Dwyane Wade, a legend of American and world basketball, has spoken about why basketball in the USA is losing its quality.
The former Miami Heat star commented on the notion that African Americans are better players than white players. He also shared a small detail from his childhood.
“Where I grew up, when we saw a white guy on the other side of the court, we’d think he’s done. It didn’t matter who it was, it was just our perception that a white guy couldn’t be better than you. Many African Americans would say the same thing, almost arrogantly. Among us, that thought dominated, that players outside the United States were lazy” Wade began in an interview on Tony Parker’s podcast.
The USA experienced failure for the second consecutive time at the FIBA World Cup, and Wade himself tasted that defeat. At the 2004 Olympic Games, they were defeated in the semifinals by Argentina, and that team settled for bronze. The Hall of Famer himself then realized how good white players could be.
“When I played for the national team, I realized that white basketball players are actually good. Now they are even better. Honestly, American basketball is getting weaker. The experience of playing basketball at the international level changed my perception. I realized that much better basketball is being played, in general it was tougher for us. We thought we would win everything.” conclude Wade.