Team USA head coach Steve Kerr expressed concern about the difficulties stemming from the fleeting nature of national team obligations in significant tournaments during a somber assessment of the Americans' showing in the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup. The overtime loss to Canada (127-118) in the bronze-medal game was met with empathy from Kerr toward his players.

“I feel bad for my guys,” Kerr stated via Bleacher Report. “It's hard to build continuity because we have so much turnover from year to year. We have to focus on what's winning a FIBA game. The NBA is very different from FIBA, and some things will be good and vice versa. There's a lot to learn for sure.”

His comments provided insight into the shifting paradigm of global basketball and the challenges encountered by Team USA in assembling a steady lineup.  Invincibility, once perceived, has faded, especially in the World Cup arena. Through his remarks, Kerr raised a significant concern that has implications for Team USA. The absence of All-NBA honorees hurt the U.S. roster during the 2023 World Cup, and they wound up losing to three teams throughout the tournament while really struggling defensively and on the glass.

International scheduling, complex and challenging, impacts roster consistency. National team fixtures lead to pauses in soccer but not in basketball. Those who qualify through Team USA may differ considerably from the actual participants for the Olympics.

As Team USA contemplates its approach for the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris, it's evident that a reevaluation of the buildup process is necessary. A few tune-up exhibitions may not suffice to establish the on-court cohesion required for success, and securing the participation of star players like LeBron James, while beneficial, is no longer a guaranteed formula for victory as it was in the past.