Datome played for Boston for a total of 18 games in the latter half of the Celtics’ 2014-15 NBA season, putting up 5.2 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
Former Boston Celtics forward Luigi Datome officially retired from the sport as a player after his final contest for the Italian National Team in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, per multiple reports.
Datome, one of Italy’s most renowned basketball players, bid adieu to his playing career after a loss to Slovenia during the World Cup.
Despite the loss, Datome received a standing ovation after he was subbed out for the last time, and players from both teams paused to pay their respects to the veteran.
“It’s one of the incredible kind gestures I received this summer,” Datome said via Sports Inquirer’s Jonas Terrado. “I thank the fans for the applause and to the opponents for stopping the game to show respect.”
“I feel lucky, humbled, grateful, and blessed because I felt all the kind words that I get,” he added.
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Basketball fans around the world are now going to get the matchup with the Canadian National Team, though not in the way they likely thought.
What did you think of the U.S. losing to Germany in the 2023 FIBA World Cup semifinals?
Basketball fans around the world are going to get the matchup with the Canada, though not for the medal they likely were expecting.
Still, this seems like a good outcome for the sport overall with other countries dominating the tournament. And the U.S. has some silver linings as well. Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards, Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and second-year big man Paolo Banchero appear poised to take a big leap forward in the NBA in 2023-24.
CLNS Media reporter Bobby Manning and Denver Nuggets writer Matt Brooks discussed the World Cup action to date on a recent episode of the “Garden Report” podcast.
Take a look at the clip embedded above to hear what they had to say.
You may not remember since they gave up 110-plus points twice this week at the World Cup, but Team USA was once the gold standard for stifling defense in FIBA tournaments. There was a time when even the brightest international stars found it tough …
You may not remember since they gave up 110-plus points twice this week at the World Cup, but Team USA was once the gold standard for stifling defense in FIBA tournaments. There was a time when even the brightest international stars found it tough against them.
Who among these international legends managed to shine, and who got dimmed?
To find out, we delved into the archives, examining all the games Team USA (featuring NBA talent) played against players from our international GOAT list, focusing on their performances in the Olympics and World Cup.
Team USA has some big decisions to make coming soon.
Welcome to Layup Lines, For the Win’s basketball newsletter. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Have feedback for the Layup Lines Crew? Leave your questions, comments and concerns through this brief reader survey. Now, here’s Mike Sykes
And just like that, folks, the FIBA World Cup is over for Team USA.
Well, technically it’s not over, I guess. They can still play for a bronze medal at the very least. They’ll have to face Canada to get it and, if they win, they’ll still end up on the podium.
But let’s keep it a buck. We don’t care about anything but the gold when it comes to these sorts of competitions. A bronze medal would feel like a glorified participation trophy at this point. That’s unfair, but that’s the way it is.
Regardless of where they fall in the 2023 FIBA World Cup, it’s very clear that some changes need to be made to this roster for the Paris Olympics in 2024.
So the question is now what? Where do we go from here?
Everyone seems ready to break the emergency glass and pull out the A-team from the NBA. I’m talking Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, LeBron James, Jayson Tatum. All of the players we’ve seen putting up numbers on the biggest stages in the NBA. Surely, there’d have to be some improvement, right? These are some of the greatest players of all time.
But I’m here to tell you that that’s not necessarily the easiest choice in the world.
Team USA’s biggest problem was a lack of chemistry and continuity. The team brought over a bunch of first-time players who’d never played in the program at this level before in an attempt to get a gold medal.
They were more talented than teams like Germany and Lithuania, but they didn’t know exactly how to play together to be the best team possible. That matters in international competition. That’s the point Noah Lyles (hilariously and ridiculously) tried to make.
Bring in those big names and some of the players on this roster lose out on valuable experience. Keep the big names home and there’s a chance you’re outclassed by a team with better talent. After all, Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and more will be playing for their home countries in 2024.
Grant Hill, Steve Kerr and Team USA have a tough choice to make. Surely, names like Anthony Edwards, Mikal Bridges, Tyrese Haliburton and Austin Reaves have earned another shot at this. And no team is guaranteed to win, no matter what the talent level is.
But it’s hard to imagine a world in which someone tells LeBron James to stay home. The same with some of those other big names, too. So we’ll have to wait and see.
Regardless, this loss just made things a lot more interesting for 2024.
Embiid to the rescue?
Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
There is one star potentially on the table for Team USA that could completely flip things around. It’s Joel Embiid.
Yes, Embiid is Cameroonian. But the NBA’s MVP also holds citizenship in both France and the United States. He has the option to play for either country in the 2024 Olympic Games. Both sides have been quietly recruiting him, according to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst.
“One of the biggest dramas in international basketball, for example, will play out in the coming months as current Most Valuable Player Joel Embiid considers whether he will play in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Both the U.S. and France — Embiid holds citizenship in both and hasn’t yet picked — have quietly made pitches to try to secure him for the Olympics. Embiid is not playing in the World Cup this summer because he’s getting married in July.”
Embiid hasn’t made a decision on whether he’s actually playing or not — he could just simply sit out. But, if he does play, where he chooses to go will completely shift international basketball.
Once Embiid makes a choice and plays for whichever team he chooses, he’s tied to that country in international competition for the rest of his career, per FIBA rules. So if he chooses to play for France, he’s playing for France forever. The same goes for the USA. Whatever choice he makes will give an international basketball powerhouse one of the best players in the world for, at least, the next couple of Olympic cycles. That’s a huge deal.
