World’s Finests: Ranking The Best Ever NBA Players From Overseas

From the United States, the NBA has grown into an international league — becoming a global sport across 7 continents.

It’s the arena of extraordinary talents and home to some of the world’s finest athletes!

Since its inception, there have been a select few players outside the U.S. who have proven to be beyond exceptional and left their mark on the hardwood by earning their place as all time best in the league.

Many of these international Hall of Famers have won MVPs and Championships, writing their names in the sands of history as the “League’s Most Valuable Players.”

Though it’s important to praise the current stars of the U.S. league, it’s more crucial to respect the best among the international players who have blazed the trail.

From point guards to towering centers, we will rank the best NBA players from overseas who have broken records, mesmerized fans, and changed the game with their abilities.

*All NBA rankings are taken from the official NBA website

Best European Basketball Players in NBA History

Dirk Nowitzki, Germany

NBA Ranking: #6

As one of the top offensive forwards in NBA history, Dirk Nowitzki is known to be the best European player of all time.

He carried the Mavs teams to several deep playoff runs and championships without a star championship. In Germany, he even won several medals with teams that didn’t have top-notch talents.

Some of his top skills include his ability to shoot from all ranges and angles, dribble with his feet set, and off the dribble, which was unmatched among 7-footers.

Achievements/Resume:

• NBA champion, NBA final MVP, NBA Most Valuable Player
• 14× NBA All-Stars
• 4× NBA first-team
• NBA three-point contest champion
• NBA Teammate of the Year
• Averaged 15.2 assists, 9.2 steals, 5. 3 blocks, 2.6 rebounds, and 6th in scoring.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Greece

NBA Ranking: #70

Second on this list is Giannis Antetokounmpo, who, despite his shooting shortcomings, got to the top with his scoring down low, tenacity, and length.

He is quite unstoppable once in the field — the Greek Freak — a popular moniker by fans for his strength and speed during the game.

Though he hasn’t had much success in FIBA so far, this might change in the future.

Achievements/Resume:

• 2× NBA Most Valuable Players
• NBA Most Improved Player
• 2× NBA all-defensive first team
• NBA Defensive Player of the Year
• 2× All-NBA First Team
• NBA All-Star Game MVP
• 5× NBA All-Star.
• 31.6 PPG, 12.8 RPG, 5.2 APG, 20.4 PIE.

Tony Parker, France

NBA Ranking: #57

Think Tony when hoping for some of the best European NBA players. He’s a fast point guard with top-notch change-of-direction skills.

His top skill is his unstoppable teardrop floater. Though he doesn’t have much range like a shooter and isn’t a top defender, he ranks among the best guards ever.

It’s a complete show of his top skills as a lead guard, especially in Europe, where the competition is fierce.

Achievements/Resume:

• All-NBA – 4
• All-Rookie Team – 1
• 1× NBA Finals Most Valuable Player
• 1× NBA Player of the Month
• 7× NBA Player of the Week
• 1× NBA Sporting News Rookie of the Year
• 1× Olympic Appearance
• 6× NBA All-Star
• 4× NBA Champion
• European Championship with France, finishing MVP and top scorer
• PPG 15.5, RPG 2.7, APG 5.6

Best African NBA Basketball Players of All Time

Hakeem Olajuwon, Nigeria

NBA Ranking: #13

Hakeem Olajuwon is the first African to play in the NBA and might just be the best to ever enter this stage.

He spent most of his seasons with the Houston Rockets, and he brought home two championships.

Olajuwon has been inducted into many Hall of Fame, and his jersey was retired by the Rockets after he left the game in 2002, solidifying his status as one of the best African basketballers.

Achievements/Resume:

• The only player to have retired among the top eleven all-time leaders for blocks, steals, rebounding, and scoring.
• He led his team in all five categories: blocks, steals, assists, rebounds, and points to the NBA title.
• Recorded more than 2000 steals and 3000 blocked shots in his career.
• Recorded 200 steals and 200 blocks in the same season.
• The first player to be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year and NBA MVP.
• 21.8 PPG, 11.1 RPG, 51.2 field goal percentage, and 3.1 BPG.

Dikembe Mutombo, Congo

NBA Ranking: #304

Known as the finger-wagging nightmare dreaded by offensive players, he was popular for his shot-blocking abilities.

He played for six teams in 18 years, and his career ended with him being the first overseas player to have a retired jersey from two teams, the Atlanta Hawks and Denver Nuggets.

Mutombo is regarded as the best among dominant centers, and his records show why he is top in this list of greatest basketball players of all time from overseas.

