It started with a dream…
In 1992, The US Men’s Olympic Basketball, nicknamed the ‘Dream Team’ took the global stage in Barcelona. The Dream Team demonstrated what North American Basketball had to offer. Winning their games by an average of 44, the dream team spurred a steady stream of European Players into the NBA which has turned into some amazing talent over the years.
But even before the dream team, a handful of Europeans played in the NBA. The first of them, Hank Biasatti in 1946, was born in Italy and became the first-ever international player in the NBA. Many other Europeans followed Biasatti’s footsteps over the years, but the number of Europeans actively playing in the league has never been as high as it is today.
Europe’s growing presence in the league
While there were a handful of European and international talents over time, the real talent found their way into the NBA much later, with players like Hakeem Olajuwon, joining the Houston Rockets in 1984, and Georgi Glouchkov, who signed with the Pheonix Suns in 1985. Later in the 90s, there were even more with players like Dikembe Mutombo, Toni Kukoc, and Dirk Nowitzki joining the league in 1991, 1993, and 1998. But we’ve never seen a larger pool of European and international players in the league.
In 2014 the NBA revealed that there were a total of 101 players from 37 countries outside of the US. Today, there are 125 international players from 40 countries, increasing nearly 25% in 10 years. Not only has the ratio of Europeans increased, but so has the quality of the players. In fact, of the top five candidates for MVP this season, three of them are European: Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), and Luka Doncic (Slovenia).
Jokic and Giannis have individually won two MVPs over the last five years, and Jokic is looking to win his third this season. Luka Doncic (Slovenian) is currently leading the league in points per game and recently became the first player ever to have SIX consecutive 30-point triple-doubles. Damontis Sabonis (Lithuanian) is this season’s leading rebounder, averaging 13.5 per game, and French rookie Victor Wembenyama is the top candidate for the Rookie of the Year.
From the Baltics to the Balkans, and everywhere in between, talent has come from all over to join the NBA. But is it a coincidence that these players have had more highlights and better stats than some North American players?
Is Europe’s best is the NBA’s best?
Doc Rivers mentioned on the Bill Simmons Podcast in November of last year that Europeans play better team basketball. While the talent in the US is better than ever, Rivers explained that they lack the team play that European players learn early on with more frequent practices and fewer games.
European players coming from overseas have talked about the difference between the NBA and Euro League and how it’s impacted their game. Back in 2022, Giannis, Jokic, and Doncic mentioned that playing in Europe was much harder than the NBA, with more physicality, defensive intensity, and less space. Players like Doncic and Jokic both attributed some of the difficulty to a difference in rules like the absence of the three-second violation, allowing those capable centers to cover and restrict the lanes more effectively, stressing the importance of tactics and team play.
European representation in the NBA has flourished over the last few years, and with so many standing in the spotlight, I can only imagine how it will continue to grow.