{"id":2139695,"date":"2026-09-11T14:15:32","date_gmt":"2026-09-11T11:15:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2139695"},"modified":"2026-09-11T14:15:32","modified_gmt":"2026-09-11T11:15:32","slug":"the-bounce-kevin-durant-calls-rise-of-foreign-born-nba-stars-natural-evolution","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=2139695","title":{"rendered":"The Bounce: Kevin Durant calls rise of foreign-born NBA stars \u2018natural evolution\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Bounce Newslette<\/b>r<\/strong>\u00a0\":basketball:\"<\/span>\u00a0| This is The Athletic\u2019s<\/em> daily NBA newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

Hello! Zach\u2019s traveling the world, so I\u2019m on Bounce duty for the next couple of weeks. My likes: Chicago, northeast Ohio and carrot cake. My dislikes: dirty sneakers, ice cream (I know, I know!) and squirrels. Let\u2019s get to it.<\/p>\n

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Global game<\/h3>\n

Durant welcomes NBA\u2019s international flair<\/strong><\/p>\n

To Kevin Durant, imitation is not just flattery. It\u2019s impact.<\/p>\n

In a recent hour-long interview with journalist Speedy Morman on the Durant-backed media outlet BoardroomTV, KD answered a series of questions about NBA topics.<\/p>\n

Durant, who is no stranger to sharing his thoughts on social media, gave one answer that I thought was really compelling. \u201cOne of the criticisms people say,\u201d Morman said to Durant, \u201cis that the best players in the league are not American anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Here was Durant\u2019s reply:<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy is that a criticism? Like, our game is global. Everybody plays basketball all around the world, and it\u2019s still expanding in different countries, different places. So, yeah, it\u2019s about time.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey\u2019ve been coming into the league since the \u201980s \u2026 It\u2019s just natural evolution that guys from around the world assume those positions as the best players in the league. Now, the real argument should be who they\u2019re influenced by, and most of these dudes are influenced by Americans.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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\u201cThey\u2019re trying to play like us too, and they accomplished it and executed in their own way. All of this stuff is imitation. What can you look at and go imitate on the court? That\u2019s how I got better. That\u2019s how everybody gets better. Who are you imitating, though? Just natural evolution, I think.\u201d<\/p>\n

The way Durant reframed it is exactly how the NBA sees it as well, although the league\u2019s motivation is probably more financial than anything.<\/p>\n

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But you know what? He\u2019s got a point. The influence of American players of the past (and present to a certain extent) can be seen in the game today. Each generation borrows some of its game from the one before and makes it its own.<\/p>\n

Through sports, American culture \u2014 including style of play \u2014 is a global export. As the game continues to expand around the world, we should expect competition to begin to level in the U.S. as well. And that\u2019s good!<\/p>\n

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It\u2019s refreshing that someone as prolific as KD doesn\u2019t see the positive shift in views toward international players as a negative, and it\u2019s a shame some people would attempt to paint it as such. As everyone gets better and skills are transferred, the game itself also becomes more fun, more entertaining.\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Durant also wants to play in the 2028 Olympics, when he\u2019ll be almost 40, and go for his fifth gold medal. \u201cIt\u2019s just fun, man<\/a>.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The last 24<\/h3>\n

\ud83d\udcfa Tune in. <\/strong>Be sure to check out and subscribe to our newly launched show, \u201cThe Athletic LIVE<\/a>.\u201d <\/strong>It\u2019s a chat-enhanced watch party that plugs YOU into The Athletic<\/em>\u2019s award-winning newsroom, and there will be lots of NBA content as the season gets closer.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 Stalemate. <\/strong>Are Jalen Duren and the Pistons getting any closer to a deal? Here\u2019s what Sam Amick and Hunter Patterson are hearing<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 Anybody else? <\/strong>The Spurs and Thunder are the obvious powerhouses in the Western Conference. What other teams could challenge them<\/a>?<\/strong><\/p>\n

\ud83d\udcfa Live from New York!<\/strong> Want more proof that Jalen Brunson is the king of the city? He\u2019s hosting the \u201cSaturday Night Live\u201d season premiere on Sept. 26<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Stream the NBA on Fubo (<\/em>try it for free!<\/a>)<\/em>\u00a0and catch out-of-market games on\u00a0<\/em>League Pass<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

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FIBA update<\/h3>\n

Team USA rolling in women\u2019s World Cup
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n the quest for a fifth straight FIBA Women\u2019s World Cup gold medal, Team USA swept its group stage, going 3-0 against China (94-61), Italy (55-52) and Czechia (105-64).<\/p>\n

In an early-morning (5:30 ET ) quarterfinal matchup against Hungary yesterday, the defending champs rolled to a record-setting 108-56 victory<\/a>, advancing to an 11th straight World Cup semifinal. Team USA set a record for the most points by a team in a quarterfinal, and with 31 assists, became the first team to tally 30-plus assists in a quarterfinal.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Here are my three takeaways from the tournament in Berlin so far:<\/p>\n