A lot of international players are shining in the NBA as of late which is why a handful of teams are willing to use their top draft picks to invest on a young star from overseas. Some successful international players drafted in the Top 10 today include Luka Dončić, Kristaps Porzingis, Ben Simmons, and many more. It is also worth noting that some of them would even achieve Hall of Fame honors such as Dirk Nowitzki, Yao Ming, and Dikembe Mutombo. Today, however, we’re going to be talking about international busts.
Although many international players have shined brightly on the NBA hardwood, there are some who just couldn’t live up to the hype. For some, they simply couldn’t acclimate themselves in the league which prevents them from translating their excellent performance in the college ranks and international leagues to the NBA bright lights. On the other hand for other cases, some teams simply failed to temper their expectations and placed too much pressure on a young star’s shoulders.
For this piece, we’re ranking and updating the top 10 international busts in NBA history.
Special Mentions
The players that barely made this list are Yi Jianlian from China, former Golden State Warriors big man Adronal Foyle, and DeSagana Diop from Senegal.
10. Michael Olowokandi
Draft Selection: Round 1, 1st Overall Pick by Los Angeles Clippers in 1998
Career stats: 8.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.4 blocks, 0.5 steals
Country: Nigeria
The Los Angeles Clippers had the highest draft pick in the 1998 NBA Draft, and boy did they blow it that time. The Clippers passed up on the opportunity to get either Dirk Nowitzki, Vince Carter, or Antawn Jamison as their franchise player. But instead, the franchise decided to sign Michael Olowokandi. Although the Nigerian big man was coming off a great college season while playing for the University of the Pacific, as he was named the Big West Player of the Year after averaging 22.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, and 2.9 blocks per game, Olowokandi hardly lived up to the expectations that came with being drafted as the first overall pick in the draft.
The 7’0 center could only muster eight to nine points per game in his first two seasons in the league. He was a decent shot blocker though, as he averaged 1.6 rejections per game in his time with the Clippers. However, the Clippers wanted him to be the cornerstone of the franchise and unfortunately, he just wasn’t the type of player you can build around despite his great physical tools and excellent college background. The legendary Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who was one of the assistant coaches of the Clippers that time, would agree to this.
According to NBC Sports, Kareem said “When I coached for the Clippers, I had to deal with Michael Olowokandi, a player who perfectly fit the description ‘talented but uncoachable’.”
Although Olowokandi had a relatively good and long NBA career as a supporting cast member for the Los Angeles Clippers, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Boston Celtics, you would expect a first overall pick to produce better numbers and to generate more impact when he’s on the floor. For a player that was drafted as the first overall pick, he could barely produce double-figure outputs. Furthermore, his greatest and only achievement in the league would be to be named as part of the NBA All-Rookie Second Team. In hindsight, that’s just not the type of player you want to use your draft pick on, especially if that pick is the first overall.
9. Ike Diogu
Draft selection: Round 1, 9th Overall Pick by Golden State Warriors in 2005
Career stats: 6.0 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.3 blocks, 0.2 steals
Country: Nigeria
Ike Diogu was touted for his physical potential as he possessed a 7’4 wingspan, despite being undersized at the Power Forward position at 6’8. Like Olowokandi, Diogu hailed from Nigeria and had an explosive college career as he put up 21.4 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 1.2 assists per outing in three seasons with Arizona State. Because of a memorable stint with Arizona State, the Golden State Warriors used their 9th overall pick on the Arizona State standout. However, Diogu could not even replicate half of those numbers in the NBA.
The Nigeria national team standout never averaged in double figures in a single season during his eight year career in the league. He never won any NBA awards either. As a result, Diogu hardly showed why he was a Top 10 Draft Pick.
Although Diogu did show flashes of his potential during his first two years in the league by dropping huge double-double statlines, one of which saw him score 27 points and grabbed 12 rebounds in a 97-85 loss against the Detroit Pistons, however the 6’8 power forward never did it on a consistent basis. He only averaged 7.1 points, 3.4 boards, and 0.4 assists with his stint with the Warriors. Because of this, the Golden State Warriors regretted their decision to draft him 9th overall and eventually shipped him to the Indiana Pacers during his sophomore season.
