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Eleazar Gonzales breaks down his top five best international NBA players of all-time
Some of today's best players are players born outside of the United States and Canada. We have players like Nikola Jokic from Serbia, Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece, Luka Doncic from Slovenia, and even Victor Wembanyama from France.
The continuous rise of international players in the NBA is proof the game of basketball has become a global phenomenon since the league first started having international players in 1946 when Italian-born Hank Biasatti entered the league. However, what pushed more international players into the NBA was the formation of the Dream Team in 1992.
We've seen many great international players take the NBA floor. Below are just five of those players:
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Hakeem Olajuwon
Considered by many as the most successful international player to enter the NBA in terms of accolades, Hakeem Olajuwon, a Nigerian, led the Houston Rockets to its first pair of NBA titles on top of two Finals MVP awards, a season MVP award, and a Defensive Player of the Year award.
Olajuwon is also the Rockets' franchise leader in numerous statistics, including most points scored, most minutes played, field goals, blocks, blocks per game, and total rebounds.
Ironically, Olajuwon was also a part of the United States men's basketball team that won the Olympic gold medal in 1996.
Hakeem Olajuwon in 1994 the only player to win MVP, FMVP and DPOY in the same season 🔥 pic.twitter.com/3qGJNwyrHu
— Real Talk 🏀 (@GridironMoney) June 26, 2022
Dirk Nowitzki
Before Doncic, the Dallas Mavericks already had an international player playing ball in Texas: German Dirk Nowitzki.
Nicknamed "The Germanator" among other monikers given to him, Nowitzki spent his entire 21-season career after he was traded by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 1998 NBA Draft. In that span, Dirk was a 14-time NBA All-Star, received 12 All-NBA selections, and won the 2007 MVP race. In 2011, he led the Mavs to its first-ever NBA championship against the mighty Miami Heat of LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and Chris Bosh.
Dirks's 31,560 points scored in his career rank sixth in the all-time scoring leaderboard. He finished with averages of 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 47.1% field goal shooting. His signature fadeaway jump shot is also one of the most unguardable shots.
Dirk Nowitzki will have his jersey in the rafters tonight
- 2011 NBA champion
- 2011 NBA Finals MVP
- 2007 NBA MVP
- Ranks 6th in all-time scoringWhat a career 👏 pic.twitter.com/pVImVdfJHt
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 5, 2022
Pau Gasol
While his NBA numbers weren't eye-popping, Pau Gasol's career- both in the NBA and as a member of the Spanish national team, was a successful one.
As one of the major players in Spanish basketball, Gasol, together with his brother Marc, carried Spain to basketball glory in numerous Olympic runs and FIBA tournaments. Pau won 11 medals and multiple MVP awards.
In the NBA, he won two NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers alongside Kobe Bryant. The Lakers retired Gasol's number 16 jersey last year.
While Gasol's career started as a member of the Memphis Grizzlies, it was the trade to the Lakers that pushed Gasol to a more successful path as evidenced by three straight NBA Finals trips from 2008 to 2010. As a Laker, Gasol averaged 17.7 points, 9.9 rebounds, and 3.5 assists.
"I can't go on without talking about the person and the face that I don't see... I miss him so much, like many of us do... I wish he was here with Gigi. I love you brother."
Pau Gasol honors brother Kobe Bryant in jersey retirement speech 💜💛pic.twitter.com/36sD99DbDa
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) March 8, 2023
Manu Ginobili
Argentinian Manu Ginobili is here for three reasons: he is one of the two NBA players who won an NBA championship, an Olympic medal, and EuroBasket championships throughout his career. The second reason? He popularized the Euro step move in the NBA.
The third reason? Many pundits regarded Manu as one of the best sixth men of all time despite only winning the Sixth Man of the Year once.
A four-time NBA champion with the San Antonio Spurs alongside Tim Duncan and Tony Parker, Ginobili is the Spurs' franchise leader in threes, three-point attempts, and steals.
Manu Ginobili is officially a Basketball Hall of Famer 👏
⭐️ 4x NBA Champion
⭐️ 2x All-NBA
⭐️ 2x All-Star
⭐️ '07-08 Sixth Man of the Year pic.twitter.com/m8Q1INhare— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 11, 2022
Nikola Jokic
You're probably thinking: Where was Nikola Jokic on this list?
According to pundits, The Joker has achieved more than enough to get himself a spot in the top five of the best international players to ever play in the NBA.
A three-time league MVP, one-time NBA champion, and a one-time Finals MVP, the big man from Serbia has changed the way people look at the center position. Just being able to grab a defensive rebound to throw an outlet pass like a quarterback shows the amount of talent Jokic has.
In 675 regular-season games (and counting) with the Denver Nuggets, Jokic averaged 20.9 points, 10.7 rebounds, and 6.9 assists per game. His 130 career triple-doubles sit fourth on the all-time list.
Congratulations to Nikola Jokic, a three-time MVP 🏆 winner. pic.twitter.com/DBv7WkW14c
— Tamir Moore (@TheTamirMoore) May 10, 2024
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