Why the FIBA World Cup is bad for the NBA – and especially bad for fans

It won’t be long now before countries around the world send their top athletes to Paris to compete in the 2024 Summer Olympics. While the opening ceremonies have gotten ridiculously lavish, the Olympic Games can still be fun, entertaining and instill a sense of national pride. But, for NBA fans, they can also be a big slap in the face.

While Major League Baseball has the longest season of any pro sport in terms of games, the argument can be made that the NBA’s is the most grueling. With 82 regular-season contests, plus the pre- and postseason, many players end up playing in over 100 games. 

And, thanks to the FIBA World Cup qualifier — and the eventual Olympic games themselves — the 12 members of Team USA have even more games to play. Throw in the additional practice time, and this just creates extra wear and tear these overworked bodies just don’t need.

Sure, NBA players have top trainers and access to the best medical tools that money can buy. But, there’s always a chance that someone suffers a serious injury. And it’s bad enough when this happens during the season, but when it occurs during a game that is essentially meaningless, it’s a lot worse. Just ask the New York Mets after star closer Edwin Diaz was lost for the year after getting hurt in the World Baseball Classic.

The potential for injuries aside, there’s another factor that can have a major influence on NBA players: confidence. Even the most talented people on the planet can struggle in this area, especially when they’ve had a lot of previous success. 

Take New Orleans Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram. While a star on the Pels, Ingram is having a very difficult time finding his game during the FIBA World Cup and the media certainly isn’t shy about covering this. The huge disparity in his salary compared to others on the team who are performing much better has also been a topic of discussion.

Wanting to win gold medals for the grand ol’ U.S. of A. is fine, and nobody should be disparaged for this. But the truth is that most NBA fans couldn’t care less. They want the players on their teams to be healthy, rested and feeling great going into the long season. 

And they would be more than willing to sacrifice a medal around someone’s neck for a big shiny ring on their finger.