In its earliest years of existence, the NBA consisted of players who hailed mostly from the United States. Now, however, thanks in large part to the Dream Team and a global media market, the league has gained worldwide fame and recognition. Basically, European NBA players is not new.
In this piece, we'll take a look at who we believe to be the best European NBA players in the league's storied history. The obvious caveat here being, the list is fluid year to year, with some projection sprinkled on top.
11. Detlef Schrempf
Selected by the Dallas Mavericks with the 8th overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft, Detlef Schrempf was a star for Germany before the Dirk Nowitzki era (more on him later).
Schrempf was a solid big man, but he was also an accurate shooter. While playing for the Indiana Pacers in the 1986-87 campaign, he finished second in the NBA with a 47.8 percent mark from the perimeter. He also ranked second in the league in three-point shooting during the 1994–95 season with a 51.4 percentage rate.
Later in his career, Schrempf would go on to play for a Seattle Supersonics team that consisted of greats like Gary Payton, Shawn Kemp and Hersey Hawkins. While playing for the Sonics, the Leverkusen native earned a pair of All-Star nods (three for his career).
10. Arvydas Sabonis
Though the younger generation may not recognize his name, Sabonis was one of the most versatile big men the game has ever known. Standing at 7-3, he was a brute in the paint, but he was also a savvy passer. He earned a gold medal at the 1988 Summer Olympics in South Korea for the Soviet Union and went on to claim bronze medals at the 1992 and 1996 Olympic Games while representing his native Lithuania.
Sabonis' list of international accolades is quite long. He's a FIBA Club World Cup champion, FIBA European League champion, three-time USSR League champion and a two-time ACB League champion. He's also a six-time EuroScar Player of the Year award winner and four-time Lithuanian Sportsman of the Year.
The Hawks selected Sabonis with the 77th overall pick in the 1985 NBA Draft. However, the pick was voided due to the fact that he was under 21 years of age at the time. He suffered an Achilles' injury the following spring, but the Portland Trail Blazers felt confident enough to take him with the 24th overall pick in the 1986 NBA Draft. Initially, he declined to come over to play in the United States. Some speculated that his decision was political, though no one has really defined his motive. He finally wound up playing two stints for the Blazers (1995-2001 and 2002-03).
9. Peja Stojakovic
Any list of great European players would not be complete without noting Predrag Stojakovic, who most fans know as “Peja.” Simply put, the Serbian forward was an assassin from the three-point line. In fact, he won the NBA Three-Point Contest twice (2002 and 2003).
Most hoops fans will remember Peja from his days with the Sacramento Kings, who selected him with the 14th overall pick in the 1996 NBA Draft. His first two seasons were spent as a reserve. In his first season as a starter (2001), however, he hit the gas, averaging 20.4 points and 5.8 rebounds while shooting 40.0 percent from downtown.
Stojakovic would go on to play for several other teams, including the Pacers, New Orleans Hornets, Toronto Raptors and Dallas Mavericks. Along the way, he earned three All-Star nods and became a champion in 2011 (Mavs).
8. Toni Kukoc
Kukoc was a pioneer of the stretch four position. Standing at 6-11, he was long and athletic, which meant he could bang with bigs in the paint. However, the Croatian forward had great court vision and was an excellent marksman from beyond the arc. Nowadays, his style of play is a hot commodity for teams around the NBA landscape.
Most NBA fans will remember Kukoc from his stint with the Chicago Bulls, where he won three championships playing behind Horace Grant and Scottie Pippen. For his outstanding efforts off the bench in the 1996 campaign, Kukoc earned the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award.
7. Kristaps Porzingis
Porzingis became a European star at a young age. From the age of six, he was playing basketball, just as his parents did. The Latvian-born big man quickly rose through the Euro youth ranks, becoming the youngest player to win the EuroCup Basketball Rising Star award in 2015.
Kristaps declared for the NBA Draft in 2015 and was selected 4th overall by the New York Knicks, becoming the highest drafted Latvian and Baltic player in NBA history. Hype around his name continued to grow, but an ACL injury left him sidelined for quite a while.
Porzingis was traded to the Mavericks in January 2019, though he remained out of commission for a while due to recovery. He made his debut with Dallas in October 2019, scoring 23 points and four rebounds in a 108–100 win over the Washington Wizards.
Now that he's recovered and seemingly happy with his surroundings, Porzingis will look to continue building on his legacy. When healthy, he's proven to be an outstanding player.
