The 20 Greatest International Born NBA Players

Many of you that frequent this site know that I’m fond of lists. I’ve already hit you with the 20 greatest and 15 worst White American NBA players of the last twenty years, so I figured it was time to hit you guys with another on my best of lists. With the NBA concentrating on becoming more global, I figured it appropriate to track the history of the international born NBA player. Hope you enjoy…

Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk is currently the best international player in the NBA today. As a seven-footer with the ability to put the ball on the floor as well as hit an outside shot, he’s up there with Kobe as on of the most difficult covers in the league. I mean seriously, how the hell do you guard a seven footer who can drive and finish like a small guard, shoot the three like Ray Allen, and post you up like Tim Duncan? Just a nightmare of a match up for any team in the league. If he were a little bit better on defense he probably would get more votes as the best player in the game today. My only question to Dirk: Why in the hell do you let Steve Nash school you so much? Have you seen the two of them go one on one in game situations? If Dirk steps out and guards him Nash is going to drive spin around him and throw some wacky hook shot up that will go in everytime. How does he let a little guard shoot a hook shot over his seven foot ass? Anyhow, Dirk could have possibly taken the crown as the leagues best player if his team didn’t blow their 2-0 lead in the Finals to D-Wade and the Miami Heat. Maybe this year we’ll

Manu Ginobli
Two NBA championship rings and an Olympic gold medal solidify Manu’s position on this list. Ginobili’s game is very unorthodox, which throws of tons of defenders around the league. If you watch most American players they have a rhythm to the way they dribble and move. Ginobili’s rhythm and movement are totally different than anything I’ve ever seen. I think that has become a huge advantage for him. Just like other international players, Ginobili is very fond of the “flop” and might currently be the NBA’s king of that particular maneuver. Lastly, Ginobili has spectacular athletic ability, with the ability to get to the basket and finish at will. This ability is enhanced by the fact that Manu is a solid outside shooter, meaning defenders actually have to honor his shot a bit, leaving the door open for him to drive at will.

Toni Kukoc
Along with Vlade Divac and Drazen Petrovic, Toni was one of the first European players to come into the NBA and be successful. Before entering the league, he was probably Europe’s best player, winning European player of the year on three separate occasions. Toni was drafted by the Chicago Bulls in 1990, but didn’t end up in a Bulls uniform until 1993. During his rookie year, he made the NBA’s All-Rookie second team, and capped off his season by hitting a game winning shot against the New York Knicks in game four of the Eastern Conference Semi-Finals. Toni would go on to win three NBA championships with the Bulls, serving the role as the Bulls resident sixth man. He was so good at his particular role that he was able to capture the 6th man of the year award during the 1995-96 season. Toni, was basketball’s version of a five tool player, a 6’11” player that was able to shoot, rebound, dribble, pass, and rebound with above average ability. Because Scottie Pippen was already a member of the Bulls, we probably didn’t get to see all of Toni’s abilities during this time. If not for Scottie, Toni would have probably been the Bulls point forward, which would have allowed him to showcase his abilities a bit better.

Rik Smits
The Dunkin’ Dutchman was the Pacers starting center for the Indiana Pacers for almost twelve seasons. During this time he was probably the Pacers second best player (behind Reggie Miller). At 7’4” he was pretty much a lower tiered version of the Houston Rocket’s Yao Ming. Similar to Ming, Smits had a complete offensive game, capable of hitting outside shots as well as interior jump hooks. He made one All-Star team in 1998 and helped his Pacers make four Eastern Conference Finals and one NBA Final. If not for foot issues, Smits probably would have had a more productive career.

Detlef Schrempf
When I was a kid in L.A., watching the Super Sonics play was a joy for me just because it gave me a chance to hear the Supersonics P.A. announcer say: “Detlef Schrempf for THREEEE POINTS, THHREEEE POINTS Schrempf!” Can I ask you this? Why is it that every German/Russian ball player comes into the league looking like an Ivan Drago knock off? I mean, I’m sure Kirilenko and Shrempf have to share some lineage with Dolph Lundgren. Anyhow, Schremf first made his mark in the league as the sixth man for the early 90s Pacer teams winning the Sixth Man of the Year award in both the 1991 and 1992 seasons. He made his first All-Star team in 1993 when he averaged 19.1 points and 9.5 rebounds for the Pacers. Inexplicably, prior to the 1993-1994 season Schrempf was traded by the Pacers to the Seattle Sonics for their defensive standout Derek McKey. Schrempf went on to have a fine career with the Sonics, becoming one of the best three point shooters in the league, making two more All-Star teams, and (along with Gary Payton and Shawn Kemp) helping to lead the Sonics to a 1996 NBA finals appearance.