Diogu eventually became a journeyman in the NBA, as he played for six different teams during the span of eight seasons that included stopovers with the Indiana Pacers, Portland Trailblazers, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Clippers, and the San Antonio Spurs. He had a breakout game while playing for Sacramento where he had a career-high 32 point performance alongside 13 rebounds against the Denver Nuggets in 2009, but the 6’8 forward hardly replicated those numbers ever again. Unfortunately for Diogu, it won’t be long before he found himself out of the league after his stint with the San Antonio Spurs, as he took his talents to China, Puerto Rico, Japan, and the G-League.
With subpar numbers, Diogu turned out to be one of the biggest busts in NBA history. He places 9th in this list.
8. Rafael Araujo
Draft selection: Round 1, 8th Overall Pick by the Toronto Raptors in 2004
Career stats: 2.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.1 blocks
Country: Brazil
The Toronto Raptors did a very good job in drafting Pascal Siakam. However, they made a big mistake in drafting Rafael Araújo in the 2004 NBA Draft. Hailing from Brazil, Araújo was a double double threat in college when he suited up for Brigham Young University as he averaged 15.1 points and grabbed 9.5 rebounds per game in two years. However, what enticed the Raptors GM at that time, Rob Babcock, was the Brazilian center’s size as he stood at 6’11, which was reinforced with his 290 pound frame.
Unfortunately, Araújo didn’t turn out to be the effective big man that the Raptors hoped he would be. Araújo was hardly productive when he stepped on the NBA hardwood. With exception to a 14 points and 14 rebound performance against the Golden State Warriors in January 2005, the 6’11 big man could barely keep up with opposing big men offensively and defensively which forced former Raptors Coach Sam Mitchell to keep him glued to the bench. Araújo only played 11.4 minutes per game in his stay with the Raptors, as he put up 2.9 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per outing for the franchise. Those were terrible numbers for any player, and much worse for a top 10 draft pick.
The franchise could only endure two seasons with Araújo before trading him to the Utah Jazz for Kris Humphries and Robert Whaley. The Toronto franchise probably regretted their decision on using their eight overall pick on the Brazilian big man but what makes it more painful is that they also passed up on decent players such as 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, decent big men in Al Jefferson and Anderson Varejao, and streaky swingmen like Kevin Martin and J.R. Smith.
Araújo’s stint with the Utah Jazz, which was his final NBA stopover, wasn’t productive either. He only scored 2.6 points and grabbed 2.4 boards per game in just 8.9 minutes per game. After the 2006-2007 season with the Jazz in just 28 games, the Brazilian center was sent packing and no longer returned to the league. Eventually, he would have a stint in Russia and then went on to bring his talents to his home country Brazil.
7. Dante Exum
Draft selection: Round 1, 5th Overall Pick by the Utah Jazz in 2014
Career stats: 5.7 points, 2.1 assists, 1.8 rebounds, 0.4 steals, 0.2 blocks
Country: Australia
A lot of NBA scouts were high on Dante Exum after his performance in the 2013 Nike Hoops Summit and during the FIBA Under-19 World Championships. Rich Sheubrooks, who is a NBA Global scout, was one of those scouts that marveled at Exum’s play as he followed the 6’5 guard’s stint with the Australian youth national teams.
According to an ESPN article, Sheubrooks described the Australian guard “You knew he could play at first sight.”
The Utah Jazz eventually selected him with their fifth overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, passing up notable players such as Zach Lavine, Marcus Smart, Clint Capela, and T.J. Warren. Fast forward to today, Exum is no longer with the Utah Jazz as they shipped him to the Cleveland Cavaliers for reliable scoring guard Jordan Clarkson earlier in the 2019-2020 season to bolster the team’s bench for its playoff campaign.
Exum is no doubt a talented guard that possessed a lot of scoring potential. He even scored double figures on multiple occasions. However, the guard was very prone to injuries which hampered his development in the NBA. He suffered serious knee and shoulder injuries that negatively affected his movement and time on the court. In his time with the Jazz, he could only muster 5.7 points, 2.2 assists, and 1.7 boards per outing. Because of this, he is considered as one of the biggest busts in Utah Jazz draft history.
Although he is no longer with the Jazz, Exum has a great opportunity to rejuvenate his career with the struggling Cleveland Cavaliers. He has showed flashes of why he is a top five draft pick, especially in the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves in January 2020 where he scored 28 points on 11 of 13 shooting overall, spiked by four three point shots.
Exum is just one of the two players in this list who are still playing in the NBA. As a result, there’s still a chance for him to make his presence felt in the league as long as he stays away from injuries and continues to produce solid numbers. But for now, the Australian guard places seventh in this list.
