[HoopsHype] 80 greatest international players ever: 1. Hakeem Olajuwon 2. Dirk Nowitzki 3. Giannis Antetokounmpo 4. Nikola Jokic 5. Steve Nash 6. Pau Gasol 7. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander 8. Tony Parker 9. Luka Doncic 10. Joel Embiid
This year, in our HoopsHype International 80, the Top 6 remain unchanged from last year, but there was a change inside the Top 10, with now two-time league MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander moving up a few spots from his previous ranking. With the pace he’s on of late, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the Canadian floor general crack the Top 5 pretty soon.
What’s more, three players are making their debut in this ranking: another Canadian in Dillon Brooks, as well as Croatian big Ivica Zubac and Israeli swingman Deni Avdija.
Just like with our HoopsHype80 list, we compiled votes from our staff, removed the highest and lowest rank for each player, and awarded points 80-1 for the rest.
As always, we factored in FIBA accomplishments to an extent but put way more stock in what players did while competing against the very best (that is, in the NBA). And, of course, the focus is on what they achieved and not what they could have done if A, B, or C had happened.
Top accolades: Two NBA titles, two Finals MVPs, one MVP, six All-NBA 1st Team selections, 12 All-Stars, two Defensive Player of the Year awards, five All-Defensive 1st Team selections, one Olympic gold medal
Regular season ranking: 1st in blocks, 10th in steals, 14th in rebounds, 15th in scoring, 235th in assists
Playoffs ranking: 3rd in blocks, 13th in rebounds, 16th in scoring, 21st in steals, 74th in assists
Though he ended up playing for Team USA and winning an Olympic gold medal with the red, white and blue, Hakeem Olajuwon was born and raised in Nigeria and even played for a Nigerian junior team at the All-Africa Games. Even though Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic threaten his position down the road, Olajuwon remains for now a unanimous pick at No. 1 by HoopsHype voters, who have him just outside of the Top 10 in the HoopsHype80 rankings.
The Dream was the complete package as a player, with arguably the most unstoppable post-game ever thanks to his quickness and athleticism, to go with his impossible-to-predict moves. He was also an elite defender, with unbelievable shot-blocking prowess.
Top accolades: One NBA title, one Finals MVP, one MVP, 12 All-NBA selections, 14 All-Stars, one World Cup bronze medal, one Eurobasket silver medal
Regular season ranking: 7th in scoring, 28th in rebounds, 56th in blocks, 98th in steals, 165th in assists
Playoffs ranking: 18th in scoring, 24th in rebounds, 55th in blocks, 57th in steals, 107th in assists
One of the finest offensive forwards in basketball history, Dirk Nowitzki is also considered the top European player of all time (for now). Nowitzki didn’t just carry those Mavs teams to multiple deep playoff runs and ultimately a championship; he did so without star companions.
Nowitzki did similarly with Germany, winning a couple of medals with teams pretty much devoid of top-notch talent. Dirk’s shooting ability from all angles and ranges, off the dribble or with his feet set, was truly unmatched, especially among 7-footers.
Top accolades: One NBA title, one Finals MVP, two MVPs, seven All-NBA 1st Team selections, 10 All-Stars, one Defensive Player of the Year award, four All-Defensive 1st Team selections, one NBA Cup, one NBA Cup MVP, one Eurobasket bronze medal
Regular season ranking: 42nd in scoring, 63rd in rebounds, 90th in blocks, 96th in assists, 189th in steals
Playoffs ranking: 52nd in scoring and rebounds, 68th in blocks, 78th in assists, 158th in steals
Third on our list already at age 31, there’s a somewhat decent chance Giannis Antetokounmpo may end up being considered the top foreign talent when all is said and done – no small feat for a player who didn’t even have Greek citizenship growing up. Antetokounmpo makes up for his lone shortcoming – his shooting – with unreal length, motor, tenacity and scoring down low. He’s legitimately unstoppable once he gets in the paint.
