The NBA has really developed into an international league in recent years. Big men globally won the top five last season. And at least four of the league’s best players are also internationals. While it’s important to hype the league’s current stars, it’s also important to respect the legendary international players who paved the way for today’s international stars. Here are the 20 best international players in NBA history.
Note: Canadians who attend US colleges are not included. Same with players from the Caribbean islands who studied in American colleges (Patrick Ewing, Tim Duncan, Mikal Thompson, etc.) Apologize to players who missed out such as Rolando Blackman (Panama), Rick Smits (Netherlands), Andrei Kirilenko (Russia) and Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Lithuania), et al.