6. Mario Hezonja
Draft selection: Round 1, 5th Overall Pick by the Orlando Magic in 2015
Career stats: 6.9 points, 3.1 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.2 blocks
Country: Croatia
Mario Hezonja was a European sensation, as he possessed a sweet shooting stroke that enticed NBA scouts. Dubbed as Super Mario, scouts saw him as the best shooting guard from Europe since the late Hall of Famer Dražen Petrović. Coming also from Croatia, Hezonja also had an enormous level of confidence.
According to Bleacher Report he made a big proclamation after the 2015 NBA Draft, he said “If I was in college, I’d probably be the No. 1 pick.”
Playing in the professional league for Barcelona, one would think Hezonja would easily translate his shooting and skills to the NBA level. The Orlando Magic selected him using their fifth overall pick which made them pass up current Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker. However, Hezonja hardly played like a star.
With a Magic team that had Victor Oladipo, Brandon Jennings, and Eldridge Payton, Hezonja struggled to be effective in the Magic’s rotation. In his rookie season, he put up 6.1 points, 2.2 rebounds, and 1.4 assists while shooting 34.9% from deep. His numbers didn’t really scream fifth overall pick. The following season was even worse for the Hezonja as he only scored 4.9 points per outing and shooting a horrendous 29.9% clip from deep which only showed that his shooting wasn’t as par with the late Petrović. He did put up a decent year in his final season with the Magic, where logged in 9.6 points per game on 44% shooting overall. However, it wasn’t enough to convince the franchise to keep him in the team.
As a result, Hezonja went on to sign with the New York Knicks. His stint with the Knicks wasn’t all that memorable, with exception to his game saving block against Lebron James to help the Knicks escape with a 124-123 win against the Los Angeles Lakers. He did register 8.8 points per game though, but it still doesn’t show the numbers of a top five pick.
Hezonja is currently a role player for the Portland Trailblazers. Like Exum, Hezonja is still in the league which still gives him the chance to live up his claims as the best player in the 2015 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, he is only averaging 4.8 points per game for the Blazers which is so far a career low for him.
5. Jan Vesely
Draft selection: Round 1, 6th Overall Pick by the Washington Wizards in 2011
Career stats: 3.6 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 0.7 steals, 0.5 blocks
Country: Czech Republic
Like Hezonja, Jan Vesely was a star in Europe, as he played professionally at the young age of 17. At 6’11, Vesely had great size. With that size, he complimented it with his athleticism, perimeter skills, and intense motor. As a result, NBA scouts salivated over the potential of Jan Vesely. In fact, NBA scouts started to describe his game as similar to German great Dirk Nowitzki and Russian forward Andre Kirilenko.
The Wizards eventually took Vesely with their 6th overall pick in the draft, as they were looking for an athletic forward that would compliment their young and upcoming star in John Wall. In picking Vesely, the Czech forward got selected over three time NBA Champion Klay Thompson and two time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard. On paper, Vesely seemed to fit the bill. However, it just didn’t pan out that way.
Flip Saunders held the coaching reigns during the most part of Vesely’s season and didn’t trust their 6th overall pick with extended minutes which negatively affected his production on the court. When Randy Wittman took over after the firing of Saunders, Vesely started to get more exposure.
The Czech forward had decent games mostly against the Charlotte Bobcats, including his first double double effort against the Charlotte Bobcats in April 2012, where he registered 11 points and 11 rebounds. Aside from this, he also had a perfect shooting display on a separate occasion where he went eight for eight and finished with 16 points and grabbed six rebounds. He finished his rookie year with averages of 4.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per outing in limited play.
Although his numbers weren’t outstanding, Vesely flashed potential in limited minutes. However, Vesely only saw his minutes dwindle even more during the following seasons. He averaged only 2.5 points and 2.4 rebounds per game in the succeeding season, playing only 11.8 minutes per contest. His third year was also forgettable as he only posted 3.6 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Unfortunately for Vesely, the Wizards hardly made the most out of Vesely’s talents and kept him glued to the bench as the franchise eventually traded him away to the Denver Nuggets. Even with Denver, Vesely never got a NBA breakthrough as he only appeared in 21 games and just logged in 4.4 points and 3.7 boards per outing. After three seasons and two teams in the NBA, Vesely left the NBA and took his talents to Europe.
As a result, Vesely goes down as one of the biggest busts in the NBA. He sits at the fifth spot in this list.