Steve Nash
Simply, the best point guard in the league today. Although I give him much grief for being the worst two time MVP of all time, that doesn’t mean that I don’t think he is a great player. He runs a team with the efficiency of a John Stockton, just without the defensive ability of a Stockton. Not to keep beating a dead horse, but the thing that make’s Nash so good are his fundamentals. He can dribble and shoot with both hands. He also can pass off the dribble with both hands. Lastly, he has text book shooting form and premier footwork. The key to being a good point guard in the NBA today is the ability to utilize the pick and roll, and he does that better than anyone in the game today. My only knock on him is that he pretty much plays the same way that Mark Price and John Stockton did for their entire careers, yet you don’t see either of them with MVP awards. I mean, there is no way that he should have two MVPs when Shaquille O’neal, the greatest basketball force post Michael Jordan, only has one. That’s a perfect example of why the Media should no longer be voting for post season awards. Maybe I hate on Nash a little bit because my next door neighboor celticsblog.com. Another Split Croatian sensation (Kukoc being the other), Radja spent all of his NBA years with the Boston Celtics. Dino had three solid seasons with the Boston Celtics making the NBA All-Rookie second team in 1993-94 and averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per night in his second season. Dino left the NBA unexpectedly following the 1996-97 season. Many people believe that he left upset about the Celtics attempt to trade him to the Philadelphia 76ers for Clearance Weatherspoon (Celtics fans, you can thank Rick Pitino for that one).

Arvydas Sabonis
Word on the street is that Arvydas Sabonis was only a shell of himself by the time he made it to the NBA. Everything in Sabonis’ bio talks about how he good he and his Blazer teams would have been had he played at an earlier age. This is believable when you consider that by the time he entered the league he was 31 years old with several major surgeries under his belt, yet still one of the better centers in the league. Like most international big men, This cold war kid had the ability to play on the perimeter, knocking down outside shots, and dropping dimes with the same level of ability as a Bill Walton. Sabonis played seven seasons with the Portland Trailblazer, helping them make the playoffs in each one of his seasons, as well as guiding them to two Western Conference Finals. I hate to do this to you Blazer fans, but imagine if you guys had Sabonis in his prime instead of Kevin Duckworth during your NBA Finals years. It’s safe to say that if this was the case either Michael or Isiah would probably have one less championship.

Tony Parker
Mr. Parker’s appearance on this list has nothing to do with Eva Longoria. Tony is still a relatively young player, but he’s still solidified his place on this list. Tony is one of the quickest point guards in the league, giving him the ability to drive to the basket at will. He makes up for a lack of height and jumping ability with his bag of crafty floaters and hook shots around the rim. So far Tony has made one All-Star team, and won two NBA championships. However, Tony has often times come up short in big moments during the playoffs (see the 2003 Finals, the 2004 Semi-Finals, and the 2005 Finals). But of course, it’s okay to come up a little short in the NBA playoffs when you’re on a team as talented as the Spurs. If TP can overcome his playoff shortcomings he can become not only one of the best international point guards ever, but also one of the best point when you’re on a team as talented as the Spurs. If TP can overcome his playoff shortcomings he can become not only one of the best international point guards ever, but also one of the best point guards in the history of the league.

Drazen Petrovic
Drazen was another pioneer in the migration of NBA players to the NBA. If not for a tragic car accident, we might be looking at Drazen as the greatest European player of all-time. Prior to his accident, this 6-5 shooting guard had two consecutive seasons of averaging over 20ppg for his New Jersey Nets squad. Similar to Sabonis and other International stars of the time, Drazen had a difficult time breaking out of Europe and into the NBA. Once in the NBA he made a name for himself as a three-point shooter and scorer. There’s no doubt in my mind that if Drazen would have been able to play in the NBA for a couple of more seasons that he would have eventually made and NBA All-Star team. Following his death, the New Jersey Nets retired his # 3 Jersey.

Peja Stojakovic
As with most European NBA players, Peja Stojakovic can really shoot the rock. In fact he’s so good of a shooter that he’s made several all-star teams without the ability to do anything else other than shoot. You know you’re a good outside shooter when you’ve shot as many three’s as Peja and been able to hit at least 40% of those shots for your entire career. If Peja were able to develop some other aspects of his game a bit better, we might be talking about him in the same light as a Nowitzki, but for now, he’ll just go down as a Reggie Miller type player (minus Reggie’s clutch ability of course).

Pau Gasol
Like many European players, Pau was initially knocked for his lack of physicality converting himself into a beast both in actions and in appearance.

His beastly abilities helped him turn the Memphis Grizzlies (once the doormats of the NBA) into a perennial playoff team and lead his Spanish National Team to a gold medal in the 2006 FIBA World Championships. Unlike most European big men, Pau spends a majority of his time defending and scoring on the low post. He could actually improve his game a bit by becoming a bit more like his European NBA comrades and developing a better outside game. Pau made the 2006 NBA All-Star team, and if not for injuring his foot in the World Championships this summer, would probably have been on his way to making the team again this year.

