Top European NBA Players in History

Not only can bettors wager on the NBA at online sportsbooks from across the globe, but this iconic league also draws players from an international base. Outside of North America, it’s Europe that’s by far the most significant basketball hotbed, with the old continent currently providing its largest contingent of NBA players in more than three decades.

At the time of writing, there are 60 Europeans playing in the NBA from 27 different countries, including Serbia, Greece, Lithuania and Finland. But who are the top European NBA players currently plying their trade in the league, and which performers are considered to be the best of all time from the old continent? Let’s get into it!

• The Best European NBA Players from the 2023/24 Campaign
• Nikola Jovic – NBA Champion and 6x All-Star
• Giannis Antetokounmpo – One of the Best Europeans in NBA Competition
• Luka Doncic – The 2019 Rookie of the Year
• Who are the Biggest European NBA Stars Through History?
• Dirk Nowitzki – The Sixth-Highest NBA Scorer of All-Time
• Pau Gasol – A Two-Time NBA Winner and Spain’s Best Ever NBA Export
• Tony Parker – An Unassuming Four-Time NBA Champions

The Best European NBA Players from the 2023/24 Campaign

Many of the 60 Europeans currently playing in the NBA are among the league’s star performers, boasting exceptional individual performance statistics and pedigree. This number also includes promising rookies like Victor Wembanyama, who is widely tipped to become one of the best NBA players of all time. Here’s our pick of the best Europeans in NBA action through 2023/24!

Nikola Jovic – NBA Champion and 6x All-Star

Where else but to start with Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jovic, who has been a star of the NBA since he arrived ahead of the 2015/16 regular season. He had been drafted by the Nuggets 12 months previously, after a stellar 2014/15 campaign in the ABA League that saw him average 15.4 points, 9.3 rebounds and 3.5 assists per game.

He has since gone from strength-to-strength, winning the NBA Championship in 2023 and being voted as the NBA finals MVP that very same year. Incredibly, he’s also a six-time NBA All-Star, earning this accolade in consecutive years between 2019 and 2024. Playing exclusively at center, he has also become known as the best passing “big man” in the NBA history.

Over the course of his career, Jokic averages 20.9 points, 10.7 rebounds and 6.9 assists per game in the NBA. He has also become renowned for his stunning variety of no-looks and unique deliveries, while his technique enables him to deliver passes at unusual angles that are difficult to prevent. Make no mistake; he’s the best of the current European NBA stars, and will leave a legacy that will be hard for anyone to top.

Giannis Antetokounmpo – One of the Best Europeans in NBA Competition

Of the top European NBA players, Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only one who can rival the achievements of Jovic. The so-called ‘Greek Freak’ has played for the Milwaukee Bucks since 2013, with the 29-year-old power forward (and occasional center) having become an NBA Champion and NBA Finals MVP in 2021.

He was also crowned the NBA’s ‘Most Valuable Player’ in 2019 and 2020, while he’s an eight-time All-Star having earned this accreditation in successive years between 2017 and 2024. Although he averages 23.4 points-per-game during his Milwaukee career, he has consistently scored more than 27 PPG since the beginning of the 2018/19 campaign.

The previous two campaigns have seen Antetokounmpo break the 30 point-per-game barrier too. He produced his best season in 2022/23, during which he averaged 31.1 PPG across 67 starts. In 2023/24, his average only dipped slightly to a still impressive 30.4 PPG, despite incurring a calf injury that forced him to miss the entirety of the playoffs. One thing’s for sure: he’ll be raring to go when the 2024/25 regular season gets underway!

Luka Doncic – The 2019 Rookie of the Year

Luka Doncic is considered to be the third member of a ‘Holy Trinity’ of the best current European NBA players, alongside Jovic and Antetokounmpo. However, the 25-year-old shooting guard has yet to achieve the career heights of his European peers, although he has made waves in the NBA having initially been drafted by the Atlanta Hawks in 2018.

He was then traded to the Dallas Mavericks, while he won the coveted ‘Rookie of the Year’ award in 2019. Since then, he has earned five NBA All-Star accreditations between 2020 and 2024, while he also made the All-NBA First Team during this period. He’s another hugely talented ‘big man’, while he combines all the attributes of a point guard, shooting guard and small forward.

Doncic is an incredible scorer, and one who led the NBA in the 2023/24 regular season with an impressive ratio of 33.9 points-per-game. He subsequently scored 28.9 PPG in the playoffs for the Mavericks, although the franchise subsequently lost in the NBA finals to the Boston Celtics. Overall, Doncic now averages a superb 30.9 PPG in his 50 playoff starts.

