CLEVELAND (USA) - The coach of the Eastern Conference-leading Cleveland Cavaliers, coach Kenny Atkinson, wants the NBA and FIBA to have the same rules.
He has cited several FIBA rules that should be implemented in the NBA to make the games better.
Atkinson, who last summer was on France coach Vincent Collet's national team staff at the Olympics, said in an interview with Greek broadcaster Cosmote: "When the ball is in the rim, you should be allowed to touch it. I think that’s the most important thing...
In the France-USA game, I got a lot of messages saying 'this is the best basketball I have ever seen'.
"And I would like to see the defensive three seconds (in the NBA) eliminated, like in FIBA. What we need is for the rules to be the same in FIBA and the NBA. I think it would make the product better.
"It would be better for the fans, they wouldn’t have to go back and forth, if it’s FIBA, of if it’s the NBA.
"If the rules were the same, we’d have a better international game."
How do you get better? Through the international experience, the FIBA experience completes you.
Players in the NBA that come from overseas should have a better grasp of FIBA rules, especially those that have been part of national team programs. There is more of an adjustment for USA players.
Fans see a significant difference between the rules when they watch international games and NBA contests.
“The global perception of the game will be better, we will all be together, the quality of the game will be better," Atkinson said.
"And we saw it in the Olympics, right? In the France-USA game, I got a lot of messages saying 'this is the best basketball I have ever seen.' Watching the Brazilians, Japan, where we (France) almost lost the game… It’s a 40-minute game, every possession counts ... "
USA followed up their thrilling 95-91 come-from-behind win over Serbia in the Semi-Finals with a win over France. The French trailed 82-79 after a Victor Wembanyama putback dunk with 3:04 remaining, but the Americans finished strong and prevailed, 98-87.
Atkinson is also a big believer in the international windows and believes NBA players will be better if they join their national teams in those competitive and hugely important games. As it is, NBA players can be with their national teams for the windows outside of the season.
I would like FIBA Windows to be mandatory. Players get better through the FIBA game
“I would like it to be mandatory, because players get better through the FIBA game," he said. "I think we saw it with the American players, we saw it with the French players, all the great Spanish players, I think of the Gasols (Pau and Marc). FIBA basketball makes you better.
"I would really push for that, it would be amazing, to open more windows and make it mandatory. I think they do that in football, right? Everything stops, you have to go to your national team, not going is not considered good. And again what I think is the development of the players. How do you get better? Through the international experience, the FIBA experience completes you."
Atkinson was already familiar with FIBA rules. He played professionally in Europe and also began his coaching career in France with Paris Basket Racing (2004-06).
FIBA