It’s always fun to watch Team U.S.A. dominate the competition in the Olympics, although sometimes a bit cringe-worthy. Who wins a basketball game by 70-plus points?! Regardless, there are some stars that pop up across the globe and make a splash in the NBA; many are even considered some of the top players of all time. While it doesn’t constitute a majority in the league by any means, there is a good round-up of talent that comes from overseas and makes a big impact on teams. It’s just kind of hard to lead your home country to an Olympic victory when you’re playing against the rest of the NBA All-Star team.
This list will only include true international stars. Sorry, but Tim Duncan being born in the U.S. Virgin Islands doesn’t quite cut it – he was born a U.S. citizen!
Emanuel “Manu” Ginobili (Argentina)
Shooting guard Manu Ginobili spent the early part of his basketball career playing in Argentina and Italy until he joined the NBA in 2002 to play for the San Antonio Spurs. He’s won three NBA Championships in seven seasons, was selected to be on the 2005 and 2011 All-Star teams, received the 2008 NBA Sixth Man of the Year Award, and has a career average of 14.9 points per game. He led the Argentine National Team to Olympic gold in 2004 (the first team other than Team USA to win the gold medal in 16 years), beating out the likes of LeBron James, Allen Iverson and fellow Spur Tim Duncan in the semifinals.
Steve Nash (South Africa/Canada)
Nash was originally born in South Africa but moved to Canada when he was only 18 months old. During his career, he’s averaged 14.4 points per game, amassed over 15,000 points, and holds the title of two-time NBA MVP, six-time assist leader, eight-time All-Star, and best free throw accuracy in NBA history with 90.4 percent. He also won the highly regarded Canadian Athlete of the Year Award three times, the only basketball player to ever win the award (this may be the lack of other Canadian basketball stars, or just their overwhelming preference for hockey players). He is the current point guard of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Yao Ming (China)
The greatest basketball player ever to come from China is, without a doubt, Yao Ming. Standing at seven feet six inches, he was one of the tallest people to ever play in the NBA and spent his eight seasons in the league as center for the Houston Rockets. Averaging an amazing 19 points per game throughout his career, he was an eight-time NBA All-Star and helped lead the Chinese Olympic team to the quarterfinals in 2004 and 2008. Along with 7-foot 1-inch teammates Wang Zhizhi and Mengke Bateer, people referred to the team as “The Walking Great Wall.” Fun fact: Yao is an ambassador for elephant conservation!
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Dikembe Mutombo (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Known as one of the greatest shot blockers of all time (second only to somebody else on this list), Dikembe was born and raised in Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo. He didn’t even pick up a basketball until he was 18 at the encouragement of his father and brother, who saw potential in the seven-feet, two-inch high schooler. Shortly after, he joined the Zaire National Team. A full scholarship to play at Georgetown brought him to the U.S. where he constituted the “Twin Towers” alongside Alonzo Mourning. He was drafted to the Denver Nuggets in 1991. Though he only averaged 9.8 points during his 19-year career, the defensive intensity he brought to the court earned him four NBA Defensive Player of the Year Awards, as well as eight All-Star Team appearances. But most impressively, Mutombo’s famous finger wag is fantastic in those Geico commercials.
Tony Parker (France)
Born in Bruges, Belgium and raised in France, Tony Parker played for Paris Basket Racing in the French basketball league for two years before entering the NBA draft in 2001. He was drafted by the San Antonia Spurs and made a big splash his rookie season, becoming the first foreign-born guard to make the All-Rookie First Team. Since then, Parker has racked up three championship rings, five All-Star game appearances, the title 2007 NBA Finals MVP, and one marriage and divorce with Eva Longoria. He’s averaged 17.1 points per game during his career but Parker remains one to watch, as that number seems to be climbing every year.
Dirk Nowitzki (Germany)
Born in Wurzburg, Germany to an extremely athletic family (his mom was a professional basketball player), Dirk began playing for the DJK basketball club at the age of 16. He joined the NBA in 1998 and was immediately traded to the Dallas Mavericks, where he has become a key franchise player credited with turning around a floundering team. He led the Mavericks to 12 consecutive NBA play-offs, as well as the first championship in the team’s history in 2011, and is the franchise’s leading scorer. He was also an eight-time All Star and NBA MVP in 2007.
Patrick Ewing, Jr. (Jamaica)
Patrick Ewing grew up playing cricket and soccer in his hometown of Kingston, Jamaica, before he moved to Massachusetts at age 12 and picked up basketball. After dominating the collegiate basketball scene while attending Georgetown, he was selected No. 1 overall in the 1985 draft by the New York Knicks. In his 17-year career, he averaged 21 points per game and became an 11-time All-Star, Rookie of the Year winner, and was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2008. He also became a U.S. citizen during his college years, allowing him to be a part of the 1992 U.S. Olympic Dream Team. But he is obviously best known for his role in the 1996 classic animated sports film, “Space Jam.”
Pau Gasol (Spain)
Born and raised in Barcelona, Spain, Gasol gained international attention after leading his hometown to the Spanish National Cup in 2001 and being named MVP. He was then drafted into the NBA, and spent his first seven seasons playing for the Memphis Grizzlies before being traded. He won Rookie of the Year his inaugural season, and has gone on to win two National Championships with the Lakers, as well as four All-Star appearances. Gasol was actually the first Spaniard to reach an NBA final, which probably irritated his NBA-playing younger brother who did the same in 2011. Sorry, Marc, it’s old news.
Hakeem Abdul Olajuwon (Nigeria)
Nigerian-born Hakeem Olajuwon emigrated to the U.S. to play for the University of Houston despite not having been heavily recruited. By his second year, however, he was a founding member of “Phi Slama Jama,” the made-up fraternity that recognized his incredible dunking abilities. He was drafted first overall in 1984 (over other legends such as Michael Jordan and Charles Barkley) by the Houston Rockets, and played with them for 17 seasons. He remains the franchise’s leader in scoring, rebounding, steals and blocked shots, and brought Houston its only major sports championships in 1994 and 1995. He also was the 1994 MVP, 1993 and 1994 Defensive Player of the Year, two-time Finals MVP, and 12-time All-Star. Although he’s been retired for over a decade, Olajuwon remains the NBA’s all-time leading shot blocker, beating out the wagging Mutombo for the top spot.
