hoopie
Years ago

Best ever foreign NBA player?

Tony Kukoc? Manu Ginoboli? Pau Gasol? Drazen Petrovic? Dirk Nowitzki? Hakeem Olajuwon?

Who do you reckon has been the best foreign-born player in the NBA?

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Anonymous  
Years ago

drazen.

Reply #375953 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Tim Duncan.

Reply #375954 | Report this post


The Situation  
Years ago

Hakeem, no question.

Reply #375955 | Report this post


The_Champ33  
Years ago

Hakeem Olajuwon without a doubt.

He was an amazing athlete with quickness of a small forward. The Dream Shake. Ewing heart-breaker of 94.

Just a damn brilliant player.

Dirk is the best since 2000.

Reply #375956 | Report this post


Mick  
Years ago

Hakeem.

Reply #375959 | Report this post


alexkrad  
Years ago

Past - Hakeem
Present - Dirk

Reply #375961 | Report this post


TIGERSFAN  
Years ago

Tony Parker

Reply #375962 | Report this post


Jake  
Years ago

Dirk & Hakeen - tee

Reply #375963 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Tim Duncan - Virgin Islands?

Arvydas Sabonis.

Drazen Petrovic

Reply #375964 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Hakeem # 1
Others to consider
Dominique Wilkins ( France)
Steve Nash (Canada)
Patrick Ewing (Jamaica)
Dirk Nowitski (Germany)
Manu Ginobli ( Argentina)
Tony parker (France)
Yao Ming (China)
Dikembe Mutumbo (Congo ?)
Pau Gasol (Spain)
Vlade Divac (serbai / Yugoslavia)

Would put Tim Duncan at 2 on this list but not sure if he classified as international or not ?

Reply #375965 | Report this post


Hogwash 26  
Years ago

I think we have forgotten just how good Drazen Petrovic was.

Reply #375966 | Report this post


Vart  
Years ago

I was starting to get concerned that no one has mentioned Steve Nash!

For mine it's between Nash, Nowitzki and Olajuwon as the only international players to be NBA MVP's.

As far as splitting them, well, Olajuwon gets the nod due to the two championships he led the Rockets to.

Reply #375967 | Report this post


Cell  
Years ago

Hakeem or Tim Duncan

Reply #375968 | Report this post


The Situation  
Years ago

http://www.sporcle.com/games/dbaker07/top-80-foreign-born-nba-players

Reply #375969 | Report this post


sitiveni  
Years ago

Hakeem by a mile. favourite player and just pleasure watching him go to work in the post. 94 and 95 finals, just terrific.

Reply #375972 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Akeem the Dream

Reply #375977 | Report this post


Muzz buzz  
Years ago

If only Sabonis played at his peak and not when he was broken and busted he would

Reply #375979 | Report this post


Mutley  
Years ago

Hakeem, but Muzz Buzz has a point re Sabonis. A once in a 100 year player.

Reply #375984 | Report this post


Mystro  
Years ago

Hakeem and Duncan.

Reply #375986 | Report this post


hoopie  
Years ago

Didn't Petrovic give Jordan a bit of a towelling at some stage?

Agree that Sabonis at his peak was awesome, but still not in the same league as Hakeem. Nor were Yao Ming or Motumbo or Gasol or Ewing.

My all-time favourite is still Kukoc. Unreal skills for a guy 6' 11" who could play EVERY position well. Sadly, he was just part of the Jordan supporting cast rather than a franchise player like he deserved.

Reply #375987 | Report this post


Jake  
Years ago

Petrovic was a good player but no were near the level of Hakeen, Nash or Dirk. That's not to say he would not of gotten to that level

Reply #375991 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

What about the little italian, kobe bryant !

Reply #375996 | Report this post


Anon12  
Years ago

If you have the chance to see the ESPN Doco on Drazen and Vlade you will see just how good Drazen was both in the NBA and at an international level. Unfortunately many of the people using this site are probably not old enough to realise just how good Drazen was. The doco also has interviews with NBA superstars and coaches who attest to the incredible talent that was lost before reaching his absolute potential. Also a very sad doco in relationship to they events at an international level.

