MIAMI (USA) - Erik Spoelstra is brimming with excitement and determination after accepting the role as USA's new head coach.
But he's also displaying humility, acknowledging that it's hard to win titles in the international game, especially in the one of the first competitions his team is expected to take part in, the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar.
At his unveiling as USA coach in Miami, where he's embarking on his 18th season at the helm of the NBA's Heat, Spoelstra said: "Look, the game is where it should be right now, it is a global game, players and teams are coming from every country in the world and it’s never been more competitive than it is right now and that’s where it should be.
"This is a beautiful game. The competition is what it’s all about."
In 2023 and 2024, Spoelstra witnessed really good basketball.
USA came up short in Manila, falling in their last two games, but in Paris the team went undefeated. USA did have to survive a couple of tough games at the end against Serbia and France.
"It's the same round ball," Spoelstra said.
"It's four lines, but the FIBA game is different. It's not the NBA, and the tournament is set up a different.
"All of these things have been a great case study for USAB (USA Basketball) to study over the years and we feel our experience in these tournaments helps us to learn and be better, but it’s officiated differently."
One difference in the international game is that defenses can take the ball off the rim.
Spoelstra talked about others.
"WE STRIVE TO DO BETTER (AT THE WORLD CUP) THAN WHAT WE’VE DONE IN RECENT YEARS. THAT'S THE GOAL AND WE’LL GET AFTER IT AND DO THE BEST WE CAN."
"The 3-point line is different," he said. "There’s no illegal defense, it’s a one single game elimination, where a lot of the players have not been in a situation like that since the NCAA tournament, if they played something like that. There are a lot of differences, although it is the same game.
"The approach to it is different because it’s also a sprint. It’s not a marathon of an 82-game season or even a two-month playoff season, so we have time to study what happened in the last few World Cups. You can be assured that we’ll get to work on that in due time."
No matter what the reasons, the USA have not dominated FIBA Basketball World Cups the way they have Olympic tournaments.
Spoelstra would like to have as strong a squad as possible for the World Cup.
The USA rosters have been very different to those at Olympics in the past. Should this be a priority for the Americans as they try to win the World Cup and build continuity for the LA Games?
Spoelstra would like to know who wants to be a part of the USA team.
"There is a call to action," he said. "This is a time for the very best American players to raise their hand and want to play on this team because of what you’ve seen in the recent competitions ... you have to want this, you have to embrace it. You have to absolutely feel alive by the challenge of all of it and that’s the beauty of it."
Since the millennium at the various World Cups, George Karl's USA was sixth in 2002, and Mike Krzyzewski's American team was third in 2006. After title wins in 2010 and 2014 under Krzyzewski, Gregg Popovich's USA was sixth in 2019 and Steve Kerr's American team, when Spoelstra was an assistant coach, was fourth.
There’s been historically a bump with some players who go through that World Cup experience and then come back to the NBA and their games go to another level.
USA national team general manager Grant Hill sat beside Spoelstra at his presser and stressed what was first on the list of priorities.
"The World Cup comes first and unlike the Olympics, which you have 12 countries represented there and playing for a chance to win a gold medal, the World Cup, there are 32 countries and it’s a little bit of a longer stretch," he said.
"You play more games and it’s hard, and we have not fared well since 2014, so we have an opportunity to improve upon that.
"Spo and I were together in Manila in '23 and went through that, the highs and the lows of that experience. I know I’ll do better in terms of putting together the best roster we possibly can.
"I've learned a great deal since that experience, but it won't be easy. We're in it to win it and we understand the rest of the world has grown..."
Key players in the Germany team that defeated the USA in the 2023 Word Cup Semi-Finals had NBA experience. There are no shortage of NBA stars at FIBA Basketball World Cups.
"It makes it tough for us, but we’re not afraid of tough and we welcome that challenge, but it is not easy," Hill said. "It's not easy at all and that’s the first order of business. We strive to do better than what we’ve done in recent years. That's the goal and we’ll get after it and do the best we can."
Popovich's 2019 World Cup team had nine wins and two defeats and finished seventh, while Kerr's 2023 World Cup team won five games and lost three.
Spoelstra does believe his experience at the World Cup is going to help him.
"We went to work, rolled up our sleeves, really studied the game, studied the teams, figured out what we thought would be the best plan for our team, but that was like a coaching 101 for summers and I just really was appreciative for that opportunity," he said.
"We became close as a coaching staff and it’ll be one of my favorite memories moving forward, just the times in between with the staff."
"All of those experiences are part of USAB that you gain," he said, "so you’re not inexperienced when you go into the tournament."
USA are not in a rush to name a team for the World Cup.
"We have some time and one of the great things is to see who emerges," Hill said. "You have two years before the World Cup and it seems like every season there are players who take a step in their development and become better players, All-Star players, players whose games translate in international play in FIBA competition.
"We'll continue to monitor. I will say this about the World Cup. Last year‘s team in Paris, the Olympic gold medal team - seven guys on that team had participated in the World Cup going back to LeBron (2006) and Stephen Curry (2010, 2014) all the way to and in recent years Tyrese Halliburton (2023) and Anthony Edwards (2023) and so it’s great to get these players in the pipeline, get introduced to FIBA play on the men’s national team and so I’m excited but the great thing is just the world is getting better but we are too.
"We still have some great players in this in this country, great young players. It’s on me and to get out and recruit you know sort of share with guys the importance of doing this."
Hill also highlighted one of the attractions to play for the USA at the World Cup.
"There’s been historically a bump with some players who go through that World Cup experience and then come back to the NBA and their games go to another level and we saw it in '23 and I’m sure we’ll see it again in '27," he said. USA Basketball's first mission is to clinch a place in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027.
It will take part in the Americas Qualifiers campaign and square off against Dominican Republic, Mexico and Nicaragua in Group A.
Both of USA's games in the upcoming window will be against Nicaragua, in Managua on November 28 and in Atlanta on December 1.
FIBA