Pat McAfee and Brian Windhorst Slam FIBA Rules Which Effectively Prevent NBA Stars From 3×3

The recent heartbreaking loss of Team USA Men’s Basketball in the 3×3 Paris Olympic tournament has raised questions everywhere. Many supporters criticized FIBA’s existing selection rules as the major reason behind this setback. Now, Pat McAfee and Brian Windhorst have added fuel to the fire, alleging unfair treatment against Team USA.

Windy initially declared on Pat McAfee Show that FIBA favored the lesser-known basketball nations in this tournament. He explained how the rules and regulations around this format made it challenging for the NBA players to participate. The 40-year-old further claimed that these were set in place to hinder Team USA’s chances.

“FIBA doesn’t really want the USA to do good at three-on-three. They really want that to be for countries that can’t field five-on-five teams… They have all these different layers and layers and layers of things that you have to do to qualify. I don’t just mean the team. I’m talking about like… Kyrie Irving can’t just show up and play. The only way you can play is if you like play in like 15 qualifying events”.

These accusations expectedly shocked McAfee. Upon understanding the intricate details behind this alleged mistreatment, he expressed his frustration openly. Pointing a finger at FIBA, McAfee declared,

“Oh, they are f***ing us. FIBA is f***ing us.”

Given the lengthy selection process, their annoyance is understandable. After all, the players must participate in nine events over 12 months to be considered for a spot. Moreover, they need to be ranked among the top 50 in their nation to have a chance at selection.

The NBA players are understandably reluctant to commit to this extent. On top of this, prioritizing these events will lead to them missing regular season games and playoffs, jeopardizing their careers. This is why only a handful are willing to take this risk, significantly diminishing Team USA’s prowess in this format.

That said, this dynamic gives the nation something to think about. Developing players with specialized skill sets in this format could be a way forward. Without that, they may continue facing more humiliations like the recent one.

Despite entering the Olympics as the number two seed, Team USA’s performances fell short of expectations.

Team USA finishes second from bottom in the 3×3 tournament

The Canyon Barry-led team ended up getting eliminated in the round-robin stage itself. It won only two of their seven games, securing victories against France and China. Their campaign ended after a 21-6 defeat against the Netherlands, placing them seventh out of eight teams participating in the tournament.

Much of this was down to the sudden injury of the team’s talisman, Jimmer Fredette. The 35-year-old was sidelined for the last five games of the competition with two torn ligaments in his adductor. The rest of the team failed to cope with the pressure in his absence, resulting in humiliation on the global stage.

So, Team USA’s sustained failures in this format could prompt changes in their approach in the coming years.