The talent level in the NBA is as high as it has ever been, and that’s thanks to the influx of foreign talent over the last decade or so. In fact, you can make an argument that the foreign players are dominating the league in some ways, as the MVP award has gone to an international player in each of the last 4 seasons.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic have split the four between them, with Giannis winning in 2019 and 2020 while Jokic has won the last two. We look set for a 5th straight year with an international player winning MVP as well, with Giannis and Luka Doncic being the frontrunners for the award at the moment. Antetokounmpo is also now widely regarded as the best player in the league, and he was recently asked on Serge Ibaka’s “How Hungry Are You?” show to build a starting 5 of international players and another of the players from the U.S.
NBA Fans React To Giannis Antetokounmpo’s Teams
There were some big names on both sides, and Giannis was confident that the international players would come out on top if they ever faced off. NBA fans weren’t so sure about that remark, however, as they debated who would come out on top in this matchup.
Giannis gives his starting 5 for best international players and best American players:
International:
PG – Luka, SG – Fournier
SF – Giannis, PF – Jokic, C – Embiid
USA:
PG – Steph – SG – Klay
SF – LeBron, PF – Durant, C – Bam
“We beat them”
(Via How Hungry Are You?) pic.twitter.com/ArMx0z3hdA
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) November 14, 2022
“International wins easily”
“Giannis is awesome at literally everything except shooting and roster building”
“Evan Fournier is your starting 2 guard…y’all not winning lol”
“What they would do to Evan Fournier on every possession the UN would have to get involved”
“international sweeping them “
“Give me Kawhi over Klay & it’s over wit”
“No way they can beat LeBron, Curry, and Durant.”
“Book at the 2 usa wins sorry lol”
“International in 6”
“that USA team is not even remotely close to the best one lmao Giannis is not slick”
“Team USA Pg- steph Sg- Tatum Sf-lebron Pf-Kevin C- AD Yall ain’t beating this team”
“USA team wins by 50 in their primes”
“Klay and Bam over Kawhi and AD? lol. Absolutely no spacing for the international squad, Americans in 4.”
“Even wit Fournier, USA still gettin waxed”
“Give me AD or Kat over Bam. USA in 4”
“Put Luka and Giannis together and they going 82-0”
“Put shai at the 2 and yeah INT in 5”
“dude put bam over AD and klay over like 12 better guards of course they’re going to win “
“Sorry to say but they would beat the hell out USA”
A lot of fans had an issue with Evan Fournier and Klay Thompson being in there. Fournier’s excellent play with the French national team is probably why Giannis picked him here, and he went with Klay because he has chemistry with Stephen Curry. This would still be quite a matchup, and it would be a fun idea to try out for the NBA during All-Star weekend.
The internationals will be getting another potential superstar among their ranks next year when Victor Wembanyama enters the NBA. The Frenchman is a generational talent, and Giannis gave some big praise to him while warning the rest of the league that they better be ready for Wembanyama.
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