Atlanta Hawks forward Lu Dort sparked an interesting conversation when he said that he believes winning an Olympic gold would mean more than winning an NBA title. In an interview with Serge Ibaka on How Hungry Are You, Dort was asked what was more valuable: winning the NBA title or winning Olympic gold. Dort, who already won an NBA championship with the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2025, said he'd rather win a gold medal.

RJ Barrett on Lu Dort saying he would rather win an Olympic gold medal over an NBA title, via Serge Ibaka’s ‘How Hungry Are You’:

“I haven’t won either.”

“I think when it’s your country, it’s a little bit of a different pride, because one, we’re not playing for any money… pic.twitter.com/DjrHiFW3WV

— Omer Osman (@OmerOsman200) October 7, 2026

“I’d say winning a gold medal because Canada gave my family a great opportunity to have a better life,” Dort said.

When Ibaka asked whether winning gold meant more than winning an NBA championship, Dort said yes. That ultimately led to fellow Olympic team and Team Canada teammate RJ Barrett being asked about Dort saying an Olympic gold medal means more than an NBA title. RJ Barrett immediately put that distinction in perspective.

“I haven’t won either,” he said.

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He then weighed in on his take with nuance: while he is a member of Team Canada, he also plays for the Toronto Raptors.

“I think when it’s your country, it’s a little bit of a different pride, because one, we’re not playing for any money anyways. Two is, this is where I’m from. I love Canada. So, for me, playing for the Raptors, I think winning the chip here, probably, it’ll be different, ‘cause it’s here.”

He added, “In either regard, your country, you’re always going to play for them. That’s just a certain level of pride that you take in doing that, trying to represent your country. You would do that for no money at all. I think that might be a little different.”