The 25 greatest international players in NBA history

Hakeem was one of the first African-born superstars to ever hit the NBA. His career was so stellar that, despite being drafted after Michael Jordan, it's never really said that the Rockets made a bad pick. The resume is immaculate: Two championships, two Finals MVPs, two Defensive Player Of The Year trophies, an MVP, and so much more.

Dirk is the greatest German basketball player of all time and it's not particularly close (with apologies to Detlef Schrempf and Dennis Schröder). As a 7-foot shooter, Dirk was a pioneer who helped pave the way for the modern three-point era in the NBA. He was consistently one of the league's best players and a regular MVP candidate, winning the award in 2007.

Before even entering his 30s, Jokić has proven himself to be one of the all-time greats. He's won three MVPs, a Finals MVP, and is one of only a handful of players to average a triple-double for an entire season. His story is still being written, but it's already spectacular.

Giannis started his NBA journey relatively humbly, as a lanky mid-first-round draft pick with potential. That potential was realized after a few years, when he earned his first All-Star nod in his fourth season. Since then, he's won multiple MVPs and a championship.

Nash's scoring numbers never jumped off the page, as he never averaged over 20 a night in a season. He was an offensive wizard, though, leading the league in assists per game five times. Most notably, he won two, and very nearly three, straight MVPs.

Expectations for Gasol were high when he entered the league, and he delivered, averaging about 18 and 9 in his debut season and winning Rookie Of The Year. He reached even greater heights from there, making his first All-Star team a few seasons later and eventually winning a pair of championships alongside Kobe Bryant on the Lakers. He later had an impactful two-season stint in Chicago, too, being named an All-Star both years.

The 2000s Spurs core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, and Manu Ginóbili was nearly unstoppable. They won three titles that decade (and another in 2014), and Parker was a huge part of that, winning Finals MVP in 2007. The six-time All-Star was consistent and reliable, a perfect complement to his aforementioned counterparts.

Speaking of those Spurs, Ginóbili routinely came off the bench for the team, but he was still one of the team's stars. He also had an unmatched clutch gene, seeming to always come through with San Antonio needed it. His mere two All-Star selections don't do justice to how impactful he was during his 16-year career.

Due to injuries and a lack of team success, Embiid's legacy may not be where he'd like it to be. Still, when he is on the court, he's been one of the most dominant players of the 2020s. He came second in MVP voting a couple of seasons before claiming his first trophy in 2023.

As Nowitzki was on his way out of the league, Dallas was able to transition its focus to a new European star, Dončić. He was also impressive for the Mavs, earning a reputation as one of the NBA's craftiest and most impactful offensive players. He has since moved on to the Lakers, leading a new team alongside LeBron James.

Once upon a time, the Clippers used SGA as part of a trade to get Paul George. In his new home in Oklahoma City, Shai has flourished. His 2025 season was particularly prosperous: He won both the MVP and the Finals MVP awards.

It's hard to win the Defensive Player Of The Year award once. Mutombo did it four times. He was simply one of the best defenders ever, leading the league in blocks per game for three straight seasons in the '90s. The eight-time All-Star played until he was 42, making him one of the oldest players to ever take an NBA court.

Aside from maybe the members of the 1992 US Olympic team, there may be no NBA player who had as big an impact on increasing the international popularity of basketball as Yao. The 7'6" giant wasn't just a gimmick, as he could really play. Although injuries cut his career short, he was an eight-time All-Star who could clog the paint on defense and utilize a soft touch on offense.

US/Soviet tensions prevented Sabonis from making his NBA debut until the mid-'90s, well after the Blazers drafted him in 1986. Pre-NBA, some still considered him to be one of the best big men in the world and despite being older by the time he made it to the States, he showed flashes of that during his seven-year NBA career.

There was a time when Marc was just Pau Gasol's little brother, but he quickly established himself as a star in his own right. He was one of the faces of the Grizzlies in the 2010s, earning three All-Star selections. In 2013, Gasol also picked up a Defensive Player Of The Year award.

The elder Sabonis didn't really get to show the NBA his best self, but his son has. In about a decade, Domantas has made three All-Star teams and a couple of All-NBA teams. He has also become one of the league's most effective rebounders, leading the NBA in boards per game for three straight seasons.

In the 1980s, there was no storied history of European players thriving in the NBA. Schrempf was one of the first, though, and the 6'10" forward was touted for his versatility. He was one of the league's best spark plugs off the bench, winning the Sixth Man Of The Year award in 1991.

Stojaković was one of the most potent long-range shooters of the 2000s, boasting a career three-point efficiency of 40% on relatively high volume for the era. Enjoying a 13-year career, Peja thrived in a variety of roles. His statistical apex came in 2004, when he averaged 24 points per game and made his third consecutive All-Star team.

Gobert is perhaps the most accomplished defender of the 2010s and 2020s. The Frenchman has won four Defensive Player Of The Year awards, made three All-Star teams, and has led the league in blocks and rebounds per game once apiece. Early in the second decade of his career, he remains a valuable post presence.

For about a decade, Siakam has been a borderline All-Star, earning the honor three years and narrowly missing out during others. In 2019, the season he won the Most Improved Player award, he helped power the Raptors to a championship, upping his scoring production to 19 points a game in the postseason. Not bad for a late-first-round pick.

Divac was a rock-solid NBA journeyman for 16 seasons. This was thanks to his defense and rebounding, as well as his exceptional playmaking, which was typical of centers of the time. He managed to snag one All-Star selection before hanging it up, in 2001, for a strong Kings team.

Ibaka was the perfect piece to play alongside Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden on those 2010s Thunder teams. He didn't demand the ball on offense but was ferocious on defense, leading the league in blocks per game twice. OKC never got over the hump, but he was a key piece of the title-winning 2019 Raptors team.

Porziņģis has unfortunately been injury-prone throughout his NBA career: He's only played in at least 60 games in three of his first nine seasons. But when he manages to hit the floor, he's a game-changer. That was most evident during the Celtics' 2024 title run, when Porziņģis' length and floor spacing were a nightmare for both offensive players and defenders to deal with.

Bogut never quite lived up to his status as a No. 1 overall draft pick. Still, he enjoyed a long and fruitful career, playing for 14 seasons as a standout defender and productive offensive option. He was also the starting center for the championship-winning 2015 Warriors.

Scola only made it over to the NBA relatively late in his playing career, when he was already nearing his 30s. He still managed to enjoy a successful ten-year career, though, as one of the more memorable bigs of the 2010s. His 2011 campaign with the Rockets was particularly strong, when he averaged 18 points and 8 rebounds per night.