Back
Aron Wright - December 15, 2023
For years, basketball was seen as America’s game. The country would dominate the sport in the Olympics every four years with barely a second-string roster while the NBA was jam-packed with superstars thrilling supporters and raking in the big money contracts. However, in recent years the game has become more and more international.
One only needs to take a look at the biggest stars in the biggest league in the world today to see exactly what we are talking about. Perhaps the three finest players in the NBA today are all from overseas, namely Serbia’s Nikola Jokic, Greece’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Slovenia’s Luka Doncic.
In fact, the former of those three – namely the Joker and his Denver Nuggets – are the reigning champions after defeating the Miami Heat in last season’s NBA Finals. With their giant Serbian sensation leading the way, NBA betting lines have made them the +425 second favorites to retain the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy this season, just behind the Boston Celtics.
But it isn’t just Serbia that has exported plenty of talent to the league over the years. Here are the five countries that have provided the most players to the NBA, not including the United States.
When you think of Canada, the first thing that comes to mind is maple syrup and Mounties. However, the Great White North has been a significant talent pipeline for the NBA in recent years. The basketball culture north of the border has been on the rise lately, with blue-chip prospects like RJ Barrett and Andrew Wiggins emerging as legitimate stars. Not to mention, the country also gave birth to one of the greatest basketball players of all time, Steve Nash, who racked up eight All-Star selections and two MVP awards throughout his storied near-two-decade-long career.
The best Canadian player in the league at present is Jamal Murray, who led the Denver Nuggets to the Western Conference Finals in 2020 and then to a first championship in franchise history last season. He will be aiming to bring further success to Ball Arena in the coming years and if his partnership with Jokic continues to fire on all cylinders, there is no reason to think he won’t.
No croissants and café au lait here, just pure basketball talent. In recent years, France has become one of the predominant sources of international NBA players. Look no further than Rudy Gobert, who’s been a Defensive Player of the Year multiple times and was an integral part of the Utah Jazz’s success. This season, he has helped catapult the Minnesota Timberwolves to the top of the Western Conference, ahead of the reigning champion Nuggets as well as heavyweights such as Doncic’s Mavericks and LeBron James’ Lakers.
Notable players on the list also include Tony Parker, who is one of the greatest point guards to ever play the game and the first French player to win the NBA Finals MVP. Nicolas Batum is a versatile wing player who also deserves a mention. He’s played for teams such as the Portland Trailblazers and Philadelphia 76ers, where he remains to this day.
When it comes to the land down under, we usually think of beautiful beaches and Aussies throwing shrimps on barbies. However, Australia has a passion for basketball that is undeniable. From former MVP Andrew Bogut to promising rookie LaMelo Ball, the country is undoubtedly a melting pot of basketball talent. One of the most prominent Australians in the league at present is Ben Simmons, an all-star point guard for the Philadelphia 76ers alongside the aforementioned Batum.
When it comes to Serbia, you might think of delicious cevapcici and stunning landscapes. However, the Balkan nation has also provided a healthy number of basketball players to the NBA. From Vlade Divac, who became the first Serbian to play in the NBA in 1989, to Nikola Jokic, who is arguably the best player in the league on current form, Serbian basketball players have a reputation for being some of the toughest and most competitive players in the world.
Nigeria may be new to the list, but they’re certainly not a team to overlook. In the 2021 NBA Playoffs, five players of Nigerian heritage were on the rosters of the Milwaukee Bucks and the Brooklyn Nets, who faced each other in the Eastern Conference Semifinals.
From Hakeem Olajuwon, who is considered to be one of the greatest players of all time, to current stars like Victor Oladipo, the country has a proud history of producing world-class athletes and the conveyor belt of talent doesn’t look to be slowing down any time soon. That’s because the future of Nigerian basketball is certainly a bright one thanks to players such as Precious Achiuwa, Josh Okogie, and Chimezie Metu.
