According to the NBA “55 current NBA players are featured on national team rosters for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 a record from 54 in 2019“. Analyzing the NBA’s player roster, we find a total of 602 players. Among them, 75% hail from the United States, while 12% are European, and the remaining 13% represent various other continents. This demographic shift raises questions about the future landscape of global basketball dominance.

For so long, the USA has been synonymous with basketball excellence, epitomized by the legendary “Dream Team.” However, recent developments beg the question: is the world on the cusp of a new era in basketball, one where traditional powerhouses face formidable challenges from across the globe? Only time will tell if this shift becomes a defining chapter in the sport’s history.