Key Takeaways
-The 1987 McDonald’s Open marked the first FIBA-sanctioned event featuring an NBA team against international competition
-Stern didn’t just attend the game; rather he orchestrated the whole thing. This was a deliberate inflection point in international basketball
-The boom of international players we’re seeing today started with that one leap of faith in Wisconsin
Introduction: Looking Back with Fresh Eyes
The 2024–25 NBA Finals wrapped up with an electrifying series between the Oklahoma City Thunder and Indiana Pacers that was a showcase of elite basketball. It was also a global story. For the first time in history, 83% of the starters across both teams were born outside the United States.
Canada’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort led a rising Thunder squad, while Germany’s Isaiah Hartenstein anchored the paint. On the Pacers' side, Cameroon’s Pascal Siakam joined fellow Canadians Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin to push the series to the brink.
What once seemed unlikely — an NBA Finals powered by foreign-born stars — is now a major part of the League. And was first mapped out nearly 40 years ago.
Back in October of 1987, I was in Milwaukee for what many thought was a novelty event: the first McDonald’s Basketball Open. Looking back, it was the moment former Commissioner David Stern quietly set the NBA on a global trajectory. He didn’t make a big show of it. He didn’t need to. Because he already knew where the game was going, long before the rest of us caught on.
Why it Mattered
What looked like an exhibition became something more. It was a small stage for a big idea. It helped crack open the door to what basketball could become: a global language spoken through fast breaks, pick-and-rolls, and rising stars from every corner of the world.
Back to Milwaukee: A Front-Row Seat to History
The Bucks squared off against Italy’s Tracer Milano and the Soviet Union National Team in a tournament that felt different from the start. Milwaukee would win it all, defeating the Soviets 127–100. But the result wasn’t the headline.
It was the style of play, the precision of the Soviets, and the presence of Arvydas Sabonis and Šarūnas Marčiulionis. Two Lithuanian players who weren’t just great for Europe. They were great, period.
Terry Cummings dropped 27 in the final. Jack Sikma held down the paint. Paul Pressey reminded everyone he was ahead of his time as a true point-forward. But when the Soviets passed, cut, and executed with surgical chemistry, you could feel the narrative shifting.
The NBA in 1987: A Smaller World
Back in '87 the NBA was much more closed-off to international basketball than it is today. Players were prohibited from participating in the Olympics, there was little interest in basketball played outside the US, and fewer than a dozen international players were in the league.
Top 10 International NBA Players (1987-88)
1. Hakeem Olajuwon, Nigeria (Houston Rockets) 2. Manute Bol, Sudan (Washington Bullets) 3. Detlef Schrempf, Germany (Dallas Mavericks) 4. Uwe Blab, Germany (Golden State Warriors) 5. Olden Polynice, Haiti (Seattle Supersonics) 6. Petur Gudmundsson, Iceland (San Antonio Spurs) 7. James Donaldson, England (Dallas Mavericks) 8. Bill Wennington, Canada (Dallas Mavericks) 9. Mychal Thompson, Bahamas (Los Angeles Lakers) 10. Rolando Blackman, Panama (Dallas Mavericks)
You knew the names if you were a serious NBA fan, but most people weren't paying attention. Even Lakers standout Mychal Thompson played his high school ball in the States after moving to Miami from his hometown Nassau.
Why the McDonald’s Open Mattered
The game wasn't just a friendly — it was a chess move by David Stern. He wanted to know: could NBA players hold up against the world? Would fans respond to global matchups? Was there any potential NBA talent beyond US borders?
At the end of every question, Stern was met with a resounding "yes", and that was a real signal that the league had the potential to become the global phenomenon that it is today.
Seeing the Whole Floor
For many, the McDonald's Open felt like a sideshow, but Stern saw it as a glimpse into the league's future. And that's when he made a conscious decision to import talent into the league; rather than export it elsewhere.
The playbook was clear, and that entailed a couple of initial, major steps for the league that included:
-Partnering with FIFA to allow pros to participate in the Summer Olympics
-Creating a global showcase of events that would test the world's appetite for NBA basketball
-Investing in international player development and scouting
By the time the Dream Team took the court just a few years later in 1992, it felt like destiny, but it was actually years of strategy paying off.
Then vs. Now: The Growth Is the Story In 1987, the NBA had fewer than a dozen international players and media reach was largely confined to the United States. Fast forward to 2025, and the transformation is staggering: over 120 international players fill NBA rosters, Olympians are headlined by NBA superstars, and league content is broadcast in more than 200 countries. The shift isn’t just in numbers — it’s in mindset, reach, and global influence.
NBA Finals: A Mirror of Stern’s Vision
In the 1987-88 NBA Finals, Mychal Thompson came off the bench as the Lakers’ sixth man and was the only international in the Finals. Fast forward to this season, and the court looked very different.
2024-25 NBA Finals International Starters:
-Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada (OKC) -Luguentz Dort, Canada (OKC) -Isaiah Hartenstein, Germany (OKC) -Andrew Nembhard, Canada (IND) -Bennedict Mathurin, Canada (IND) -Pascal Siakam, Cameroon (IND)
This was a defining feature of both teams and a clear signal of how far the league has come.
Top 25 International Players Today:
1. Nikola Jokić, Serbia (Denver Nuggets) 2. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece (Milwaukee Bucks) 3. Luka Dončić, Slovenia (Los Angeles Lakers) 4. Joel Embiid, Cameroon (Philadelphia 76ers) 5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Canada (OKC) 6. Victor Wembanyama, France (San Antonio Spurs) 7. Domantas Sabonis, Lithuania (Sacramento Kings) 8. Jamal Murray, Canada (Denver Nuggets) 9. Rudy Gobert, France (Minnesota Timberwolves) 10. Pascal Siakam, Cameroon (Indiana Pacers) 11. Lauri Markkanen, Finland (Utah Jazz) 12. Deandre Ayton, Bahamas (Los Angeles Lakers) 13. Franz Wagner, Germany (Orlando Magic) 14. Josh Giddey, Australia (Chicago Bulls) 15. Jonas Valančiūnas, Lithuania (Denver Nuggets) 16. Kristaps Porziņģ, Latvia (Atlanta Hawks) 17. Dennis Schröder, Germany (Sacramento Kings) 18. Alperen Şengün, Turkey (Houston Rockets) 19. OG Anunoby, UK/Nigeria (NY Knicks) 20. Deni Avdija, Israel (Portland Trail Blazers) 21 Jusuf Nurkic, Bosnia (Utah Jazz. 22. Clint Capela, Switzerland (Houston Rockets) 23. Jakob Poeltl, Austria (Toronto Raptors) 24. Luguentz Dort, Canada (OKC) 25. Isaiah Hartenstein, Germany (OKC)
Final Whistle: From Milwaukee to the NBA Finals
The 1987 McDonald’s Open didn’t draw headlines, but it did open many doors.
Decades later, that quiet vision came roaring to life on the biggest stage in basketball. The 2024-25 NBA Finals confirmed where the league is and where it’s always been headed.
At WSC Sports, we help leagues, broadcasters, and storytellers connect moments to meaning. From Milwaukee to Manila, and everywhere in between. Because sometimes, the biggest shifts start with the smallest spark.
David Gavant currently serves as Content Executive for WSC Sports and is a former Executive Producer for NBA Entertainment, MLB Productions, NBC Sports, and CNN Sports.
