Quite similar to the rest of Europe, basketball is often set aside in the Netherlands by the citizens in favor of other sports, like football, volleyball, and field hockey. Yet, basketball’s grandest platform has seen its fair share of Dutch geniuses.
Far from newcomers, Dutch NBA players have been an integral part of the league’s fabric for so many years. Their stories also reflect the wider legacy of NBA players from overseas who have helped grow the game on basketball’s biggest stage. Little by little, the nation is beginning to show a lot more interest in basketball all because of the hardship of these select few who traveled halfway across the world to conquer the NBA.
This article celebrates these basketballing heroes who have proudly carried the Dutch flag to the highest level of basketball.
Rik Smits
NBA Ranking: #240
Anyone Pacers’ fan who lived through the ‘90s would know the name Rik Smits — the one and only Dunking Dutchman. This is a man who singlehandedly led an entire era for Indiana.
Smits left the Netherlands for the U.S. in 1984, where he hooped for Marist College for four years. He was a genius on the paint. In 1988, the world learned about this genius when he was drafted by Indiana in the NBA draft.
He spent his entire professional basketballing career wearing Indiana’s colors. He had a rookie season that got every Pacer fan singing his praise night after night. He averaged 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds per game. A rookie who was dropping veteran numbers.
Smits had two career pinnacles. The first one came in 1998, when he was named an NBA All-Star. The second came in 2000, when he played a jaw-dropping, headline-making role in leading Indiana to the NBA Finals. Smits remains the only Dutch-born NBA All-Star.
Achievements/Resumé
- NBA All-Star (1998).
- NBA All-Rookie First Team(1989).
- #2 Overall Pick in the 1988 NBA Draft.
- 2× ECAC Metro Player of the Year (1987, 1988).
Francisco Elson
NBA Ranking: #1826
With just how iconic Rik Smits career was, a good number of NBA fans believe he’s the first Dutch player to become an NBA champion. Unfortunately, though, that honor goes to Francisco Elson. A monumental first that sealed his legacy in the league.
Elson, before NBA Fame, played at Kilgore Junior College in Texas before completing his college at the University of California, Berkeley. When the time to make the leap came, Elson was drafted in the second round of the 1999 NBA draft by the Nuggets, but did not feature for the team until the 2003–04 season. In his time away, he played in Spain.
When he eventually came back to the NBA, he played as a reserve for Denver before moving to San Antonio. His championship moment came in 2007 as a member of the Spurs lineup.
He achieved what no Dutch player had before by earning an NBA championship ring. In addition to that, his numbers in the NBA places him above a good number of Dutch basketball players in the NBA.
Achievements/Resumé
- NBA Champion (2007 with San Antonio Spurs).
- Liga ACB champion (2001).
Swen Nater
NBA Ranking: #799
How many times do you have a player make it to the bright lights of the NBA in spite of their own parents? That’s the story of Swen Nater. Remember him? His stepfather didn’t want him hooping, but none of that mattered.
Nater played at Cypress College, much to his stepfather dismay. However, it all worked for his own good when earned a scholarship to UCLA during the time.
Nater was later drafted in the first round of the 1973 NBA draft by Milwaukee. He was dominant on the NBA hardwood, winning the ABA rebounding title in 1975 and the NBA rebounding crown five years later with the San Diego Clippers.
In 489 games played, Nater scored 5,943 points, 954 assists, and 5,297 rebounds.
Achievements/Resumé
- NBA Rebounding Leader (1980).
- ABA Rebounding Leader (1975).
- Only player to lead both the NBA and ABA in rebounding.
- 2× ABA All-Star (1974, 1975).
- 2× All-ABA Second Team (1974, 1975).
- 2× NCAA champion (1972, 1973).
Dan Gadzuric
NBA Ranking: #1570
Dan Gadzuric wasn’t a headline-maker like any of the names that came before. However, that shouldn’t diminish what the Dutch-Serbian was able to achieve in the NBA.
Drafted by Milwaukee in the 2002 NBA draft after a stellar run in UCLA, he donned their colors for the majority of his time in the NBA. When his best years seemed like they were behind him, he was traded to the Warriors. After a single season, Gadzuric moved to the Nets.
Many people don’t know the name Gadzuric because the player was never a stats-leader. However, he was always able to change a game’s momentum with just the right block or steal. His longevity in the league demonstrated that Dutch players in the NBA mustn’t always rely on numbers.
He enjoyed the longest and most productive NBA career among Dutch big men after Smits.
Achievements/Resumé
- First-team Parade All-American (1998).
- McDonald’s All-American (1998).
Quinten Post
NBA Ranking: #2528
For the first time ever, three Dutch players debuted in the NBA in the same season. Of all three, there’s just no denying that Golden State Warriors’ Quinten Post has since shown the most promise.
The 7-foot center started off in Amsterdam, playing in the junior teams of Apollo Amsterdam at the age of 11. When his college years came around, Post got offers to play for FC Barcelona Bàsquet B in Spain and KK Mega Basket in Serbia. He, however, had his sights set on making it into the NBA. So, he declined those offers, moved to the U.S., and committed to Mississippi State.
Post’s dreams would come to pass on 27 June, 2024, when the Warriors selected him with the 52nd overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft. It had actually been a while since a Dutch player was last selected in the NBA Draft. Post broke that curse. The Dutchman quickly announced his arrival by becoming the first Dutch player since 2012 to score in double figures in an NBA game.
Post has all it takes to dominate this league just like Rik Smits once did. He possesses a unique and modern skill as a shooting center, a rarity among even the best Dutch NBA players of all time.
Achievements/Resumé
- Part of the historic trio of Dutch NBA debutants in the 2024-25 season.
- First Dutch player to score in double digits in an NBA game since 2012.
- ACC Most Improved Player (2024).
Conclusion
From founders and early pioneers to a franchise All-Star, a championship winner, and now a promising new wave, the Dutch impact is layered and enduring. Their achievements also reinforce the lasting influence of European NBA players who have continued to shape the league across generations. It proves that an international nation’s basketball influence shouldn’t only be measured only by superstar volume, but also by a steady, growing presence. The future for Dutch NBA players is bright, precisely because its past has been just as bright.
FAQs
How many Dutch players have played in the NBA?
A total of eight Dutch players have appeared in an NBA regular-season game according to the most commonly referenced lists, with three of them being active during the 2024-2025 season.
Has any Dutch player won an NBA championship?
While Rik Smits came close a number of times, including that NBA Finals loss in 2000, Francisco Elson remains the only Dutch player to win an NBA championship, doing so with San Antonio Spurs in 2007.