Top accolades: One NBA title, one Finals MVP, three MVPs, one Conference Finals MVP, six All-NBA 1st Team selections, eight All-Stars, one Olympic silver medal, one Olympic bronze medal
Regular season ranking: 41st in assists, 61st in rebounds, 84th in scoring, 170th in steals, 240th in blocks
Playoffs ranking: 31st in assists, 37th in rebounds, 42nd in scoring, 83rd in steals, 101st in blocks
If he keeps the pace he’s on, reaching the top spot is not out of the question for Nikola Jokic. You can even make an argument that his peak – if Jokic has even peaked yet – is at least as good as anybody else’s on this list. Actually, we have him as the player with the seventh-best peak in league history ahead of several GOAT candidates.
A team can build an elite NBA offense around Jokic thanks to his super passing and scoring skills. The first international player to win three MVP awards and the first center to do so since Moses Malone, Jokic should age well, considering his game doesn’t rely at all on athleticism or explosiveness.
Top accolades: Two MVP awards, seven All-NBA selections, eight All-Stars
Regular season ranking: 6th in assists, 99th in scoring, 243rd in steals, 480th in rebounds
Playoffs ranking: 10th in assists, 66th in scoring, 233rd in steals, 248th in rebounds
South Africa-born Canadian Steve Nash was a superstar in his prime, as attested by his two MVP awards. Nash was a late bloomer, winning his first titles in his 30s, an age when most point guards (especially during his time) had typically declined significantly. Nash would have been even more devastating in today’s NBA running the pick-and-roll and shooting more threes than he did during his heyday, but as is, he’s an all-timer, with unreal passing vision and a jump shot that was as pretty as any, ever.
Top accolades: Two NBA titles, four All-NBA selections, six All-Stars, two silver Olympic medals, one World Cup gold medal, three Eurobasket gold medals
Regular season ranking: 22nd in blocks, 30th in rebounds, 44th in scoring, 135th in assists, 496th in steals
Playoffs ranking: 16th in blocks, 35th in rebounds, 63rd in scoring, 79th in assists, 209th in steals
Pau Gasol had a terrific NBA career to go with perhaps the best National Team career of any player ever, having won 11 medals and multiple MVPs in summer FIBA tournaments. A two-time NBA champion, some of the analytics actually rated Gasol as the most important Laker on those two title teams. Gasol was extremely skilled for a big man, with length that helped him finish over just about anyone down low and to block shots on the other end.
Top accolades: One NBA title, one Finals MVP, one Conference Finals MVP, two MVPs, four All-NBA 1st Team selections, four All-Stars, All-Rookie 2nd Team, one Clutch Player of the Year award, one World Cup bronze medal
Regular season ranking: 224th in scoring, 281st in assists, 341st in steals, 354th in blocks
Playoffs ranking: 96th in assists, 114th in scoring, 156th in blocks, 163rd in steals, 393rd in rebounds
A year after skyrocketing up the ranking, SGA has moved up even more after last season, a campaign that saw him earn league MVP honors for the second year in a row and reach Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals. An unquestionable historically great talent, the Canadian guard has reached a level many players ranked above him here could never touch. His eventual place in this ranking will depend on how the rest of his prime goes, but if he keeps up the pace he’s been on, he has the ability to crack the Top 3, if not more.
SGA’s creativity and craftiness as a scorer and playmaker make him special, evidenced by three straight 1st Team All-NBA selections. He also performs defensively with his quick hands and feet.
Top accolades: Four NBA titles, one Finals MVP, three All-NBA 2nd Team selections, six All-Stars, one Eurobasket gold medal
Regular season ranking: 21st in assists, 58th in scoring, 160th in steals
Playoffs ranking: 7th in assists, 12th in scoring, 34th in steals, 122nd in rebounds, 489th in blocks
A super quick point guard with elite change-of-direction skills, French legend Tony Parker made a living getting into the paint and finishing among the trees because of his unstoppable teardrop floater. Didn’t have much range as a shooter and wasn’t an elite defender by any stretch, but he’s an all-time great guard anyway, which speaks to just how solid he was at lead guard, no easy accomplishment for guys out of Europe.
