PORTLAND — More than 100 NBA scouts and executives packed the Coach K gym on the Nike campus last week for the Nike Hoop Summit, not only to watch 12 of the nation’s top players train and train, but also 12 international players from 12 countries different countries, including Qatar, Lithuania, Ghana and the Bahamas. To cap off the festivities, the 24 players played a FIBA-led match on Saturday night at the Moda Center, home of the Portland Trail Blazers.
During the game between Team USA and Team World, it felt like more than just a high school all-star game with players competing from the start. It was a two-point game at halftime and both teams kept it close until midway through the fourth quarter. Team USA went up 10 points and Team World had no answer, with Team USA pulling away to take the 98-75 victory. It was an even game for three quarters, with some future NBA stars sharing the court.
Team USA was led by Duke Cooper Flagg, who drew fouls in the first half, but really came alive in the second half, hitting 3s, hitting shots off the dribble and catching lobs. Flagg finished with 19 points, 11 rebounds and two assists in the win. Also leading the charge for Team USA was 6-foot-2 winger Asa Newell. The Georgia team played well inside and outside the box, scoring 17 points and grabbing 10 rebounds.
“When you wear this jersey and represent your country, it means something more,” Flagg said after the game. “There is a lot of talent on the World Team and all week we heard that they were better than us, so this game definitely meant more.”
This was the most talented All-World team in recent memory, with five major college commits and the No. 1 player in the high school junior class, AJ Dybantsa, who led all players with 21 points. French point guard Nolan Traore was a steady general throughout the game and got to the rim with ease, finishing with 18 points and four assists. Baylor commit VJ Edgecombe was also solid in the backcourt and had 17 points and five rebounds in the loss.
“Every country has basketball,” Edgecombe told Yahoo Sports. “It’s becoming more universal and there’s talent coming from everywhere now, not just the US. [Hield] and Deandre [Ayton] It paved the way for someone like me from the Bahamas, and I’m just trying to do the same for the kids who see me play.”
There is no doubt that the NBA is becoming a more global game. Many of the NBA’s top stars are international players: Nikola Jokić (Serbia), Luka Dončić (Slovenia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) and Victor Wembanyama (France). In this year’s draft, there are several foreign players projected to go top, with Alex Sarr (France), Zaccharie Risacher (France) and Nikola Topić (Serbia) all potential lottery picks.
Dybantsa, a 6-8 guard who represented Jamaica and the Republic of Congo, is one of the best high school players, regardless of class. He played his freshman year at Prolific Prep (Napa, Calif.) and has been a player on the radar of NBA scouts the past two years, playing in two divisions in Nike’s EYBL last year and being the No. 1 option on offense whenever is in the courtroom. Dybantsa and Cameron Boozer are trending toward the top of the 2026 NBA Draft.
“[Dybantsa’s] scoring instincts are unmatched in high school and his 3-point shooting is showing improvement,” an NBA scout told Yahoo Sports. “There’s a reason so many executives are here this week and it’s not just for Cooper. [Flagg] and the [Bailey].”
Traore, a 6-3 French point guard, was the best point guard on the world team and is part of the next group of French talent emerging after Wembanyama and Washington Wizards point guard Bilal Coulibaly.
“The next generation of French players will be very good,” Traore told Yahoo Sports. “It’s getting more and more competitive and the talent is really good, with younger players coming in and seeing what Victor [Wembanyama] and Bilal [Coulibaly] are doing in the NBA.”
Hamad Mousa, a 6-6 guard from Qatar, first caught the attention of NBA scouts at Basketball Without Borders during All-Star Weekend with how well he shot the 3-ball and defended the perimeter. His time on the court for the world team was even more special with his father, Yassin, playing for 24 years.
Yassin Mousa played at the Nike Hoop Summit in 2000 and tonight he watched his son Hamad play for the world team in the same game 24 years later. Special moment for your family and for the country of Qatar. pic.twitter.com/AV1ZHlmpyr
-Krysten Peek (@krystenpeek) April 14, 2024
“It’s really special to be able to play this game, especially with my dad playing in 2000, that’s always been a goal of mine,” Mousa told Yahoo Sports. “Being from Qatar is already huge and I get a lot of messages from home with people just supporting me. Not many players come from Qatar, so just to represent my country and show other kids that they can play at this level means a lot.”
The gap between talent in the United States and abroad is getting smaller and smaller. Saturday night’s game is a preview of what’s to come for the NBA around the world and basketball fans should be excited about the young talent emerging outside of America.