Dikembe Mutumbo
Dikembe Mutombo Mpolondo Mukamba Jean Jacque Wamutombo: One of the three great centers to come out of Georgetown and probably one of the greatest defensive players in the history of the NBA. Although he might have lied about his age a bit (come on man, you can’t tell me Mutumbo doesn’t look he’s pushing 60…and black people age well!), Mutumbo has held his own through the years, blocking shots, grabbing rebounds and occasionally hitting an ugly hook shot. His trademark move was to block a shot, wag his finger at you and announce: “Do not come into the house of Mutumbo.” Mutumbo became so adept at blocking shots in the nineties that it became every NBA players dream to dunk on him and wag their finger back at him (See Dunks on Dikembe by MJ, Joe Smith and Grant Hill). Dikembe also has to be given big props for guarding Shaquielle O’neal one-on-one in the 2001 NBA Finals. That’s a task that no one at that time probably had the guts to do. Although Shaq punished Mutumbo and the Sixers in that series, you have to give him props for standing in there and taking his beating like a real man. Dikembe’s most memorable NBA moment might be when he and his underdog Denver Nuggets defeated the number one seeded Seattle Supersonics in the first round of the 1994 NBA playoffs. There’s an indelible image in the minds of most NBA fans of Mutumbo lying on the court, holding the ball in the air like a new born child while screaming in celebration of his teams unlikely victory. His greatest contribution to society is definitely coming outside of the basketball court, as his humanitarian efforts certainly outshine (as they should) anything he could accomplish in the NBA. For those of you that don’t know, Mutumbo has dedicated his life to improve the living conditions of his native Congo. If anything you have to respect him for that. On a less serious note, I leave you Mutumbo fans with one question: “Who wants to sex Mutumbo?!?!?!”


Yao Ming
Yao is revolutionizing the game in so many facets, it’s hard to keep track. When he first came into the league, people were quick to call him a bust. How quickly people’s opinions can change, as Yao is now considered the best Center in the game. Yao has Rick Smits ability to face up and hit an outside shot, Bill Walton’s ability to pass, and Shaq’s ability to pound you inside. With his conditioning steadily improving, there’s no doubt that he will eventually become like Tim Duncan and Shaq in that any team you put him on will instantly become an NBA championship contender. Being from China, the most populated country in the world, Yao has the potential to become the most famous basketball player ever. My prediction: By the time he retires, Yao will have a couple of championship rings and a couple of MVP trophies in hand.

Vlade Divac
Vlade Divac is another one of the O.G. European players to make it big in the NBA. He first made his mark with the Los Angeles Lakers back in the 1989-90 season, replacing Kareem as the teams starting center. During his stint with the Lakers he slowly evolved into one of the top centers in the game and was one of the young Lakers that helped turn around the franchise during the 1994-95 season. Vlade would eventually move on to the Charlotte, after being dealt to the Hornets by the Lakers in exchange for Kobe Bryant

Side Note: How great of a trade was that for the Lakers? Seriously it’s up there with Red Auerbach’s draft day two for one deal that brought him Kevin McHale and Robert Parish.

Anyhow, following his stint with the Hornets Vlade would end up playing six seasons with the Sacramento Kings. The arrival of Vlade and Chris Webber before the 1999 season single-handedly turned the Kings into one of the better teams in the league. Using the passing abilities of Webber and Vlade, the Kings became one of the most entertaining and successful teams in the league during that time. Beyond his passing, Vlade was a very good outside shooter (for a big man) as well as a crafty low post scorer. He also was dubious for his flopping ability. In fact he used to flop so much that he was given the nickname “Floppy Divac”. A back injury prior to the 2004-2005 forced Divac to retire following the season. The surprising thing is that Vlade was able to play in the league for sixteen seasons, despite the fact that he was known chain cigarette smoker.

Zydrunas Ilgauskas
The starting center for the Cleveland Cavaliers has established himself as one of the better NBA centers in the league. There was a time where I though big Z’s feet would never let him become much of an NBA player, as they caused him to miss all of the 1996-97 and 1990-00 seasons, and most of the 1998-99 and 2000-01 seasons. I chalked it up to the curse of the Cleveland Cavaliers (see: Brad Daugherty’s back injury). Luckily Z has recovered fine and become a very good player for the Cavs. Z is unique in that he is one of the few European big men that plays very well with his back to the basket.

Sarunas Marciulionis
Most of you guys probably don’t remember Sarunas, but he was one of the best players on the Warriors during their Run TMC years. Marciulionis was a high powered scoring guard who spent most of his years in the NBA as 6th man. Marciulionis’ accomplishments opened the door for Lithuanian players such as Sarunas Jasikevicius, Darius Songaila, and, Zydrunas Ilgauskas to enter the NBA.