Achievements/Resume:

• 3,289 blocked shots, making him the second most blocked shots.
• Four of the most defensive players of the year
• The first player who topped the NBA in blocked shots for three consecutive seasons and one of the only 2 players who did this.
• Had the most blocks in one NBA playoff series.
• Most offensive rebounds in one NBA playoff series.
• 9.2 RPG, 2.8 BPG, 6.3 Block, and 68.5 DWS.

Joel Embiid — Cameroon

NBA Ranking: #278

The 2023-2024 season was Joel Embiid’s 10th NBA season. Like other Africans, his time in the game didn’t quite get the early start.

His rise to the current NBA MVP is impressive despite his injury-plagued start. Though his story is ongoing, he has some impressive records.

Achievements/Resume:

• First overseas play to lead the NBA score list.
• First NBA player with at least five blocks, five assists, ten rebounds, and 50 points in one game.
• One out of the seven players who recorded 2000 200 blocks, 1000 rebounds, and 2000 points in their first 100 games.
• The third center in the NBA with three 50-plus points in a game season

Best Asian NBA Players of All Time

Yao Ming, China

NBA Ranking: #455

Top of our Asian list of best NBA players ever from overseas is Yao Ming, the best Asian to ever grace the court.

In his league career, his team (the Rockets) averaged 1.9 points, 1.6 assists, 9.2 rebounds, and 19.0 points per game.

Ming was known for his offensive dominance and top basketball IQ, as he was formidable on both ends of the court. However, aside from his feats, what is most impressive is that he bridged the league to China — made the popularity of the NBA rise to a new level.

Even now, Houston and the league are popular in China due to Yao’s influence.

Achievements/Resume:

• 1× All-Rookie Team
• 1× Hall of Fame Inductee
• 2× NBA Player of the Month
• 6× NBA Player of the Week
• 2× NBA Rookie of the Month
• 1× NBA Sporting News Rookie of the Year
• 3× Olympic Appearance
• 8× NBA All-Star

Jeremy Lin

NBA Ranking: #847

Everyone thinks about Kobe Bryant or Carmelo Anthony when popular guards are mentioned, but some of the top NBA players of all-time lurk in the shadows.

However, Jeremy Lin did rank among the top and was dubbed “Linsanity.” At one point, he even fascinated the world with a 10-game run during which he averaged 9.2 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 24.6 points.

He was impressive for clutch plays and dominating opposing squads, something unseen for an Asian at the time.

Achievements/Resume:

• Nine seasons for eight teams, including Raptors and Rockets
• Averaged 2.8 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 11.6 points in 480 regular seasons.
• 1× NBA championship.

Wat Misaka, Japan

NBA Ranking: #4594

For Misaka, there are not many numbers on the court. However, he was the first Asian to play in the NBA.

Though he only played a single season, his entry opened the way for other Asians to play in the NBA. His one-year season reduced stereotypes and the social gap between Asian Americans and American society.

Achievements/Resume:

• First Asian American to play in the NBA
• NCAA championship
• ICAC titles
• Inducted into the Utah and Japanese American National Bowling Hall of Fame.

Best Serbian NBA Players of All Time

Nikola Jokić

NBA Ranking: #117

Perhaps the greatest overseas talent to play in the NBA, he is the top draft steal in the history of the NBA.

Nicknamed the Joker, he is one of the most globally impactful athletes in Serbia’s history. His skill is a combination of IQ, touch, finesse, and size.

From 2020 to 2021, he averaged 8.7 assists, 12.2 rebounds, and 26.1 points.

Achievements/Resume:

• 2× MVP
• 5× All-NBA

Peja Stojaković

NBA Ranking: #205

As an elite shooting forward, he could take a shot from deep and had a 40.1% shooting percentage from three in his whole 13-year career.

In his best seasons, 2003 to 2004, he had 48-43-93 shooting splits and averaged 6.3 RPG and 24.2 PPG. Though he was impressive, injuries affected his latter career.

Achievements/Resume:

• 1× Champion
• 1× All-NBA
• Second-Team All-NBA

Vlade Divac

NBA Ranking: #213

Third on our list is Divac, a talented center from Serbia.

Though his career was very interesting and seemed to be close to a championship, he never did win one. He played with Magic Johnson but lost to Micahle Jordan. However, he missed Laker’s mini-dynasty since he was traded for Kobe.

Between 1991 and 2002, he had 3.1 APG, 8.8 RPG, and 12.6 PPG.

Achievements/Resume:

• Hall of Fame
• 1× All-Star
• 1× All-Rookie Team

The Rise of Canadian NBA Players

Andrew Wiggins

NBA Ranking: #220

Andrew Wiggins went from being a ready stand-in for Steph Curry and Klay Thompson to being a threat, defending more shots than other forwards.

