In an increasingly globalized society, the world of sports does not escape this trend. It is firmly integrated to connect, contact and recruit players in every corner of the planet. Each player needs to demonstrate great potential and conditions to belong to the NBAand they can be found in almost any corner of the globe.
The NBA has featured players from Africa, the Far East, the Middle East, Africa, South America, and what concerns us in this list: the European continent, with the skill and mischief of Spaniards, French, and Greeks and the physical power and great size of Serbians, Croatians, and Slovenians, among others. Great players are becoming more and more integrated into the NBA and offer us spectacular plays and exquisite skills that make us enjoy the passion of basketball like never before. With that said, let’s take a look at the 10 best European players in NBA history.
10 Detlef Schrempf
The second German player to reach the NBA, “the Grand Teuton” was born in Leverkusen, Germany on January 21, 1963, and selected in the first round of the 1985 draft as the eighth overall pick by the Dallas Mavericks. During his 16-year career, Detlef Schrempf averaged 13.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 0.8 steals per game, in addition to two sixth-man awards and three All-Star game appearances.
9 Tony Parker
Tony Parker won four championship rings with the great San Antonio Spurs at the beginning of the century, where he teamed up with Tim Duncan and Manu Ginóbili, including a Finals MVP award in the 2006-2007 season and six All-Star game appearances. This French-American, born in Belgium, nicknamed “the Parisian torpedo”, played 1254 games, 1151 of them as a starter, and posted career totals of 15.5 points, 5.6 assists, 2.7 rebounds, and 0.8 steals per game.
8 Vlade Divac
Born in Prijepolje, Serbia, on February 3, 1968, this 7″1′ 243-pound center debuted in the NBA at 21 years old on November 3, 1989. First, he played 15 minutes for the Los Angeles Lakers against the Dallas Mavericks , scoring his first two points, taking his first eight rebounds and providing three blocks.
He played until 2005 when, tired, he retired. Vlade Divac’s career numbers were: 11.8 points, 8.2 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 1.1 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game. Divac was inducted into the NBA Hall Of Fame in 2019.
7 Marc Gasol
Coming from the ACB league of his native Spain, he started at the age of 24 in the NBA, and his quality has earned him a place among the best European players in NBA history. He played 891 games – 866 as a starter – over 13 seasons, in which he averaged 14 points, 7.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 1.4 blocks per game, attesting to his great work as a center for the three teams he played for: Memphis Grizzlies, Toronto Raptors, and Los Angeles Lakers.
6 Pau Gasol
Marc’s brother, Pau Gasol, was born in Barcelona, Spain, in 1980, making his NBA debut with the Memphis Grizzlies on November 1, 2001, recording four points and four rebounds in 17 minutes of action. He would later build a long career, in which, in 18 seasons of service (in which he worked for five different teams) he left outstanding averages per game of 17.0 points, 9.2 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.6 blocks, and a field goal percentage of .507.
5 Rudy Gobert
Three-time all-star, three-time defensive player of the year, rebounding champion, block champion, and three-time league-best shooting percentage from the field, among other qualities, show that the still active Rudy Gobert, just 30 years old, is just writing the books with golden letters of what will be his history, so there is still a lot to expect from “the Stifle Tower”. Born in Saint-Quentim, France, in 1992, this 7″1′ 258-pound center who will play for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averages 12.4 points, 11.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists, and 2.2 blocks per game.
4 Luka Doncic
“The Wonder Boy” Luka Doncić, one of the most exciting players out there, could not be missing from this list. This Slovenian born 23 years ago in Ljubljana has had only four seasons in the NBA, but they have been more than enough to establish himself as one of the best European players of all time.
He averages 26.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 8 assists, and 1.1 steals per game, which is absolutely insane. He’s the 2018-2019 Rookie of the Year and has already become a three-time all-NBA, leaving us with the feeling that the best is yet to come.
3 Giannis Antetokounmpo
Born in Athens, Greece, on December 6, 1994, Giannis Antetokounmpo has to be one of the best European players in NBA history. This 6’11” 242-pound player can stand on the court wherever his coach asks him to. He brings the ball down, assists, grabs rebounds, attacks the hoop, and defends; all with impressive ease. An all-rounder, who in nine seasons has put up fantastic stats, 21.8 points, 9.4 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 1.2 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game, with a 43.3 VORP.
2 Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki was born in Wurzburg, Germany, in 1978. He was taken by the Milwaukee Bucks as the ninth overall pick in the 1998 draft and immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks. He had 1,522 games played in a successful 21-year career, recording 20.7 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.8 blocks per game. Nowitzki was the franchise player for the Dallas Mavericks for two decades, earning an MVP award in the 2006-2007 season and a championship ring in 2010-2011.
1 Nikola Jokić (Serbia)
The recently materialized five-year, $264 million contract extension, makes it clear and puts on the table the great confidence and hopes that the Denver Nuggets have in Nikola Jokić. The player born in Sombor, Serbia, on February 19, 1995, has not stopped improving year after year throughout his seven-year career. As of today, he has career numbers, with a very likely trend of improvement, of: 19.7 points, 10.4 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game. For the last two years, he has earned the MVP award, and it seems that there are still many more awards and accolades to come.