MIES (Switzerland) - International basketball has been giving the NBA some of its best and brightest stars for the past few decades with players from overseas competing in All-Star Games, claiming MVP awards and winning titles.

Many say the NBA is now dominated by players from foreign lands. Greece's Giannis Antetokounmpo and Serbia's Nikola Jokic have combined to win the last four MVP awards, while Slovenia's Luka Doncic has been so mesmerizing that he could one day soon be regarded as the best in the league.

If the mission of FIBA and the NBA was to put the top players on the floor in international competition when the USA Dream Team arrived at the Barcelona Olympics and marched to the gold medal, the greater significance was that it had a seismic impact on basketball around the world.

Players from all corners of the globe watched in amazement as Michael Jordan, Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and the rest of the Dream Team dazzled for the USA. Players were so inspired that they not began to dream of one day becoming superstars on hoops' biggest stages but also began putting in the hard work to have that come to fruition.

The result has been that players from all continents are now in the NBA, competing in leading domestic leagues and continental competitions, and also representing national teams.

Nowadays, many top prospects show off their wares at NBA/FIBA Basketball Without Borders camps and also with clubs and NCAA sides, and are selected by teams, like several in this year's draft.

Andrew Nembhard with Canada at FIBA 2019 World Cup

Others demonstrate their potential value for club sides and in national team programs. 

At FIBA Basketball World Cups, Continental Championships or during qualifying windows, you are sure to find somewhere up-and-coming players that aren't far off from becoming NBA draft picks or signings.

Numerous picks in Wednesday's draft have suited up for youth national teams and some have even donned the jerseys of their senior national sides, playing in competitive, meaningful games.

So as international basketball fans held their collective breath, watched up-and-coming stars be picked by NBA teams in Thursday night's draft and then celebrated, they once again had something confirmed. Basketball is improving everywhere on the planet.

The draft remains a perfect barometer of how good, and how valued the talent is not only in the United States of America, but in international basketball as well.

FIBA