In the 2023 season, he had a career-high three-point percentage of 39% and was an NBA champion. His growth from his stable days in Minnesota to his time in Golden State shows the overall difference both in career and in-game performance.

Though aggressive, he’s often found in the center of the Warriors’ offense.

Achievements/Resume:

• NBA All-Star in 2022
• Mentioned as one of the best 2023 Canadian NBA players
• 17.2 points, 47.3%  field goals shooting, 2.3 assists, and 5.0 rebounds in the 2023 to 2024 season.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

NBA Ranking: #468

In this year’s race for the most individual award, see the young superstar, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, as the runner-up.

As the youngest in this category, his career only just began, and with his current level, it’s bold to suggest that he will win more accolades that make him eventually surpass his predecessors.

One of these distinguishing factors enhancing his career is winning an NBA championship as the best player in the team, though he will need more achievements to rank top.

There are many reasons to believe that this can happen.

Achievements/Resume:

• All-NBA team
• Multiple All-Star teams
• All-Rookie Second Team in 2019
• All-NBA First Team in 2023.
• Averaged 51 field goals percentage, 31.4 points, 5.5 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in the 2022 to 2023 season

Jamal Murray

NBA Ranking: #523

In recent years, Jamal Murray has risen at a fast speed to rank among the top Canadians playing in the NBA.

Jamal already has an NBA championship and has also been titled a playoff riser. He won a championship alongside Jokic as a second option in 2023.

It’s already looking like there are more opportunities to rack up extra championships and trophies, as his team is poised to be a force to be reckoned with.

More wins for him equals a higher chance to pale himself at the top of these types of lists in the future.

Achievements/Resume:

• 2017 All-Rookie second team
• Averaged 6.2 assists, 20.0 points, 45.4 field goal percentage, and 4.0 rebounds.
• He is also known as one of the most famous Canadian NBA players.

The Best Russian Basketball Players in the NBA History

Andrei Kirilenko

NBA Ranking: #438

Andrei Kirilenko is the best NBA star from Russia.

He played an entire 797 league games, a number other Russians don’t come close to. His journey started in 1999 with the Utah Jazz taking the 24th pick.

By 18, he was the youngest overseas player at his time to be drafted into the NBA. Although it took him two more seasons to put on a Jazz uniform, it was worth it.

Achievements/Resume:

• NBA All-Rookie First Team
• NBA All-Defensive Team  pick 3 times

Timofey Mozgov

NBA Ranking: #1,363

Timofey Mozgov joined the NBA in 2010 and signed a three-year contract with the New York Knicks.

Though he spent most of his time on the bench as a center, he did shine whenever he entered the court. His rookie stint ended with a good 23-point and 14-rebound game against the Detroit Pistons before he went on to play for the Denver Nuggets.

After serial on-and-offs for the Nuggets, Timofey later found his groove and became a leading player in the starting five during the 2014 to 2015 season.

Achievements/Resume:

• NBA Championship
• Bronze Medal 2012 Olympics

Alexey Shved

NBA Ranking: #1,973

Alexey started his career in Russia’s home league and moved to the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2012.

He played for many seasons in Minnesota as a reserve guard and was later traded to the Philadelphia 76ers with his teammate Luc Mcah.

In his fourth team in three seasons, he decided to play his last games in the NBA. However, before he left, he averaged 4.6 assists, 4.6 rebounds, 0.9 steals, and 14.8 points per game, all from 16 games in New York.

He later returned to Russia and won the EuroCup MVP in 2017.

Achievements/Resume:

• Won EuroLeague
• Won 2 VTB titles
• Won 4 Russian Championships
• Won 2 Alphonso Ford Trophies
• VTB League MVP

Last Words — NBA’s Bests Overseas

Over the years, the NBA has grown into an internationally diverse league.

With the precedent of superstars such as Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, and Michael Jordan, the NBA and its products have spread all over the world.

Extra courtesy goes out to the league’s international exposure, producing more NBA players from overseas.

Since Hank Biasatti of Italy, the NBA has and will continue to defy the odds, finding and creating talents where it might seem the toughest.

Are you next?

FAQs

Who is the best basketball player of all time?

LeBron James has eclipsed Michael Jordan as the best player in the NBA of all time. From James’ first dribble until now, he has lived up to and exceeded the immense hype placed on him right out of high school.

Who are the best NBA players not from America?

The best NBA players not from America include Hakeem Olajuwon, Nikola Jokić, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Dončić, etc.

How many overseas players are in the NBA?

According to NBA.com, NBA rosters have 125 international players from 40 countries.

Who was the first European player in the NBA?

Hank Biasatti, born in Italy and raised in Canada, was the first overseas player in the NBA.