Interesting study unveiled by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). Carried out by the University of Klaipeda, in Lithuania, as part of a final thesis, it suggests that passing through the ranks of a national team improves the club performance of basketball players. The survey analyzed the statistics of the top eight FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 teams and the performance level of their players at club level during the same season. Then it compared them with those for the 2022-23 season. In the NBA, the study involved 29 players from teams in Germany, Serbia, Canada, the United States, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovenia and Italy. Conclusion of the study: “It seems correct to say that having participated in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 helped players improve their shooting success rates, read the game better, make better decisions regardless of the level of competition of clubs in which they usually take part, with a reduction in the number of personal fouls. This means they play smarter because of the experience they have gained.” The study notably noted, among the 29 players analyzed, an increase during the 2023-24 season in the number of three-point shots scored and attempted, successful assists, and free throws scored and attempted.
