Here’s a nice trip in the wayback machine - the 1992 Olympics game between the Dream Team and Spain.
That of course was the first time that NBA players were allowed in the Olympics and almost all of them were Americans.
This was still a time of complete American dominance. In fact, everyone understood that the US team was going to win and there was no way around it.
In fact, some of the other teams asked for autographs after games ended.
Even then though the long-term ambition was that the NBA would raise the level of play throughout the world, it was hard then to imagine where we are now with France, Spain, Argentina, Serbia and Australia, among others, all being capable of winning international competitions.