I understand this topic has been done to death, but it seems completely asinine that this discussion has been reduced to pure semantics since the US’ triumph.
It comes across as completely obtuse to say there is any material difference between the FIBA World Cup and Olympics outside of the name. I mean, if you really want to get into the weeds of it the World Cup is a QUALIFIER for the Olympics so clearly it shouldn’t be held in such high regard. It just seems some are going out of their way to completely ignore the obvious hierarchy of basketball internationally in order to keep their pride intact.
Argentina are the football world champions. They don’t whine that River Plate should be the world champs. They contested the World Cup, and they won it.
South Africa are the rugby world champions. They don’t whine that the Bulls should be world champs. They contested the World Cup, and they won it.
Germany are the basketball world champions. They don’t whine that Bayern Munich should be the world champs. They contested the World Cup, and they won it.
Basketball just isn’t structured the way football and rugby is and I think that’s okay to admit. Competition is more evenly distributed across Rugby and Football internationally, whereas high level basketball completely revolves around the US. Not a single person would question the legitimacy surrounding the Celtics being the best club in the world, so it would make logical sense to call them world champions.
Olympic basketball, unlike football, is the highest form international play as well (the FIBA World Cup is explicitly treated as a lesser competition) so it would make sense to call the winner the world champion as well.
You can call the Celtics “the world champions” if you want to. You can call USA “the world champions” if you want to. You can call the Harlem Globetrotters “the world champions” if you want to.
But don’t expect every other country to stop laughing at you
High level basketball revolves around the US so their bemoans hold little weight imo.
I imagine Italians care very little on how Englishmen view their pasta.