6. Luka Doncic
Luka may be young, but he's already proving to be an outstanding player. The Slovenian-born guard/forward has already established himself as a legend in Euro play, and now he's making his mark in the NBA.
The Hawks selected Doncic with the 3rd overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, though he was later traded to the Mavs for the draft rights to Trae Young. In his debut with Dallas, Luka scored 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists. From there, he would go on to earn Rookie of the Year honors. He was just the fifth player in league history to average at least 20 points, five rebounds and five assists in his rookie year.
Doncic broke out in a big way in the 2019-20 campaign, averaging 28.7 points 9.3 rebounds and 8,7 assists. He would go on to earn his first All-Star nod and become the youngest European player to ever start in the event.
Let's see where Luka's career goes from here.
5. Marc Gasol
Marc was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers with the 48th overall pick in the 2007 NBA Draft. In an interesting twist, his draft rights were later traded to the Memphis Grizzlies as part of a deal that included his older brother, Pau, who wound up with the Lakers.
Somewhat quietly, Marc Gasol became one of the NBA's most dominant big men. At 6-11 and 255 pounds, his size creates problems for opposing sides, and he's always ready to clean the glass, as they say.
In 2013, Gasol earned the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year award after averaging 14.1 points, 7.8 rebounds, 1.7 blocks and 1.0 steal. He led a Grizzlies defense that allowed a league-low 88.7 points per game during the regular season, and his +5.4 score differential ranked second among NBA centers.
Marc would later go on to help the Toronto Raptors claim their first championship in franchise history (2019). As a result, he and his brother, Pau, became the first siblings to each win NBA titles.
4. Pau Gasol
Pau finishes just ahead of his brother in our ranking of the greatest European players. A six-time All-Star, Pau will be remembered most for his stint with the Lakers, where he played alongside the late Kobe Bryant.
Gasol was selected by the Atlanta Hawks with the third overall pick in the 2001 NBA draft. However, his rights were later traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, where he still holds the franchise records for blocks per game (1.8) and player efficiency rating (21.6).
Right out of the gate, it was clear that Pau was a talented big man. In his rookie season, he became the first player born outside of the United States to win the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award. He averaged 17.6 points and 8.9 rebounds per game that season and was selected as a member of the NBA All-Rookie First Team.
Pau would go on to win two championships with the Lakers under head coach Phil Jackson (2009 and 2010).
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo
“The Greek Freak,” as Giannis has come to be known, is widely viewed as one of the best players in today's game. Some critics point to his perimeter shooting as a weakness, but he often makes up for that with explosive drives to the hoop and savvy defensive efforts.
Like many others on this list, Antetokounmpo began playing basketball at a young age. He would later become a star for the Bucks, who selected him with the 15th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft. In fact, he led the team in all five major statistical categories (total points, rebounds, assists, steals, and blocks) during the 2016-17 campaign.
2. Tony Parker
Frankly, Parker became one of the best point guards the NBA has ever known. San Antonio selected him with the 28th overall pick in the 2001 draft. Under the legendary direction of Gregg Popovich, the Frenchman went on to win four championships with the Spurs and one Finals MVP Award (2007).
Parker, whose No. 9 jersey has been retired by the Spurs, decided to hang up his playing shoes in June of 2019. He's ranked near the top in several all-time categories for the team, including minutes played (2nd, 37,276), field goals (3rd, 7,564) and total points scored (4th, 18,943). Notably, Tony is still the team's leader in total assists (6,829).
1. Dirk Nowitzki
Nowitzki came onto the NBA scene at a time when European players were often overlooked, though it wasn't long before he made his presence felt.
“Der große Deutsche,” as Dirk came to be known, is widely recognized as one of the greatest power forwards of all-time. Aspiring young players around the globe look to his story for inspiration. And to this day, his one-legged fader is imitated in backyards and open gyms.
Remarkably, Nowitzki led the Mavs to 15 postseason appearances, claiming the team's first and only championship in 2011. He earned several prestigious accolades along the way, including an NBA MVP Award in 2007 and 14 All-Star selections. And as a testament to his accuracy at range, he won the NBA's Three-Point Contest in 2006.
Ranking the greatest European players in NBA history is a tall order, as there are so many greats to choose from. Other notable names not mentioned on this list include Drazen Petrovic and Vlade Divac.
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