The Best International NBA Players Taking Over the World

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More than 20% of the NBA is made up of foreign-born players. The record number of international players in the NBA was 113 set in the 2016-17 season. A record total of 42 countries and territories were represented in the NBA in 2017-18.

Let’s take a look at the best international NBA players across each continent:

African NBA Players
Africa has had a huge contribution to international NBA players in the league. Let’s take a look at the 10 best African born NBA players of all time:

  • Dikembe Mutombo
  • Serge Ibaka
  • Luc Mbah a Moute
  • Steve Nash
  • Manute Bol
  • Luol Deng
  • Hakeem Olajuwon
  • Joel Embiid
  • Pascal Siakam
  • Bismack Biyombo
Joel Embiid and Pascal Siakam were both born in Cameroon and are the best African basketball players in the NBA today. Embiid is one of the most physically dominant players in the NBA and Pascal Siakam earned the Most Improved Player of the Year Award in 2018-19.

Nigeria is the most populated country in Africa and one of the most influential foreign countries in the NBA. Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon was born in Nigeria and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s parents are from Nigeria. Other stars such as Bam Adebayo, Deandre Ayton, and Victor Oladipo also have Nigerian heritage.

The 2020 NBA Draft set the record for the most players from Africa selected in a single NBA Draft with Nigeria having the biggest influence. There were 8 players of Nigerian background that were drafted into the NBA in 2020:

  • Precious Achiuwa
  • Udoka Azubuike
  • Isaac Okoro
  • Onyeka Okongwu
  • Zene Nnaji
  • Daniel Oturu
  • Jordan Nwora
  • Etieno Ekiko

Asian NBA Players

Here are the best Asians playing in the NBA right now:

  • Rui Hachimura
  • Yuta Watanabe
  • Jordan Clarkson
  • Jalen Green
Jordan Clarkson and Jalen Green are Filipinos playing in the NBA. Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe are from Japan, rounding off Asian NBA players in the league.

The Best Asian NBA player in history is China’s Yao Ming. Yao Ming measured 7’6″ and is the fifth-tallest player in NBA history as well as the fourth-tallest Chinese on record.

Yao Ming is in the basketball Hall of Fame after being inducted in 2016. Yao’s number 11 jersey has also been retired by the Houston Rockets. Ming had a huge impact on the league commercially with more NBA fans in China than there are people in the U.S.

Australian NBA Players
Australia is having a growing impact in the NBA with at least seven players active on an NBA roster:

  • Josh Green
  • Joe Ingles
  • Patty Mills
  • Ben Simmons
  • Matisse Thybulle
  • Josh Giddey
  • Kyrie Irving

Ben Simmons has had his troubles recently but is still an All-Star and All-Defensive First Team calibre player. Matisse Thybulle is turning into an elite role player, an All-Defensive player potential who helped lead Australia to an Olympic bronze medal.

Representing wider Oceania, Steven Adams is a New Zealand NBA player and is an absolute paint beast. Adams has been an efficient scorer for his teams over the years with the potential to make a huge impact on either end of the court.

European NBA Players
The NBA is bigger in Europe the further east (Lithuania, Slovenia, Balkans) and the further south (Italy, Greece, Spain, France, Turkey) you go. Here are the top 10 European players in the NBA right now, almost all of which are from either Eastern or Southern Europe:

  • Giannis Antetokounmpo
  • Luka Doncic
  • Nikola Jokic
  • Rudy Gobert
  • Domantas Sabonis
  • Jonas Valanciunas
  • Bogdan Bogdanovic
  • Bojan Bogdanovic
  • Clint Capela
  • Nikola Vucevic

There’s no doubt that one of the best international NBA players right now is Giannis Antetokounmpo. Representing Greece he’s a multi-winning MVP., with the ‘Greek Freak’ became the first player from Europe to be selected as MVP more than once.

Only three players in history have scored a triple-double at the Olympics. Luka Doncic is now one of them, having scored a triple-double representing Slovenia at Tokyo 2020 and the first since LeBron James at London 2012.

Luka Doncic is so good, he single handedly guided Slovenia to the semi-finals at Tokyo 2020 where they lost in an agonizing one-point defeat to France.

Speaking of France, multi-time DPOY winner Rudy Gobert represents France in the NBA and helped lead his side to a silver medal at Tokyo 2020.

Eastern Europe is represented strongly in the NBA and is led by Serbian NBA player Nikola Jokic who won the 2020-21 NBA MVP Award.

North American NBA Players
Canada is the most represented country outside the NBA for seven years in a row. Here are the best Canadian players in the NBA today:

  • Jamal Murray
  • Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
  • Dillon Brooks
  • Andrew Wiggins
  • RJ Barrett
  • Luguentz Dort

Mexico have only had five players in NBA history with Juan Toscano-Anderson currently active in the NBA:

  • Eduardo Najera
  • Horacio Llamas
  • Jorge Gutierrez
  • Gustavo Ayon
  • Juan Toscano-Anderson
North America is dominated by Canadian international NBA players outside of the U.S. Deandre Ayton, first pick of the 2018 NBA Draft is from the Bahamas and also has a Nigerian background.

South American NBA Players
South America has provided some of the best international NBA players in recent years with the most coming from Argentina and Brazil. Here are the 10 best NBA players from South America in history:

  • Manu Ginóbili
  • Luis Scola
  • Nenê
  • Leandro Barbos
  • Anderson Varejão
  • Andrés Nocioni
  • Tiago Splitter
  • Fabricio Oberto
  • Carlos Delfino
  • Pablo Prigioni