Depth, chemistry and tradition toppled star power throughout the EuroBasket 2022 tournament, which concluded with Spain defeating France 88-76 in the final Sunday.

The three biggest stars in the tournament – Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece) and Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (Slovenia) – failed to lead their teams past the quarterfinals.

Instead, it was former Nugget Juancho Hernangomez leading the Spaniards to the title behind 27 points on a 6-for-7 mark from 3, winning the award for the game’s most outstanding player. The Nuggets drafted the 26-year-old with the 15th pick in the 2016 draft. He made six 3-pointers in a win over the Warriors in 2017 before he was traded to Minnesota.

“We needed him today, and he was there for us,” Willy Hernangomez said of his brother, according to an Associated Press story.

Willy, the elder of the Hernangomez brothers, was named the tournament’s most outstanding player. Antetokounmpo was the biggest NBA star to make the tournament’s All-Star Five alongside Willy Hernangomez, Rudy Gobert (France), Dennis Schroder (Germany) and Lorenzo Brown (Spain). Gobert was the closest thing to an NBA star on the court in the final, and he finished with just six points.

Jokic finished the tournament averaging 21.7 points, 10 rebounds and 4.3 assists in six games for Serbia. The Serbs were upset by Italy in the Round of 16. The a positive for Nuggets fans is Jokic avoiding injury and being available to participate in Denver’s preseason preparations.

Antetokounmpo led all players with 29.3 points per game, ahead of Finn Lauri Markkanen, who was traded to Utah in the Donovan Mitchell trade and posted 27.9 points per game.

Nuggets forward Vlatko Cancar, teaming with Doncic for Slovenia, averaged 11.6 points, 5 rebounds and 1.9 assists. He scored a team-high 21 points against Poland, but it wasn’t enough to get Slovenia to the semifinals.

While some of the NBA’s biggest stars participated, their presence wasn’t enough to disrupt the dominance of Spain and France.

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What I’m thinking

We’re about to find out just how far the player empowerment movement will go.

An investigation of Suns owner Robert Sarver revealed a history of racist and sexist behavior in Phoenix. Sarver was fined $10 million and banned for a year. That punishment failed to satisfy some of the league’s biggest names. LeBron James expressed his disappointment in the ruling, tweeting, “Our league definitely got this wrong … There is no place in this league for that kind of behavior. I love this league, and I deeply respect our leadership. But this isn’t right. There is no place for misogyny, sexism and racism in any work place. (It) don’t matter if you own the team or play for the team. We hold our league up as an example of our values, and this ain’t it.”

Suns point guard Chris Paul echoed that sentiment in a post of his own: “I am of the view that the sanctions fell short in truly addressing what we can all agree was atrocious behavior. My heart goes out to all of the people that were affected.”

PayPal, the Suns’ jersey sponsor, and others around the league have also expressed disappointment in the league’s decision, but their voices are drowned out by the noise coming from players. With Silver’s power limited in this instance, the players have an opportunity to find out how much power they really hold.

Who’s flopping now

EuroBasket has been a joy to watch, and one reason is the lack of players trying to bait the referees into calling fouls.

There weren’t as many ballhandlers throwing their heads back at contact, shooters using unnatural movements to draw fouls or players pleading for a foul when a shot was contested.

The NBA has taken steps in the right direction with clear-path fouls but could take a few more to make the game even better to watch.

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What I’m reading

Curious about the Lakers’ plans for the backcourt? Read Sam Amick and Jovan Buha at The Athletic. While Russell Westbrook, Patrick Beverly and Dennis Schroder might seem like a volatile and awkward fit in the backcourt, the story does a solid job of detailing what the Lakers’ plan looks like.

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What I’m watching

Props to CSU legend Becky Hammon and the Las Vegas Aces on a title run that should’ve made a few casual viewers new fans of the WNBA.

The WNBA Finals were appointment viewing from start to finish, even if that happened on an NFL Sunday. Chelsea Gray, A’ja Wilson and Kelsey Plum led the way for Las Vegas, which defeated Connecticut in four games, while reserve Riquna Williams hit clutch shots for the Aces in the final game. Finally, a shoutout to Connecticut’s Alyssa Thomas for recording the first triple-doubles in league history.

-I also just binged ‘Yellowjackets’ (Showtime) in near-record time. If thrillers and 90s nostalgia are your thing, it’s worth a watch.

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What I’m tweeting

-The Nuggets tried out a new sport last week when the American Raptors, a rugby team made up of athletes who started in a different sport, welcomed the Nuggets for something of a tryout. DeAndre Jordan, who recently arrived in Denver, swapped shirts with one of the Raptors. My money’s on Jack White being the most natural of the Nuggets, given his status as an Australian. (Source: @Nuggets on Twitter)

-The Bol Bol hype has moved to Orlando. Magic guard Terrence Ross praised the former Nuggets’ rare ability in a recent video. It’s nothing new to the ears of Denver fans, but it will be interesting to see if a fresh start with a young, rebuilding roster was what Bol needed to get his professional career on track. (Source: @GLeagueTV on Instagram)

–Victor Wembanyama continues to help his draft stock. Highlights from the 7-foot-2 prodigy’s most recent game in France showcased a smooth jumper out to 3-point range, effortless finishing around the basket and solid rim protection. He looks to be worthy of a solid tank job. (Source: @Overtime on Twitter)

What’s on tap

Sept. 26: Nuggets media day in Denver

Sept. 30: The Wizards and Warriors head to Japan to open the preseason, though the game will start at 4 a.m. locally.

Oct. 3: The Nuggets host the Thunder for their preseason opener in Denver.

Oct. 19: The Nuggets open the regular season at Utah.