NBA Commissioner Adam Silver says ‘U.S. players are recognizing they have to pick up their game’

One of the most interesting takeaways from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver in his press conference before Thursday’s Paris Game 2024 between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Brooklyn Nets at the city’s Accor Arena, was about the league’s international growth. 

Even though the executive mostly dedicated praise to French athletes, as Victor Wembanyama is the best example of them all, he talked about the pressure that U.S. players are feeling as more and more foreign stars are dominating the NBA.

As he mentioned Alexandre Sarr, Zaccharie Risacher and Tidjane Salaun as three potential candidates for the 2024 mock draft, he estimated that nearly 30% of the league’s rosters are now populated by international athletes.

Commissioner Adam Silver highlights 'golden era of French basketball' before #NBAParisGamehttps://t.co/Y8s3ukQ5pc

— Gerard Naval (@gerardnaval) January 11, 2024

As the winners of the past five MVP awards have been handed out to European stars, Silver believes the pressure is on. “U.S. players are recognizing they have to pick up their game,” Silver said. “There’s just a larger pool of players competing for every spot on the floor, and just look at the level of competition we have right now.

“David Stern, who began this international movement, if he were here today, he’d be incredibly proud of that number.”

And to place a cherry on top of all this incredible effort European basketball has achieved in the past decades, the commissioner anticipated what’s is store for France. “On top of that, we now have the Paris Olympics only six months away,” Silver said. “I said yesterday in an interview that this seems to be a golden era of French basketball.”

Adam later talked about how overseas contests have become more accepted and even celebrated by NBA teams. “There used to be a lot of arm-twisting to get teams to travel … it was even hard for preseason.

“Now it’s very different. Even in the last few days that I’ve been here, I received several text messages from general managers whose teams are back in the U.S. saying, ‘How about us?’” he acknowledged.

The Commissioner explained why mental health is one of the most important issues to address in modern basketball

As Silver was asked to give details about his conversation with Warriors star Draymond Green, who according to the player was convinced not to retire as a result of his last suspension, he first expressed how happy he was to see him return to the NBA courts.

“I’m pleased he’s close to being back and I’m glad he views his time away from the floor productively,” the commissioner shared.

As the league executive is about to reach his 10th year leading the NBA, he explained why mental health is an essential issue to resolve. “I’m not sure how it translates [but] in the States, we’re calling it ‘mind health’ these days,” he said. “NBA players are increasingly embracing the fact that, while you have to be in top-notch physical health to compete, that focusing on your mind is just as important.

“I think the opportunity for the league to have an impact in that area through our programs, destigmatizing some of those issues, making people more comfortable talking about them, that’s something I’m particularly proud of.”