The National Basketball Association is where amazing happens. The greatest players from all over the world collide on the same hardwood, looking to achieve the ultimate glory and prove why only a few lucky ones can fulfill that dream.
Back in the day, not many international players were able to gauge enough attention overseas to get a chance to shine in the NBA. Now, we get to see more and more players from all places on Earth taking the league by storm.
How Many International Players Are In The NBA?
The 2021-22 season was the eighth consecutive season with at least 100 international players on opening-night rosters, with 121 players from 40 different countries. Also, the Toronto Raptors currently have the most international players on their opening-night roster, a record-tying 10 from 9 different places.
But even among those great international players, just a handful of them has been able to stand out from the rest of the pack. Here, we present you with the best 15 best international players in NBA history.
15. Peja Stojakovic – Yugoslavia / Croatia
Peja Stojakovic is one of the greatest shooters of all time and the first on our greatest international players list. Following a remarkable career in other countries, he made it to the NBA in 1999 to join the Sacramento Kings, helping them build one of their most successful rosters ever.
He was taken 14th overall in the NBA Draft for his ability to stretch the floor. Stojakovic later played for the Indiana Pacers, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors, and Dallas Mavericks, leaving a big mark in just 12 seasons played in the league.
Throughout his career, he won one NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks, was a three-time All-Star, won two three-point contests, and made it to one All-NBA Second Team. He also won the FIBA World Cup in 2002.
14. Detlef Schrempf – Germany
After an impressive stint with the Washington Huskies, the Dallas Mavericks took German gem Detlef Schrempf in the 1985 NBA Draft. He was long, athletic, and could play both forward spots with ease.
However, it wasn’t until his trade to the Indiana Pacers in 1989 that Schrempf broke out as one of the finest substitutes in the Association. He spent four years there before notable stints with the Seattle Supersonics and Portland Trail Blazers.
Schrempf retired with averages of 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game and was a 49% shooter (39% from three). He made it to the All-NBA Third Team, was a two-time Sixth Man of the Year, and made it to three All-Star Games.
13. Yao Ming – China
Some may argue that Yao Ming’s impact on the court wasn’t reason enough to induct him into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. And truth be told, a guy with his physical traits should’ve been way more dominant on both ends of the floor. Still, he’s one of the best players of his time.
An intriguing international talent, the Houston Rockets took Yao with the first overall pick in 2002. He made an immediate impact and retired with averages of 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, and 1.2 blocks per game across nine full seasons.
Ming’s philanthropic work and his presence with the Basketball Without Borders program, as well as his popularity in China, helped the NBA reach new heights and places, becoming the league’s ambassador in Asia. He was an eight-time All-Star, five-time All-NBA, and had his jersey retired by the Rockets.
12. Drazen Petrovic – Yugoslavia / Croatia
Drazen Petrovic’s story is simply heartbreaking. After a slow start to his career, struggling with depression, and nearly giving up, Petrovic became one of the league’s rising stars and one of the most entertaining scorers to watch. Then, a fatal car accident took away one of the greatest international players of all time.
Petrovic dominated at Real Madrid and was taken in the second round in 1986. He spent a couple of years with the Portland Trail Blazers without much success. He was eventually traded to the New Jersey Nets, where his shooting skills were on display every single night.
Drazen Petrovic left the game with career averages of 15.4 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game on over 50% shooting and 41% from three. He made the All-NBA Third Team and won countless international accolades, including the silver medal against USA’s Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics.
11. Marc Gasol – Spain
Marc Gasol was a bit of a late bloomer but he eventually proved that he was way more than just Pau’s younger brother. In fact, he was a part of the trade that sent Pau to the Los Angeles Lakers, and it didn’t take long before he established his presence inside the paint.
Marc was the defensive anchor during the Memphis Grizzlies’ ‘grit-and-grind’ era. He was another playmaker on the floor, a versatile defender with shooting range, and a guy who could guard multiple positions with ease.
Besides winning multiple titles with the Spanish national team, Gasol was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2013. He was also selected to three All-Star Games, two All-NBA squads, one All-Defensive team, and helped the Toronto Raptors win the 2019 NBA title. He had a one-year stint with the Lakers before heading back to Europe.