Who are the Biggest European NBA Stars Through History?

Of course, the current Europeans in NBA competition have followed a trail blazed by many other superstars before them. Some of these individuals are among the greatest players to perform in America’s premier basketball league, while Jovic and Antetokounmpo can also count themselves among the best ever NBA players from the old continent. But who are the three top European NBA players through history?

Dirk Nowitzki – The Sixth-Highest NBA Scorer of All-Time

No list of this type would be complete without Dirk Nowitzki, who is undoubtedly one of the best Europeans in NBA history. In fact, he’s perhaps the greatest ever NBA export from Europe, having won one NBA title, one finals MVP award and 12 All-Star selections. Playing as a power forward, he also played 1,522 games for the Dallas Mavericks between 1998 and 2019, placing him fourth on the all-time appearances list.

He also ranked sixth in scoring, registering 31,560 points at an average of 20.7 points-per-game. He contributed 11,169 field goals and 1,982 three-point field goals during his career too, while making 7,240 free throws. Nowitzki also ranked 26th in rebounds in the NBA, 53rd in blocks and 155th in terms of total assists.

Regardless of nationality, the German-born Nowitzki is one of the finest forwards in basketball history. He also enjoyed an exceptional international career, winning several medals in a team that lacked any other stars or elite-level performers. He is perhaps best known for his shooting ability from all angles and ranges, alongside his finishing accuracy off the dribble.

Pau Gasol – A Two-Time NBA Winner and Spain’s Best Ever NBA Export

While Spaniard Pau Gasol started and finished his career with FC Barcelona, he also played with distinction for five NBA franchises between 2001 and 2019. He also won two NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers (in 2009 and 2010) and is a six-time All-Star. Despite boasting a plethora of talent, many pundits highlighted center Gasol as the single most important Laker during their 2009 and 2010 title victories.

Gasol ranks 21st in terms of blocks in NBA history, and is 28th in rebounds (placing him just behind Nowitzki). He’s also the league’s 43rd highest scorer, having contributed a total of 20,894 points in 1,226 NBA appearances at a rate of 17.0 PPG. Gasol also ranks 129th for assists, and is arguably one of the most rounded players in the tournament’s history.

Gasol has also enjoyed arguably the best international career of any NBA player ever. Overall, he has won 11 medals and numerous MVP awards in summer FIBA tournaments, while he was the top-scorer when representing Spain at the 2004 Summer Olympics. Gasol also had the distinction of replacing an injured Rafa Nadal as his country’s flag bearer at the 2012 Summer Olympics in London.

Tony Parker – An Unassuming Four-Time NBA Champion

We close with former French point card Tony Parker, who for many will be an unlikely selection on this list. However, while the former San Antonio Spurs star didn’t boast much range as a shooter and was scarcely ever categorized as an elite defender, he won an impressive four NBA titles and was named the NBA Finals MVP in 2007.

The 6x NBA All-Star also ranks 19th for assists in the league, registering 7,036 in total at a rate of 5.6 per game. He is the 56th highest scorer of all-time too. To this end, he contributed 19,473 points at an average of 15.5 PPG during his pro career, alongside 3,396 rebounds at a rate of 2.7 RPG.

Parker also ranks 152nd in steals, further highlighting his excellent all-round game, outstanding speed across the court and swift change of direction. He was an incredibly consistent perform who remains the San Antonio Spurs’ greatest ever player, and it’s no surprise that his iconic number nine jersey was retired by the franchise when he brought the curtain down on his career.

The Last Word

Other leading NBA Europeans include Spaniard Marc Gasol, who is the younger brother of the aforementioned Pau. He’s also a one-time NBA Championship winner, having triumphed with the Memphis Grizzlies in his final season there in 2019. He is also a three-time NBA All-Star, earning this accolade in 2012, 2015 and 2017.

France’s Rudy Gobert is a superb NBA export from the old continent too, having earned four All-NBA Team selections and three All-Stars during his career. He also ranks 44th in blocks and 78th in rebounds in NBA history, distinguishing him as one of the best defensive players ever to play in the competition. This compensated for his obvious lack of offensive qualities, although he has so far struggled to make his mark in playoff games.

Of course, you’ll probably have your own pick of the best current and past European players from the NBA. However, those that have made this list are undoubted legends of the sport, while players like Jovic, Antetokounmpo, Nowitzki and Pau Gasol can also lay claim to being the best irrespective of their nationality!