Grant Hill needs to get on his Draymond Green and make that parking lot call. Embiid could change everything for Team USA.
The last time we chatted, we went over how incredibly close the WNBA standings are. Now, with just five days left until the playoffs on September 13th, all but one of the eight playoff spots have been claimed.
Here’s a look at the standings now. All teams that are locked in for the playoffs are in bold.
Las Vegas Aces (32-6)
New York Liberty (32-7)
Connecticut Sun (26-12)
Dallas Wings (20-18)
Minnesota Lynx (19-19)
Atlanta Dream (18-20)
Washington Mystics (18-20)
Chicago Sky (16-22)
Las Angeles Sparks (16-23)
The Sky and Sparks are battling it out for that eighth seed. The Sparks have the Seattle Storm (11-27) as the only team left on their schedule. The Sky have two playoff opponents in the Lynx and the Sun left on theirs in that order. Chicago owns the tiebreaker here.
After defeating Canada in Friday’s World Cup semifinal, Serbia’s Nikola Jovic got in some light-hearted trolling by mimicking Dillon Brooks’ shadow-boxing celebration.
After an outstanding performance (before a fourth-quarter ejection) in Wednesday’s quarterfinal win at the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks made headlines by shadow boxing in the arena tunnel — complete with boxing gloves — as he awaited his Canadian teammates to exit the floor postgame.
Unfortunately for Brooks, there was no opportunity for him to repeat that celebration Friday. Canada fell to Serbia, 95-86 (box score), in the World Cup semifinals. With 16 points and 3 rebounds, Brooks finished as his team’s second-leading scorer. He shot 5-of-12 overall (41.7%) and 3-of-8 on 3-pointers (37.5%).
There was, however, a celebration for second-year Miami Heat forward Nikola Jovic. In light-hearted trolling, the Serbian starter did his own postgame shadow-boxing act in that same tunnel.
Canada will conclude its World Cup run with a showdown in Sunday’s bronze-medal game against the United States, which lost to Germany in another upset on Friday night. That could mean a perimeter matchup of Brooks versus Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards.
Until then, here’s a look back at highlights, analysis, interviews and postgame reaction from Canada’s disappointing loss Friday.
“Dillon [Brooks] put on a defensive clinic, and it should be in a FIBA museum at some point,” says Jordi Fernandez, head coach of Canada’s national team.
On both ends of the court, and particularly on defense, Houston Rockets forward Dillon Brooks has made quite an impression with his play for Canada in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Brooks was a force, yet again, in Wednesday’s quarterfinals win over Slovenia, which sent Canada into Friday’s semifinal versus Serbia. Brooks spent significant time covering Slovenia’s Luka Doncic, a superstar with the rival Dallas Mavericks, and helped limit the perennial NBA MVP contender to 8-of-20 shooting (40.0%).
Jordi Fernandez, head coach of Canada’s men’s basketball national team, was blunt in his assessment of Brooks’ showing versus Slovenia. Aris Barkas of EuroHoops.net captured his comments from Manila:
I think yesterday we did a great job as a team defensively, and especially Dillon put on a defensive clinic. It should be in a FIBA museum at some point.
Complete video of Fernandez’ comments is available below. As for what’s next, the tip of Friday’s semifinal between Canada and Serbia is 3:45 a.m. Central, with the game televised on ESPN+.
Dillon Brooks had quite the day at the 2023 FIBA World Cup on Wednesday.
Ahead of Canada’s quarterfinal match against Slovenia, Brooks was booed heartily by fans at Mall of Asia Arena in Manila, Philippines. Brooks met the boos head on by blowing a kiss to the crowd after knocking down a first quarter 3-pointer, incensing the fans even further.
Everything came to a head when Brooks was ejected for taunting Luka Dončić later in the game, but Canada had things well in hand for a 100-89 victory to move onto the 2023 FIBA World Cup semifinals. Afterwards, however, Brooks was seen donning boxing gloves as he awaited the return of his teammates to the locker room from Canada’s big victory.
Despite the ejection, it’s no wonder Brooks was in high spirits after the game. Canada knocked off Slovenia and Brooks was a pest all over the court, getting under nearly everyone’s skin in “the full Dillon Brooks experience“.
“A lot of people don’t like him, but I respect him for what he does, and he does that stuff really good,” Luka Doncic said of his World Cup matchup with Dillon Brooks.
Basketball fans around the globe enjoyed the full Dillon Brooks experience during Wednesday’s 2023 FIBA World Cup quarterfinals matchup in Manila between Canada and Slovenia.
Brooks, who will play for the Houston Rockets in the 2023-24 NBA season, had 14 points, 3 assists, and 3 rebounds in 28 minutes, shooting 5-of-7 (71.4% FG) overall and 3-of-5 on 3-pointers (60.0%). Defensively, Brooks made life difficult for Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who shot just 8-of-20 from the field (40.0%) as Canada downed Slovenia to advance to the semifinals, 100-89 (box score).
Naturally, there was also some extracurricular activity. Brooks often blew kisses to a booing crowd in Manila, and with Canada holding a large fourth-quarter lead, he picked up a second technical foul for taunting and was ejected. Shortly thereafter, Doncic was ejected for picking up his own second technical, seemingly agitated by Brooks.
“A lot of people don’t like him, but I respect him for what he does, and he [Brooks] does that stuff really good,” Doncic said postgame.
With the win, Canada advanced to the World Cup semifinals, where a matchup versus Serbia awaits on Friday.
In photos, here’s a look back at Wednesday’s activity. Highlights, analysis, interviews, and postgame reaction are available here.
