PESARO (Italy) – USA Basketball Men’s National Team and Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra has encouraged NBA players to embrace the opportunity to represent their countries on the international stage.
Spoelstra's comments come as two of his Heat players, Italy's Simone Fontecchio and Serbia's Nikola Jovic, faced each other in a crucial FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Qualifiers game in Pesaro.
These are playoff games. The level and the intensity of these games is terrific.
"Playing for their countries is what they're really passionate about. That's what I love seeing," Spoelstra told FIBA.
"Secondly, it's an opportunity to play a different role and grow. I mean, these are playoff games. The level and the intensity of these games is terrific. We always encourage our guys to play for their countries. One because it's the passion and the excitement around it, but also it prepares you for an NBA season better than anything else."
The coach of the No. 1 team in the FIBA World Ranking Men got a good look at his current players as they battled in a physical game, with Serbia claiming an important 76-64 win. Jovic fouled out, finishing with 5 points, 2 rebounds and 1 steal, while Fontecchio amassed 15 points with six of those points coming from the foul line.
For the Heat coach, checking in on his players is about more than what they provide on the stat sheet.
It’s about their fitness, how they’re adjusting to different teammates and what they need to work on before returning for training camp. Jovic, for example, has the opportunity to play alongside Denver Nuggets star Nikola Jokic.
International basketball has played an important role in developing several NBA stars. Kevin Durant, for example, was named MVP of the 2010 FIBA Basketball World Cup after leading the United States to gold. Steph Curry and Kyrie Irving also benefited from representing the USA at the 2014 World Cup.
Other international stars, such as Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Doncic, have similarly used FIBA competition as a platform to develop their games and gain valuable experience.
However, Spoelstra’s attention is firmly on Fontecchio and Jovic and the impact international duty has had on their development.
He recalls how Fontecchio caught his attention while representing Italy at the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023.
"One of the reasons I really recruited Simo [Fontecchio] was because I had to scout Italy when I was an assistant for Team USA," Spoelstra said. "He was playing great in that tournament, and I was like, ‘Hey, this guy is a free agent, or we can get him in a trade. We're interested'."
Jovic, meanwhile, has continued to mature through his experiences with Serbia. Spoelstra believes the young forward returns to the Heat more developed each time he represents his country.
"And for Niko [Jovic], he's a young player, so each year he has played for the national team, he has gotten better, with a bigger role. He's starting now, so I think it has been great for him as well."
FIBA