Some may think that the game has just recently been inundated with international players. But international skills and great players born outside the country have been prevalent for many years. These international stars brought a different style and brought new skills to the courts.
Here are the top 10 international players of all time.
10. Manu Ginobli / Argentina / SG / 16 seasons
Career numbers;
13 ppg / 4 rpg / 4 apg / 5 seasons averaging 16+ ppg, 2x All NBA, 4x NBA champion.
Manu was a super competitor with good deep ball shooting and was great at breaking down defenses in many different ways.
9. Steve Nash / South Africa / PG / 18 seasons
Career numbers;
14 ppg / 3 rpg / 9 apg / 7x All NBA, 2x MVP, 5x assist champ, 7 seasons averaging 10.5+ apg.
Nash was an artist on the court, making on-court leadership and passing look majestic.
8. Pau Gasol / Spain / PF / 18 seasons
Career numbers;
17 ppg / 9 rpg / 3 apg / 4x All NBA, ROY, 2x NBA Champion, 8 seasons averaging 18 ppg and 8 rpg.
Gasol was just an effective guy with great smarts and a soft shot.
7. Dirk Nowitzki / Germany / PF / 20 seasons
Career numbers;
21 ppg / 8 rpg / 2 apg / 12x All NBA, MVP, NBA Champion, NBA Finals MVP, 11 seasons averaging 21ppg and 7rpg.
His athletic ability and shooting was ridiculous for his 7′ size – as he brought a new style on the court. He is the highest-scoring foreign-born player in NBA history.
6. Luka Doncic / Slovenia / PG / 6 seasons
Career numbers;
29 ppg / 9 rpg / 8 apg / 5x All NBA, ROY, 1x scoring champion, 3 seasons averaging 28ppg, 9rpg and 8apg.
Luka has elite play making skills and great scoring touch with his smooth shooting stroke.
5. Yao Ming / China / C / 8 seasons
Career numbers;
19 ppg / 9 rpg / 2 apg / 5x All NBA, 4 seasons scoring 18+ ppg and 9 rpg, 6 seasons with 1.8+ blocks /game.
Had a great touch down low with a nice repertoire and a soft shot with excellent offensive awareness.
4. Joel Embiid / Cameroon / C / 9 seasons
Career numbers;
28 ppg / 11 rpg / 4 apg / 5x All NBA, 3x All Defensive team, MVP, 2x Scoring Champ, 3x seasons averaging 30+ ppg.
As a 7′ guy he has exceptional shooting abilities, with 4 seasons hitting 36% or better from 3p range.
3. Giannis Antetokounmpo / Greece / PF / 12 seasons
Career numbers;
24 ppg / 10 rpg / 5 apg / 8x All NBA, 5x All Defensive team, 2x MVP, NBA Finals MVP, NBA Champion, 6 seasons averaging 28+ ppg.
With freakish size and athleticism Giannis is nearly unstoppable when going to the bucket.
2. Nikola Jokic / Serbia / C / 10 seasons
Career numbers;
21 ppg / 11 rpg / 7 apg / 6x All NBA, 3x MVP, NBA champion, Finals MVP, 3 seasons averaging 24/11/9, 5x seasons with 24ppg and 10rpg.
Jokic is an incredibly crafty player who always makes fans shake their heads in every game he plays whether it’s a slick pass or a tough bucket.
1. Hakeem Olajuwon / Nigeria / C / 18 seasons
Career numbers;
22 ppg / 11 rpg / 3 apg / 12x All NBA, 2x All DPOY, 2x NBA Finals MVP, MVP, 9x All Defense Team, NBA Champion, 13 seasons averaging 2.5+ blocks /game, 9 seasons averaging 21ppg and 11rpg.
Hakeem was the first player to be named NBA MVP, NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA Finals MVP in the same season. He was an impact player for Houston the very second he stepped on the court.