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Kobe Bryant’s Words Ring True After World Team Beats USA In NBA Rising Stars Challenge

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NBA World Team's Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz dunks the ball during the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge as part of the 2015 NBA Allstar Weekend at the Barclays Center on February 13, 2015 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City.(Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)

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American hoops fans face a shocking revelation after the World team defeated the USA 121-112 in Friday’s NBA Rising Stars Challenge. Maybe Kobe Bryant was right after all.

Seven weeks ago, the Los Angeles Lakers guard asserted that players from Europe and the rest of the world are more skillful and better equipped as professionals than players from the United States, who developed their games in the American Athletic Union. I recently argued that Bryant was wrong to rip the AAU for America’s basketball woes, but right to praise the superior skills of foreign players for a number of reasons.

“They (European players) are just taught the game right away from an early age… They’re more skillful and it’s something we need to fix,” Bryant told ESPN on Jan. 2.

Put away your flags, your blind patriotism and dated beliefs that America produces the best basketball players on the planet. On Friday at The Barclays Center in Brooklyn, class was in session and it was the foreign players again doing the teaching as the World overpowered team USA down the stretch. The NBA’s No. 1 overall draft pick, Canada’s Andrew Wiggins of the Minnesota Timberwolves, captured game MVP honors and and led his team with 22 points in the first big event of NBA All-Star Weekend.

“This trophy is for the world and mostly for Canada,” Wiggins told TBS Sports.

Bryant’s assertion that Europeans and foreign players were more skillful seemed to be backed up by the stats sheet as the World led USA in almost every category: shooting percentage (58.5 percent to 49.5 percent), rebounds (46-36), assists (32-22) and blocks (8-5). Despite a brilliant performance by Zach LaVine of the Timberwolves, the World team clearly had the edge in both skill and speed throughout the game.

“I thought World (team) was going to win this by the way they warmed up and also just the fact it was two different styles of play,” said TBS analyst Chris Webber. “The world was so much bigger and longer when you looked inside.”

Friday’s game format was a break with tradition for the NBA, who replaced the old rookies vs. sophomores format. The ball is now clearly in the court of team USA to avoid further embarrassment next year, when hopefully the NBA continues with its recently adopted matchup.

Peter Mallett is a blogger for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @RedCardTheRef1 like him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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