Olympic Basketball managed just fine for over half a century without the NBA, I dare say it will survive.
Besides, it had to happen. USA fail to win every 4th Olympics, so they're due. And it will be really interesting to see the depth of some nations without their wunderkinds.

It's not like the Commonwealth games, where most of the top nations are ineligible and others send CBF teams.

His point is that countries like Lithuania, Spain, Croatia etc. have extremely talented players in Europe that won't be affected by the NBA schedule. So while virtually every country will be without significant talent, others will have elite-level replacements. So the net-effect is beneficial for these European teams in theory.

USA, Canada, Australia, and maybe even France too will be pretty disadvantaged.

I accept that World Champs and other tournaments wont include teams at full strength, notable team USA (and Ben Simmons for Aus).

But i was really looking forward to seeing the best ever Boomers team (on paper) to finally assemble in Tokyo, and to watch them compete with a near full-strength team USA. Looks like that won't happen, which tbh is quite shattering.

I'd still watch it and enjoy it, but it'l always have an asterix if teams aren't at full strength. Disappointed, olympic basketball is meant to be the pinnacle of international ball :(

The outs are big for most teams, sure, but a team like Spain still has Niko Mirotic who would be in the NBA on a great deal if he wanted to. It could have guys like Fernandez and Rodriguez who, while getting on in years, are still NBA quality and instead chose to go back to Europe. Veterans like Llul and Claver.

Spain, France, Serbia, Lithuania and Croatia have such depth in their ranks that they'll dominate an international tournament without nba players

I think if you can name more than one team that will wipe the floor with everyone else, you're likely to have a competitive and thus entertaining event.

"Please list these Spanish and French teams without nba players. The depth is no better than Australia's."

They've listed some individuals that are actually good. But outside of that I am not seeing how we're being overwhelmed by these teams. We've got players knocking on the NBA door littering all of the prospective Boomers non-NBA teams that could nullify the effects of 1 or 2 NBA level guys on another team.

I also think there's a want to compare Euroleague to NBL, and then say "well those guys from Europe are from Euroleague, ergo they must be better".

Well, yes and no. Euroleague is full of imports. The teams are usually almost half import, and half the absolute best European players from all of Europe, not any one particular country. It's entirely unfair to compare the two leagues, and then assume European teams from one single country will wipe the floor with us because of it. These teams will probably have their Mitch Norton or Jason Cadee equivalents coming off the bench that some Lithuanian fan is probably writing through cringed expression about on their own boards.

^ arent some of those guys NBA? Ricky Rubio certainly is.

For me, I am nowhere near as excited or bouyant about a non-NBA tournament, but when it comes to Boomers chances, I am not writing them off based on oppositions we know little about and the assumption that if they have Euroleague talent anywhere on their roster, they're automatically leagues better than us.

Regardless of who wins, basketball is still basketball and it is honestly a chance to see some world class quality players being overlooked or forgotten.

Olympic basketball is my favourite tournament so I'll be watching regardless of which players are there.

"C Marc Gasol Willy Hernangómez Serge Ibaka
PF Juan Hernangómez Nikola Mirotić Pierre Oriola
SF Rudy Fernández Víctor Claver Joan Sastre
SG Sergio Llull Pau Ribas Álex Abrines
PG Ricky Rubio Sergio Rodríguez Quino Colom

So 4-5 guys + Garuba =and the other new 6'11 pf."

Only 6 of those 15 are in the NBA (and Gasol may well be retired by then anyway)

Also, dont sleep on Argentina. They always play good team basketball and none of their 2019 World Cup Silver medal winning squad are in the NBA

Argentina would have to be favorites in this situation at this point. But from memory they did have an easy-ish run up to the final, and France basically laid down. But still, they'll be tougher than most out there.

Yeah I'd agree with all of that.

The Argentinian basketball team seem to have a great team culture regardless of who is there. Actually it seems even broader than this, I think all of their team sports are the same.

I forgot about Argentina. They will be dangerous, for sure.

Let's have this discussion when we know the games will actually be held.

the fact is FIBA will be very happy with the NBA decision.
FIBA strategic plan is to make the FIBA World Cup the biggest basketball event, and so by the NBA doing what they are doing is helping FIBA cause. Because it will mean the Olympics importance is decreased and therefore the next World Cup will be huge. So win win for FIBA !!!!

It also helps FIBA because they are very European focused, and would prefer to see the medalists be European teams, who will be less effected by the loss of NBA players.

Dont be surprised if tokyo is the last olympics that full 12 team basketball is played. I reckon it will be 3x3 basketball at the 2024 olympics !!!!!!

FIBA makes money off of both Olympics and World Cup. I doubt they want to cut out one of their cash cows. I heard it's NBA who want to have only one NBA-led tournament every four years because it effects their teams and bottom-line less.

Good news is it may longer be a bust. Apparently NBA is now targeting Dec 22 with a 72 game season, meaning NBA and Olympics wont cross paths if this plan goes ahead.

Doesn't mean we won’t see swathes opting out of Olympics.

72 games is good, if I had my way we would see conferences gone top 16 and a 60 game season where teams play each other twice (58 games) with set rivals playing four times (making it 60 games).

Ofcourse revenue people at the nba, sponsors and broadcasters would rather walk off a cliff then take that revenue hit.

You might see swathes opt out but I'd say pretty much all Aussies without an S ending with Immons in their last name will put their hand up.

Is it just "Me" or me? You ("Me") posted re Simmons in the other thread. I asked then, "Why the comment re Simmons? Only blemish I know of was his relation towards Lemanis. Otherwise, what's the issue?"