Why Choosing Australia Over Summer League Was a Good Move for Tyrese Proctor

Tyrese Proctor made an immediate impact for Australia as they continued their unbeaten start in the FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers in the early hours of Friday morning.

And, as an added bonus, the Cleveland Cavaliers guard helped the Aussies break a record in the process.

Proctor led the Australians with 22 points, hitting six three-pointers as they hammered Guam 124-52 in Perth to improve to 5-0 in Group A of the qualifiers, and they broke the three-point record by draining 24 beyond the arc out of a jaw-dropping 51 attempts.

It was also a career-high points tally for Proctor in the infamous green and gold, having made his Australia debut as a fresh-faced 16-year-old back in 2021 during the last FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers and guided his side to overall victory in the competition in Indonesia a year later by averaging 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in six games.

Why is playing for Australia good for Proctor’s development?

After he was destined to play in the upcoming NBA Summer League for the Cavs, the Sydney-born Proctor swerved Las Vegas and headed to Perth to join Australia in the qualifiers, where they have already advanced to the final phase before hoping to qualify for the FIBA World Cup, which takes place in Qatar from August 27 to September 12, 2027.

And while most will shake their heads at Proctor deciding to play minnows Guam, along with the Philippines, in the early hours of Monday morning, it is a good move for the 22-year-old to play in competitive games at an elite level.

Playing FIBA basketball has helped turn good players into superstars, and the adjustment from NBA rules to the international level, where the three-point line is shorter and games are played in 10-minute quarters rather than 12, is good for their development.

It transformed Stephen Curry, who played for the USA at the FIBA World Cup back in 2010, lifting him to four-time NBA champion, two-time MVP and earning him the title as perhaps the greatest three-point shooter of all time.

It also heightened the legendary career of Kevin Durant, who, like Curry, made his mark at the World Cup in 2010 and has gone on to be considered one of the best pure scorers in NBA history, along with being the most decorated USA Basketball player with four gold medals – the first player to achieve such a feat.

Anthony Davis was a rookie when he represented the U.S at the 2012 Olympics in London, England and from there, he has become a 10-time NBA All-Star as well as an NBA champion in his own right.

Proctor is looking to forge his own path with Australia.

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