Former NBA players Kendrick Perkins and Richard Jefferson have voiced significant concerns about the league’s ongoing globalization, warning that the influx of international talent could negatively impact the development of American basketball players.
Speaking on the Road Trippin podcast, Perkins, a 14-year NBA veteran and current analyst, argued that the league’s expanding global reach has created a formidable challenge for U.S.-based prospects. Recounting his experience at a recent AAU tournament, he noted that many American families may not grasp the intensity of competition emerging overseas.
Perkins suggested that for every top-ranked American prospect, there are numerous undiscovered, high-caliber players developing in countries like France, Serbia, and across Africa, who will eventually compete for limited NBA roster spots.
Jefferson, another long-time NBA player turned broadcaster, echoed these concerns. He pointed to structured international initiatives like the Basketball Africa League as evidence of a global system designed to identify and cultivate elite talent in the mold of stars like Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Pascal Siakam.
The former players highlighted a prominent trend at the league’s highest level to support their argument: the NBA’s Most Valuable Player award. For the last seven consecutive seasons, the MVP has been awarded to a non-American player. This streak includes winners like Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Joel Embiid (Cameroon), and Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), with Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander also finishing as a top finalist for the 2023–24 award.
These comments coincide with the NBA’s intensified efforts to expand its international footprint. The discussion follows recent meetings between NBA Commissioner Adam Silver and UK leaders to explore the potential creation of a new European league operating under the NBA’s purview, a move that further underscores the league’s global ambitions.
