tremonthustler1
aka bx_representer
Hakeem never played for Nigeria's senior team and became a US Citizen.Hakeem played for team USA breh, anything is possible
See the above on KAT. I think our bigs are suffering from a change in the way the game is played more than anything else. Mobley and guys like Holmgren and Banchero to come are early American bigs to embrace the transition and play with modern skills.
I'd imagine bigs suffer the most from the American HS/AAU system. They grow up towering over kids and just dominating them on height alone. There are problems with AAU for perimeter guys, but at least they still need to hit 3s and break someone down off the dribble. Bigs in Europe are pros at a young age. They're not only playing other big kids all the time, but they get reps with grown men. Probably makes you tougher, stronger, and more comfortable with contact, but also forces you to develop skills and find ways to be productive, especially perimeter skills I'd imagine where your lack of strength compared to older dudes is minimized. I also think Europe just tends to have better skill development in the first placesimple perks of being professional and getting to dedicate your life to the game without silly restrictions.
Once you've played for the senior team, you're there for life.