Top accolades: One Western Conference Finals MVP, six All-NBA 1st Team selections, six All-Star selections, Rookie of the Year award, one Eurobasket gold medal, Euroleague title, one Euroleague MVP
Regular season ranking: 111th in assists, 165th in scoring, 362nd in rebounds, 437th in steals
Playoffs ranking: 82nd in assists, 99th in scoring, 143rd in steals, 207th in rebounds, 373rd in blocks
Put simply, Slovenian guard Luka Doncic is a special talent with a chance to enter GOAT conversations down the road thanks to his unbelievable mix of scoring and playmaking as well as rebounding from the lead-guard spot at his size. The Lakers superstar just won the second scoring title of his career last season, before injuries unfortunately cut his postseason short.
Doncic has already won pretty much everything at the international level. He came close to duplicating that success in the NBA in 2024 with an unexpected run to the Finals with Dallas before falling short in the championship series. Doncic is also already showing he is working on his body and respecting his fitness level, which could mean we see an extended peak for the Real Madrid legend.
Top accolades: One MVP, five All-NBA selections, seven All-Stars, three All-Defensive 2nd Team selections, one Olympic gold medal
Regular season ranking: 165th in blocks, 217th in scoring, 255th in rebounds
Playoffs ranking: 71st in blocks, 110th in scoring, 115th in rebounds, 223rd in assists, 324th in steals
When healthy, Joel Embiid is dominant in every facet on both ends of the floor, with a post game that’s hard to stop, perimeter shooting touch that keeps defenses honest and unreal defensive playmaking abilities thanks to his fantastic size, athleticism and instincts. Sadly, the ‘when healthy’ part does a lot of work in that sentence since the Cameroonian-turned-American center has missed a lot of time due to injuries during his career and may have already played his best basketball.
Embiid has not really distinguished himself with his play in the postseason, a concerning trend that continued even after his first MVP win, though 2026-27 will be his chance to change that, playing on a loaded Sixers squad featuring future Hall-of-Famer LeBron James. The big man will need to stay healthy if he wants to win a title, though, as Embiid has played in a grand total of 96 regular-season games over the past three seasons.
Top accolades: Three All-NBA Team selections, eight All-Stars, four Defensive Player of the Year awards, six All-Defensive Team selections
Regular season ranking: 2nd in blocks, 20th in rebounds, 313th in scoring
Playoffs ranking: 11th in blocks, 59th in rebounds, 282nd in scoring, 425th in steals
Dikembe Mutombo entered the NBA at the grand age of 25 and became one of the most accomplished defensive players in NBA history with his ability to alter shots. Didn’t have much of an offensive game, yet still managed an 18-year career in the league thanks to his all-time shot-blocking ability and finishing prowess down low.
Top accolades: Four NBA titles, two All-NBA 3rd Team selections, two All-Stars, one-time Sixth Man of the Year, one Olympic gold medal, one World Cup silver medal, four FIBA Americas medals, one Olympic tournament MVP, one FIBA Americas MVP, one Euroleague title, one Euroleague Finals MVP
Regular season ranking: 66th in steals, 128th in assists, 201st in scoring, 469th in rebounds, 492nd in blocks
Playoffs ranking: 11th in steals, 27th in assists, 28th in scoring, 72nd in rebounds, 149th in blocks
Manu Ginobili is one of only two players to win NBA, Olympic and Euroleague titles, the other one being Bill Bradley. Ginobili performed well throughout his career no matter which role he was given. The exciting Argentinian popularized the Euro-step in the NBA and had a propensity for hitting clutch shots while never giving less than 100 percent effort during his time on the floor.
Top accolades: One All-NBA 2nd Team selection, three All-NBA 3rd Team selections, three All-Stars, four Defensive Player of the Year awards, eight All-Defensive 1st Team selections, two Olympic silver medals, two World Cup bronze medals, two Eurobasket bronze medals
Regular season ranking: 24th in blocks, 36th in rebounds, 332nd in scoring, 459th in steals
Playoffs ranking: 45th in blocks, 54th in rebounds, 216th in scoring, 206th in steals, 459th in assists
Rudy Gobert’s combination of length, mobility and smarts makes him one of the most devastating defensive players in NBA history. Without much of an offensive game, Gobert can still do a lot of damage on that end on screen-and-rolls and finishing lobs.