10. Patrick Ewing – Jamaica
Albeit slightly forgotten nowadays, Patrick Ewing was considered the best big in the league at some point. The only thing Patrick Ewing did wrong was playing at the same time as Michael Jordan. Still, under his command, the New York Knicks were one of the driving forces of the Eastern Conference.
Ewing spent fifteen years at the Madison Square Garden and helped the Knicks make the NBA Finals twice. However, he couldn’t lift the team past Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets first, and then past David Robinson and Tim Duncan’s Twin Towers San Antonio Spurs. He later had one-year stints with the Seattle Supersonics and Orlando Magic.
He was a physical specimen and dominated on both ends of the floor, averaging 21.0 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game. Throughout his Hall of Famer career, he made it to one All-NBA First Team, six All-NBA Second Teams, three All-Defensive Teams, was named Rookie of the Year, made it to 11 All-Star Games, and the league’s 50th and 75th-anniversary teams.
9. Nikola Jokic – Serbia
Even though he’s just getting started, Nikola Jokic already has to be considered one of the greatest international players to ever set foot on an NBA hardwood. He’s already the greatest passing big man ever and could make a case for being the best player in Denver Nuggets’ franchise history.
Jokic wasn’t athletic or even in shape. He was drafted in the second round during a Taco Bell commercial and slept through the draft. Now, he’s the face of an organization set to sign the largest contract extension in the league, and not just for an international player.
He earned his playing time since making the league in 2015 and has only gotten better every year. Thus far, he’s a two-time MVP, a four-time All-Star, has been selected to the All-NBA First Team three times, and is one of the most entertaining players to watch, being a guard trapped in a seven-footer’s body.
8. Dikembe Mutombo – DR Of The Congo
Born in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Dikembe Mutombo made his way to the U.S. to enroll at Georgetown University with a USAID scholarship. He showcased his unprecedented shot-blocking abilities with the Hoyas, convincing the Denver Nuggets to take him fourth overall in 1991.
Mutombo instantly became one of the most prominent, dominant, and physical defensive presences in the NBA, cementing himself as the greatest shot-blocker of all time through his 18 years in the league, playing for the Denver Nuggets for the better part of his career. He later had brief stints with the Atlanta Hawks and Philadelphia 76ers, and lesser-known years with the New Jersey Nets and New York Knicks before retiring with the Houston Rockets.
He averaged 2.8 blocks per game and swatted 3,289 shots, the second-most all-time. He was an 8-time All-Star, a record-tying four-times Defensive Player of the Year, led the league in rebounds twice, three times in blocks, made three All-Defensive teams and three All-NBA teams, and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Hall of Fame.
7. Pau Gasol – Spain
Pau Gasol is one of the most beloved and respected athletes of his generation and for very good reasons. Besides being a leader on and off the court, his relentless work ethic, sweet touch around the rim, and rebounding skills helped Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers put an end to a dark tenure in franchise history.
Gasol was taken third overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2003, becoming the first international player to be named Rookie of the Year. He shined in Tennessee for seven years before being traded to Los Angeles. Then, he bounced around the league with the Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs, and Milwaukee Bucks before retiring.
Throughout his two decades in the Association, Gasol won a couple of NBA championships, was a six-time All-Star, made four All-NBA teams, and amassed career averages of 17 points and 9 rebounds. He’s also one of the most accomplished international players at the FIBA level.
6. Tony Parker – France
Like several international players, Tony Parker was never a player who would strike you with athleticism. But he was as crafty as they come, boasting perhaps the best footwork among all point guards ever. He could switch directions and shake off defenders with the finesse of a ballerina, and his floater was money in the bank every single time.
Parker made it to the NBA as the 28th overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, being one of the greatest steals ever. He established himself right away for the San Antonio Spurs, pulling the strings of the offense and playing pesky defense on the backcourt. He spent 18 years with the team before a one-season tenure with the Charlotte Hornets.
Over his career, Parker helped the Spurs dynasty win four championships. He won 1 Finals MVP award and was selected to six All-Star Games, four All-NBA teams, and the All-Rookie first team, averaging 15.5 points, 2.7 boards, and 5.6 assists per game. He was actually born in Belgium.
5. Manu Ginobili – Argentina
Tim Duncan was the force, Tony Parker was the puppetmaster, but Manu Ginobili was the brains and the heart of the San Antonio Spurs dynasty. Considered by some as the greatest Sixth Man in the history of this sport, Ginobili is definitely one of the best international players of all time.