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Anonymous  
Years ago

Drazen was getting better the more he played. I believe he once scored 100 points in a Euro game (not sure what league). He would have been an incredible player if he didnt die so young. I believe he had the best of Jordan in a few games.

Reply #376002 | Report this post


Jake  
Years ago

I remember watching Drazen at the Nets and he was damn good but not in the league of Hakeem, Dirk or Nash

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celtic green  
Years ago

Has to be Hakeem, then Duncan. Nash and Dirk are great but neither of them could affect the game at both ends of the floor like they could.

Reply #376029 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

The thing is guys like Nash and Dirk have played in the NBA for a long time. Drazen died when he was really starting to make some noise. It took both Nash and Dirk a few years to become good players too.

Id go Olajuwon/Duncan (if he is a 'foreign player).

Reply #376032 | Report this post


DB5  
Years ago

Hakeem Olajuwon
Tim Duncan
Toni Kukoc / Detlef Schrempf
Manu Ginobli
Steve Nash

Reply #376037 | Report this post


hoopie  
Years ago

anon12 - yep, that's an amazing doco.

Reply #376046 | Report this post


fstos  
Years ago

Hakeem no doubt for me. I also agree with what a few others have said about Sabonis. In many long years of watching basketball the fact that a healthy Sabonis did not get to show his stuff on the NBA stage would be my biggest disappointment.IMO he would have redefined the 5 spot with his overall skill set and high BB IQ which was and still is unique for a player of his immense size.

Reply #376047 | Report this post


Muzz buzz  
Years ago

went looking for some Sabonis videos check out the reaction to the ref at around the 50s mark. Quality

Reply #376048 | Report this post


anon  
Years ago

great video

Reply #376051 | Report this post


paul  
Years ago

Hard to go past Hakeem in his prime, he was simply unstoppable like few players American or foreign born have been. In terms of playoff performances Ginobili would have to be up there somewhere.

Reply #376052 | Report this post


Gordon Liddy  
Years ago

I agree with many here - Hakeem #1 followed by Duncan, Dirk & Nash.

Drazen was an amazing player and he was really fun to watch play, a great competitor. But sadly he died before he could reach the level of play of these four guys. Who knows how successful he would have gone on to be.

I've been following the NBA since 1987 and I rate Hakeem the best centre I’ve ever seen. Hakeem in his prime is the only centre I’d pick over Shaq in his prime. He was just unstoppable on both ends of the floor in the mid-1990’s. And one of the most serene players I’ve ever seen.

Reply #376053 | Report this post


The_Champ33  
Years ago

Gordon Liddy

I agree with you on Hakeem. Definitely the best centre I've ever seen and the first centre you'd pick even over Shaq.

Reply #376060 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Yes definitely Hakeem. He dominated all the Best Big Man in the game in his prime. Great defender, great scorer, amazing footwork and dominated in an era with a number of great centres. I am sure David Robinson still has nightmares from the playoff series Hakeem torched him. Robinson was League MVP at the time I am pretty sure.

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AMAZIN  
Years ago

Pat Ewing was born in Jamaica but I have to say Sabonis. He was an absolute BEAST.

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Cat in the Hat  
Years ago

Drazen would have been one of the greats, but sadly he never got the chance.

Hakeem for mine.

Reply #376111 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Olajuwon

Reply #376118 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Petrovic was a good player but no were near the level of Hakeen, Nash or Dirk. That's not to say he would not of gotten to that level

-------------------------------

Petrovic was way better than Dirk.

Reply #376119 | Report this post


Anonymous  
Years ago

Drazen was getting better the more he played. I believe he once scored 100 points in a Euro game (not sure what league).

------------------------------------------

It was against a youth team. He was a professional adult player, playing in a game against a youth squad. It was 112 points, but playing against Yugoslavian league youth squad should not count

Reply #376120 | Report this post


WestCoastWildcat  
Years ago

The great Andrew Gaze!!

Reply #376132 | Report this post


Robert pack  
Years ago

Gotta be Hakeem

In 1990, Hakeem scored 25 points per game while leading the NBA in rebounds and blocked shots and finishing eighth in steals. 1987-1988, 1988/1989 and 1989/1990 he was in the top ten in 4 separate categories.

The Dream was a beast!

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