3 Reasons Mario Hezonja’s 37 Points for Croatia Matter for the Cavs

There is never a shortage of basketball in the summer. BIG3 is in the midst of their Finals this weekend, while the WNBA continues on. Two years until the Cleveland Sirens!

But, this isn’t about that. This discussion is actually meant for FIBA. Croatia was playing Turkiye. yesterday, and Mario Hezonja decided to go absolutely nuclear and have an incredible performance. This absolutely matters heading into next season. Now he’s finding his rhythm this summer before coming Stateside for the first time in six years.

Mario Hezonja today for Croatia

37 pts ✅
Game-winner ✅

Crushing it for his country before Cavs debut. Reminiscent of pre 2021-22 Ricky Rubio. pic.twitter.com/UUrrajSuK7
— Across The Cavs (@AcrossCavs) August 21, 2026

Let’s discuss the importance.

Showing He Can Be the Guy

Watching Mario Hezonja play high-level basketball is nothing new. The man was the EuroLeague MVP in 2025 and averaged his best stats for Real Madrid just this past season. Stepping over to represent his country, he’s been even better though.

37 points on 11-17 shooting with six rebounds.

The game-winning three to help Croatia to an upset of Turkiye. This is the kind of guy the Magic expected to join them when drafting him back in 2015. Who New York and Portland had hoped would be suiting up for them. Nevertheless, the 31-year-old has arrived, and is showing that he can be the guy.

🌟 Super Mario with his SUPER stats in the Super Cup Semifinals! @mariohezonja | #LetEmKnow pic.twitter.com/wqHmmZhaEj
— Cleveland Cavaliers (@cavs) August 21, 2026

Hezonja should be able to crack Cleveland’s rotation on opening night thanks to his length and scoring prowess. You can never have enough scorers on a team, and he should complement the bench duo of Sam Merrill and Jaylon Tyson nicely. The frame the Croatian forward possesses should enable him to play both small and power forward at times.

This is exactly what Cavs fans need to stay excited about just three days after Peyton Watson was acquired.

Euro Success Bleeds Into Regular Season

If people are wondering if dominating international play can carry over to the NBA… the answer is a resounding yes. See no further than Ricky Rubio five years ago. He was putting on a show for Spain all summer long, and then joined the Cavs and played like a sixth man of the year favorite before getting hurt.

Spain Rubio was making headlines and showing he was far better than he was for the Timberwolves in the reunion campaign the year prior. Mario Hezonja has the chance to now do the same thing, and with the tournament continuing, the best may be yet to come.

This Level of Play is Sustainable

Putting up 37 points on just 17 shots on the big FIBA stage is proof of greatness. With the games being just 40 minutes too, that’s something else. Hezonja did this in just 30 minutes of action, by the way.

The shot selection, aggressiveness, and confidence are the tools that matter most. Those have been on full display and it has got to be delightful for Cavs fans to see. Super Mario has arrived, and the bench is going to be lethal next season.

Beware, opposing teams. You’ll have to pay a lot of attention to this guy. And the swagger is going to carry right over.

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