The Argentinean star was the best player outside of the NBA by the time he made it to the league. Still, people scratched their heads when Gregg Popovich took him with the 57th overall pick of the 1999 NBA Draft. Tim Duncan even admitted he had no clue who he was.
Ginobili made a huge impact on both ends of the floor. His defense, playmaking, and ability to knock down clutch shots made him a Spurs legend and one of the most influential lefty players ever. He won four rings, was a two-time All-Star, made two All-NBA teams, and was named Sixth Man of the Year in 2008. Also, he led his national team past Team USA in the 2004 Olympics.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo – Greece
The Milwaukee Bucks became the league’s laughing stock when they took Giannis Antetokounmpo in the middle of the first round. He looked years away from being a role player at the NBA level at best. But he worked his heart off and improved every year, up to the point where he can be one of the 10 greatest players ever once he retires.
Giannis has turned the Bucks into perennial contenders. He refused to leave for a bigger market and decided to stay put, paying the organization back with their first trip to the NBA Finals in five decades.
Even at his young age, Antetokounmpo is already a lock to make it to the Hall of Fame. He’s an NBA champion with one Finals MVP, two MVPs, one Defensive Player of the Year award, one All-Star Game MVP, and has made it to six All-Star Games, and five All-Defensive Teams, six All-NBA teams, and the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team. All that before turning 28.
3. Steve Nash – Canada
Born in South Africa but representing Canada, Steve Nash is one of the most influential point guards of all time. Albeit not an explosive scorer or an athletic kind of guy, he was a master at controlling the pace and the tempo of the game, pulling the strings of the offense, and making his teammates better.
Nash was one of the most efficient shooters of all time, and the expert behind one of the NBA’s most explosive offenses ever: Mike D’Antoni’s ‘7 seconds or less’ Phoenix Suns. He also played for the Dalla Mavericks, and Los Angeles Lakers, but could never win a championship.
Throughout his career, Nash won the Most Valuable Player award two years in a row, was an 8-time All-Star, led the NBA in assists five times, was a four-time member of the 50/40/90 club, and made 3 All-NBA First Team, 2 All-NBA Second Team, 2 All-NBA Third Team. He’s one of the few international players to make the 75th-anniversary team.
2. Hakeem Olajuwon – Nigeria
Hakeem Olajuwon played for Team USA but he was born in Nigeria, so technically, he should be a part of this list of international players. He’s considered by most as the greatest two-way center in the history of basketball, as he could swat shots into the stands and then put up 30 points on the other end with ease.
Olajuwon’s footwork and signature Dream Shake set the standard for all big men who came after him. He was so good, so dominant, and so enticing to watch that Houston Rockets fans never complained about the fact that they passed on Michael Jordan to draft him back in 1984.
Throughout his career, Olajuwon led the Rockets to their only two titles. He was a two-time Finals MVP, MVP, 12-time All-Star, 2-time Defensive Player of the Year, 12-time All-NBA, 9-time All-Defensive, 2-time rebounds leader, 3-time blocks leader, and is the all-time leader in blocked shots. Also, he’s the only player that managed to win a ring, MVP, Finals MVP, and Defensive Player of the Year on the very same season. He’s a member of the 75th-anniversary team.
1. Dirk Nowitzki – Germany
Dirk Nowitzki will go down as the greatest international player in NBA history. He scored 31,650 career points, the most by a foreign player, and completely changed the way the power forward position was played thanks to his unprecedented shooting ability for someone his size.
While never a good defender or a player who struck with athleticism, Dirk made the most of his size, length, and high release to become the greatest shooting big of all time. He had one of the most incredible playoffs runs in NBA history also by beating Kobe Bryant’s Lakers, the OKC Thunder’s young Big 3 of Kevin Durant, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook, and then the Miami Heat’s nearly-unstoppable trio of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, and Chris Bosh in one season.
Nowitzki led the Dallas Mavericks to their only two NBA Finals appearances and their only NBA title. He won 1 MVP, 1 Finals MVP, was a member of the 50/40/90 club, a 14-time All-Star, made the All-NBA Team 12 times, was a three-point contest champion, and a member of the NBA’s 75th-anniversary team.