4. Nikoloz Tskitishvili
Draft selection: Round 1, 5th Overall Pick by the Denver Nuggets in 2002
Career stats: 2.9 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 0.3 steals, 0.3 blocks
Country: Georgia
The Denver Nuggets have found a lot of success with their international players in Nikola Jokić and Jamaal Murray. However if you look up Nikoloz Tskitishvili, you have to wonder what were the Nuggets thinking. Tskitishvili was coming off a championship season Italy before being picked by Denver using their fifth overall pick. Apparently, the Nuggets were impressed with his performance as the Georgian forward averaged 6.6 points and 1.8 rebounds per game. The franchise somehow thought that those numbers merited their highest pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. It is worth noting that Tskitishvili was picked ahead of the likes of Amar’e Stoudemire, Caron Butler, Udonis Haslem, and Nenê.
Based on the scouting report of ESPN, Tskitishvili was a 7’0 forward that had a great offensive skillset for his size, where he had the ability to shoot the ball anywhere on the court. Furthermore, he possessed the quickness and ball handling skills that made him enticing to NBA teams. In fact Mike D’Antoni, who coached Tskitishvili in Italy and held the position of Director of Player Personnel for the Nuggets, had only great things to say about the 7’0 forward.
D’Antoni said “His skills are off the charts. He doesn’t have a (fully developed) body. He’s two or three years away. Hopefully, Denver will have some patience because he could be something special.”
It was worth noting that NBA scouts went all the way to Italy just to see what Tskitishvili was capable of. Due to his limited minutes in Italy, they speculated the Georgian forward mostly during team practice and assessed his skills based on that.
With scouting reports based on Tskitishvili’s performance on practice alone, unfortunately for the Nuggets, they suffered a painful reality slap. Tskitishvili was totally inefficient on the court and struggled mightily on both ends of the floor against quick and athletic forwards. In his rookie year, he averaged a measly 3.9 points per game, while shooting a terrible 29% clip from the field.
If you think his rookie year was terrible, unfortunately, Tskitishvili never improved his production. Instead, his numbers continued to dwindle as the years went by. His stay with the Nuggets was cut short by the third season, as the Georgian forward only put up 3.2 points, 1.9 rebounds, and 0.7 assists per game for the franchise.
Tskitishvili bounced around the league after that as he had stopovers with the Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Phoenix Suns. Unluckily for him, it won’t be long before he found himself playing outside of the NBA.
3. Hasheem Thabeet
Draft selection: Round 1, 2nd overall pick by the Memphis Grizzlies in 2009
Career stats: 2.2 points, 2.7 rebounds, 0.1 assists, 0.8 blocks, 0.3 steals
Country: Tanzania
Hasheem Thabeet was a dominant center during his college days. Standing at an imposing 7’3, Thabeet had the size to become a major defensive anchor for any team. In his college stint with University of Connecticut, he put up 10.3 points, 8.5 rebounds and an impressive 4.2 rejections per outing.
Because of his outstanding college performance, Thabeet was selected by the Memphis Grizzlies with their second overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft, which meant that he was selected over the likes of dominant MVPs today in Stephen Curry and James Harden, and All-Star players in DeMar DeRozan and Jrue Holiday. Unfortunately, the Memphis Grizzlies would later on regret that.
Thabeet could hardly keep up with opposing centers in the NBA. His size slowed him down and quicker opponents took advantage of that. Furthermore, his undeveloped skillset in terms of post moves, scoring, and rebounding were deeply exposed and exploited by opposing centers. As a result, the Tanzanian center struggled mightily in the NBA scene and only put up 3.1 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.3 blocks per game. Those numbers definitely don’t scream second overall pick.
It is worth noting that the Grizzlies tried to develop him by assigning him to the NBA Developmental league (now called the NBA G-League) which made him the highest draft pick in history at that time to be assigned there. However, Thabeet never acclimated to the NBA style of play. In his first two seasons in the league with the Grizzlies, he could only muster 2.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks per game which forced Memphis to give up on the 7’3 big man.
The former University of Connecticut standout bounced around the league, as he played for the Houston Rockets, Portland Trailblazers, and Oklahoma City Thunder. He didn’t make much impact though, as he was mostly buried deep in the bench and only saw minutes during garbage time. After just seven seasons in the league, Thabeet had to make do with stints in the developmental league and a basketball career in Asia, particularly in Japan, Taiwan, and the Philippines.
