The NBA has really developed into an international league in recent years. The past five MVPs have been won by international big men. And at least four of the league’s best players are international guys as well. While it’s important to hype the league’s current stars, it’s also important to pay respects to the legendary international players who blazed the trail for the international stars of today. Here are the 20 best international players in NBA history.
Note: Canadians that attended American colleges were not included. Same with players from the Caribbean Islands who attended American colleges (Patrick Ewing, Tim Duncan, Mychal Thompson, etc.) Apologies to guys who just missed the cut like Rolando Blackman (Panama), Rik Smits (Netherlands), Andrei Kirilenko (Russia), Zydrunas Ilgauskas (Lithuania) and others.