REGENSBURG (David Hein’s Eye on the Future) - The Nike Hoop Summit celebrates a special anniversary of sorts this week as the best of the United States go up against the best of the world for the 20th time on Friday in Portland.

It’s not quite an anniversary as the first Hoop Summit took place in 1995 and the showcase had a three-year hiatus without games from 2001 to 2003. But it’s still a good reason to look back at some of the biggest performances in the event’s history and look ahead to this year’s spectacle.

Some of the biggest stars in world basketball have played in the event with some great performances.

Dirk Nowitzki was a little-known tall, slender blonde when he scored 33 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the 1998 Hoop Summit, which was won by the World team 104-99. The game was in San Antonio and did not nearly have the status of it now enjoys and there were few NBA scouts on hand - which is widely considered one of the major reasons that the Dallas Mavericks were able to draft the big German.

While few people had heard of Nowitzki come into the game, an even bigger unknown was Tony Parker in 2000. But the future NBA and European champion would put together 20 points, seven assists, four rebounds and two steals in a 98-97 World Team loss.

Turkey big man Enes Kanter was already a well-known commodity in 2010 when scored a World Team record 34 points to go with 13 rebounds in a 101-97 USA win.

Bismack Biyombo of the Democratic Republic of Congo recorded the first and only triple-double in history with 12 points, 11 rebounds and a World Team record 10 blocked shots in 2011 - a 92-80 win by the Americans.

While many of the World’s top performances came in losses, Canadian star Andrew Wiggins is the only international player to twice win the showcase. In 2012, Wiggins had 20 points and seven rebounds in an 84-75 win. A year later, the future Minnesota Timberwolves star collected 17 points, nine rebounds and four assists in a 112-98 victory for the World Team.

But it’s not just world players who have performed outstanding at the Hoop Summit.

The inaugural Hoop Summit in 1995 saw future NBA All-Star Kevin Garnett guide the USA to an 86-77 win with 10 points, 10 rebounds and nine blocked shots in Springfield, Massachusetts.

Jermaine O’Neal had 21 points, 10 rebounds and seven blocks in 1996; Al Harrington collected 26 points and nine rebounds in 1998; Tyler Hansbrough picked up 31 points, 10 rebounds and three blocks in 2005; and Shabazz Muhammad scored a Hoop Summit high 35 points in 2012.

Last year’s Hoop Summit was a blowout as many World Team nominees pulled out and USA won 101-67. The game saw Terrance Ferguson drain a record seven three-pointers - including six three-pointers in less than four minutes - for 21 points.

As far as looking ahead to this year’s Hoop Summit, the top two candidates to lead the USA in scoring are Michael Porter Jr. and Collin Sexton.

Porter was one of the leaders of the United States’ undefeated run to the FIBA U18 Americas Championship 2016 title and is currently projected as the No. 2 draft pick in the 2018 NBA Draft.

The creative scorer and passer Sexton is projected as another 2018 lottery pick and he also had a superb summer in 2016, claiming the MVP award for the FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup 2016 winners United States.

The Americans will have a great front line with Mohamed Bamba, Wendell Carter Jr. and Jarred Vanderbilt. And while it’s unclear if Quade Green can play after suffering a concussion, the other top playmaker will be Gary Trent Jr.

The World Team is very Canadian centric this time around with five of the 12 players coming from the land of the Maple Leaf. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lindell Wigginton will likely take most of the playmaking responsibilities while RJ Barrett is an all-round budding superstar from the wing.

It will be interesting to see how German small forward Kostja Mushidi will find his way into the team having already playing in the Basketball Champions League for Mega Leks Belgrade, while compatriot Isaiah Hartenstein will be fearless at challenging an USA attack at the rim and Serbian Borisa Simanic could have an outstanding showing if he feels comfortable with his teammates.

The USA is 13-6 in the Hoop Summit though the World Team has won three of the last five showcases. One near certain is that someone will shine in Portland to give the spectacle a performance to remember as the basketball community celebrates the 20th Hoop Summit.

David Hein

FIBA

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