Thabeet is arguably the biggest draft bust in Memphis Grizzlies history. With this, he sits at the third spot in this list.
2. Darko Milicic
Draft selection: Round 1, 2nd Overall Pick by Detroit Pistons in 2003
Career stats: 6.0 points, 4.2 rebounds, 0.9 assists, 1.3 blocks, 0.4 steals
Country: Serbia
Another international player that was hyped beyond reality was Darko Miličić. The Serbian center was eyed by the Detroit Pistons as a big piece of their future. With this, they selected Miličić over the likes of Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, and Carmelo Anthony with their second overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft.
Unfortunately, Miličić was hardly as good as the three players that came after him. In his rookie season, he mostly warmed the bench and only logged in 1.4 points, 1.3 rebounds, and 0.2 assists per outing. He did win a championship during his rookie year, however, he only played 4.7 minutes per game. Being drafted second overall especially over Wade, Bosh, and Anthony, certainly comes with heavy expectations which may have also negatively affected Miličić’s performance on the NBA hardwood.
Based on The Boston Globe, the Serbian big man said in an interview “When I come in the game at the end, it’s hard because people are expecting me to jump over my man for a dunk or something special. It’s hard for me because I feel like I feel when I wake up in the morning.”
Despite declaring Miličić as part of the franchise’s future, the Pistons would eventually ship the big man away. The 7’0 center could only provide 1.6 points 1.2 rebounds, and 0.2 assists per outing in three seasons with Detroit. Miličić bounced around the league for a while as he saw action for the Orlando Magic, Memphis Grizzlies, New York Knicks, Minnesota Timberwolves, and the Boston Celtics.
His time with the Orlando Magic and Minnesota Timberwolves were productive segments in his career. He averaged 7.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game off the bench for the Magic. On the other hand, his stint with the Timberwolves saw him emerge as a starter where he put up 7.7 points, 4.8 boards, and 1.3 assists per game.
Although those numbers were fairly decent, it just wasn’t enough production for a second overall pick. Furthermore after 12 seasons in the league, Miličić would no longer be playing in the NBA. As a result, Miličić goes down as one of the biggest busts in NBA history. However, it is worth noting he has a NBA Championship under his belt, something even NBA superstars could not achieve in their careers. Nevertheless, the 7’0 big man ranks second in this list.
1. Anthony Bennett
Draft selection: Round 1, 1st overall pick by Cleveland Cavaliers in 2013
Career stats: 4.4 points, 3.1 rebounds, 0.5 assists, 0.4 steals, 0.2 blocks
Country: Canada
Anthony Bennett was the first ever Canadian to be drafted as the first overall pick. Coming out of college in his stint with University of Nevada Las Vegas, Bennett had the potential to become a solid stretch four. According to Draft Express, the Canadian big man was great finishing around the rim while also having a decent shooting touch from outside.
Bennett was originally expected to be a Top 10 Pick, however people did not expect the Cleveland Cavaliers to take him with their first overall pick. In fact, even Bennett himself was shocked with the outcome of the 2013 NBA Draft.
According to Yahoo Sports, the Canadian forward told ESPN’s Shane Battier, “I’m speechless right now. I don’t even know what to say.”
Unfortunately, drafting him first overall would spell doom for Bennett’s career. With too much pressure on his shoulders, Bennett logged in subpar performances and struggled heavily against opposing big men. It also didn’t help that he had to start his NBA career by nursing a shoulder injury.
In his rookie season, he only averaged 4.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, and 0.3 assists per outing. To make his numbers worse, he only shot the ball at an inefficient 35.6% from the field. In fact, Bennett started his rookie season by missing his first 18 field goal attempts. He also shot the three point shot poorly, as he hovered at 24.5% from beyond the arc. His production was downright terrible and they certainly don’t show a first rounder’s performance, all the more so for a first overall pick.
Because of this, it didn’t take long for Cleveland to give up on Bennett, as they traded him to Minnesota after his rookie season. Bennett became a journeyman, as he suited up for the Timberwolves, Toronto Raptors, and the Brooklyn Nets. Unfortunately, Bennett never had a NBA breakthrough that would’ve allowed him to stay in the league, as he produced mediocre numbers for the teams that he played for. The Canadian big man only stayed in the league for four seasons and played for different teams at that.
Arguably, Bennett makes a case as the worst draft bust that ever happened in the NBA. Gor this piece, Bennett also sits at the top spot as the most overhyped international player in league history, as well as the biggest international bust.
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