Dino Radja
This pick was obviously for the crazed fans over at celticsblog.com. Another Split Croatian sensation (Kukoc being the other), Radja spent all of his NBA years with the Boston Celtics. Dino had three solid seasons with the Boston Celtics making the NBA All-Rookie second team in 1993-94 and averaging 20 points and 10 rebounds per night in his second season. Dino left the NBA unexpectedly following the 1996-97 season. Many people believe that he left upset about the Celtics attempt to trade him to the Philadelphia 76ers for Clearance Weatherspoon (Celtics fans, you can thank Rick Pitino for that one).

Leandro Barbosa
I know Barbosa hasn’t played many years yet, but there is no doubt in my mind that this guy is going to become an all out superstar. The Brazilian blur broke lose last year during the NBA playoffs and has carried that momentum and confidence into this season. Currently he is averaging 18 points, 5 assists, and 4 rebounds per game while only playing 23 minutes per contest. With that kind of efficiency, there’s no doubt that this lanky guard will become a superstar. Similar to Ginobili, Barbosa is difficult to guard because of his unorthodox style of play. It’s just that Barbosa is a better shooter, distributor, and ball handler than Ginobili. Combine this with the fact that Barbosa is one of the fastest players in the league, and you can see why everyone is so high on him. There’s only one piece of information I can give Mr. Barbosa, and that’s to stay out of the way of Monta Ellis.


Tim Duncan
The big fundamental is definitely the best island boy to ever sport and NBA Jersey (Sorry Raja Bell). With three NBA championships* and two NBA MVPs, there’s no question that Duncan has been won of the best players in the league throughout his career. Think about this: Duncan has made the All-Star team and All-NBA First Team in every single year of his career. If that doesn’t demonstrate his dominance, I don’t know what else does. In my opinion, the best basketball players are master technicians, and Duncan is most certainly a master of his craft. He has supreme foot work, can shoot the ball with both hands, and is a solid play maker from the post position. If you watch him as a rebounder you’ll realize that fundamentally, he is better than most at his position. He puts his entire lower body into blocking out his man, and then he goes up with TWO hands and brings the ball down protecting it with both hands on the ball and with both elbows out protecting it from being poked away. Duncan is almost to the level of Shaq where you can put him on almost any team and have them immediately become a contender. He’s that freaking good! I just wish he would learn to whine a little bit less. I mean, have you ever seen someone whine to the refs as much as TD?

Hakeem Olajuwon
“The Dream” was probably the greatest international player in NBA history, winning two NBA championships, and dominating the league for the majority of his career. When composing a list of the greatest centers in NBA history, it’s imperative that you include Hakeem Olajuwon on that list. Especially when you consider that he is the NBA’s all-time leader in blocks, and in the top ten all time in points, rebounds, and steals. Hakeem was probably the most athletic and skilled player in the history of the position. He could block shots, pick your pocket, drain outside shots, make solid passes, and handle the rock. And who could forget about his patented dream shake? In terms of the history of NBA centers (prior to Shaq) there was the Wilt Chamberlain/Bill Russell era, the Abdul-Jabbar era, and then the Hakeem Olawjuwon era. For his career he averaged 22 points, 3 blocks, 2.5 assists, 11 rebounds, and almost 2 steals per night. His regular season numbers should have been better, but he played maybe two or three years too long, and that effected his stats a bit. Although his regular season numbers were rather impressive, Hakeem stepped it up to an even higher level come playoff time. In the post season Olajuwon averaged stepped his scoring average up to about 26 points a game. My favorite Hakeem Olawjuwon momments all came during the playoffs. His block on Rod Strickland in the 1994 Playoffs and his dream shake against David Robinson in the 1995 conference finals are the two that stand out in my mind. The most impressive aspect of his numbers is the fact that he accumulated during arguably the greatest era for centers in the history of the game. In the beginning of his career, Moses Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Robert Parish were the dominate centers. He also played simultaneously with Shaquille O’neal, Brad Daugherty, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Mark Eaton, Alonzo Mourning, Jack Sikma, Rick Smits, and Vlade Divac. And despite his very talented competition, Hakeem pretty much dominated the league for his entire career.

UPDATE:

Andrei Kirilenko
Somehow, some way, I forgot to add AK47 to this list. His ability to block shots, rebound, and run the floor makes him a very unique international player (cuz most of them don't understand the word defense). He’s probably the best international defensive player of all-time (Although Kobe Bryant didn’t make him look so good the other night). Andrei could surpass a player like Nowitzki or Gasol if he was able to develop his offensive game a bit more, because none of those guys play defense at the level Andrei does.

My real question: Was it planned or complete irony that Andrei is Russian, has the initials, AK, and wears jersey number 47? I mean, that had to be planned right?