"You just want to run, jump, and dunk on people" - Larry Johnson says American players lack fundamentals
In the previous two NBA seasons, four out of the five members of the All-NBA First Team were foreign-born players, with Jayson Tatum being the only American-born player to make the team. The last six MVP winners were also foreigners, with Nikola Jokic taking home the award thrice, Giannis Antetokounmpo doing it twice, and Joel Embiid winning once.
But what's the reason for this level of dominance by the international players? According to Larry Johnson, it's all about knowing the basics of the game.
"Youngsters, you getting your job taken now by foreigners, right?" LJ said on the All The Smoke podcast. "Cuz you're not getting the fundamentals. You just want to run, jump, and dunk on people. No man, they got these seven footers coming over, shooting threes, and runners, and we don't have that."
LJ used himself as an example
Larry himself once had Zion Williason-like athleticism. However, after he injured his back while still playing for the Charlotte Hornets, "Grandmama" lost his explosiveness. He had to go back to the fundamentals to develop an all-around game to keep playing in the league.
While the reinvented LJ was no longer the athletic freak, he was a better passer, playmaker, and defender. This version of "Grandmama" helped the New York Knicks—they traded for him in 1996—make three deep playoff runs, including a trip to the 1999 NBA Finals.
"If I'm talking to the youngsters, it's fundamentals when you're in this age. It's cool to be athletic. We want you to be athletic but be able to shoot, pass, and dribble with that athleticism," he added.
SAS says Euro players are taking over
LJ's assessment of the current state of the game is similar to Stephen A. Smith's. Earlier this year, ESPN's analyst told Dan Patrick that players from Europe aren't just coming to the NBA but are staking their claim to the league.
"When you see some of the great players emanating from Europe, the fact that they play the right way, you got a lot of guys in the States, they're about dunking," Smith said. "And that's why you see, whether it's their footwork, their hands, their basketball IQ, whether it's (Nikola) Jokic or obviously Luka (Doncic), you see (Victor) Wembanyama coming over from France, there's an artistry to the game that we've underestimated for far too long. They seem to have taken over with those guys."
The influx of international players will continue in the coming years. Unless the high school kids and college players in America start returning to the basics, foreign guys might continue dominating the Association, especially with someone like Victor Wembanyama only scratching the surface of his all-time great potential.
Cooper Flagg should join the NBA next season. Maybe he can be the savior the U.S. basketball needs.