Despite a great NBA career, he has many doubters mostly because of perceived shortcomings in the playoffs. His benching with France during key moments of the 2024 Olympic basketball tournament surely didn’t help his reputation either. But there’s one thing clear: his teams win (even if they have not gone all the way yet).
Top accolades: One NBA title, one All-NBA 3rd Team selection, five All-Stars, one All-Defensive 2nd Team selection, one FIBA Americas bronze medal
Regular season ranking: 49th in blocks, 55th in rebounds, 156th in assists, 163rd in scoring, 244th in steals
Playoffs ranking: 14th in blocks, 16th in rebounds, 44th in assists, 51st in scoring, 53rd in steals
Not only did Al Horford win his first NBA championship in 2024, but he also became the first player ever to do so while being older than the full-time head coach of the team. Moreover, Horford is part of an elite group of only five players in NBA history to rank in the Top 55 for playoff scoring, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks, and three-pointers. The other four members are LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant, and Scottie Pippen. You read that right: Michael Jordan doesn’t crack that short list, but Horford does.
Though he may not have the regular-season accolades or numbers of some of the other players this high on the list, his longevity has helped him stand out anyway. Horford has enjoyed a long career as a high-quality starter or low-level All-Star mostly playing at center, which was never his favorite position.
He ranks Top 60 in both career blocks and rebounds and will get Hall-of-Fame consideration once his career is over. He’s not a lock, but considering basketball treats its Hall of Fame more like a Hall of Very Good, he’ll probably get in.
Top accolades: One NBA title, one All-NBA 1st Team selection, three All-Stars, one Defensive Player of the Year award, one All-Defensive 2nd Team selection, two Olympic silver medals, two World Cup gold medals, five Eurobasket medals
Regular season ranking: 61st in blocks, 153rd in rebounds, 248th in assists, 265th in scoring, 313th in steals
Playoffs ranking: 45th in blocks, 90th in rebounds, 129th in assists, 161st in steals, 173rd in scoring
The leader of various fine Grizzlies teams, big man Marc Gasol eventually became a champion anchoring the defense of the Toronto Raptors while contributing plenty as a playmaker and floor spacer. Gasol was also a key component of very successful Spanish squads in FIBA tournaments, winning two World Cup gold medals. A one-time Defensive Player of the year, Gasol was a truly unique two-way threat in his prime and one of the better big men of his generation.
Top accolades: One NBA title, three All-NBA 3rd Team selections, six All-Stars, Rookie of the Year, one Centrobasket gold medal
Regular season ranking: 82nd in rebounds, 123rd in scoring, 152nd in blocks, 395th in assists
Playoffs ranking: 96th in rebounds, 179th in scoring, 152nd in blocks, 271st in steals, 273rd in assists
Last year, we wrote on Karl-Anthony Towns: ‘Despite the accolades he’s already amassed, Towns still has much more to give as he’s one of the most skilled and efficient scoring centers ever.’ Well, KAT proved us just right in that we felt he had more to give the game, as he helped lead the New York Knicks in 2025-26 to an NBA championship, the franchise’s first since 1972-73.
Towns has a pristine jumper from beyond the arc and a ball-handling ability to get to the basket when facing up, as well as the post game to dominate smaller foes. The self-proclaimed best-shooting big man in basketball history has put up impressive numbers yearly and has mostly proved in the last couple of years that he can be a fantastic No. 2 option on a contending team.
Top accolades: One All-NBA 3rd Team selection, two Olympic medals, one World Cup gold medal, one Eurobasket gold medal, one World Cup MVP award, one Eurobasket MVP award, two Euroleague titles
Quite possibly the best European player in the 20th century thanks to amazing shooting prowess and will to win, Drazen Petrovic was the first Euro player to make an All-NBA Team and to this day just one of a handful to do it so as a guard. Petrovic did not bring much to the table aside from scoring, but as a pull-up shooter, he was ahead of his time. His tragic car accident robbed us of a great player way too early, and he’d likely be higher here had he been able to have a long career. Petrovic remains absolutely iconic overseas to this day.
Top accolades: Five All-NBA Team selections, eight All-Stars, three FIBA Asia Cup gold medals, three FIBA Asia Cup MVP awards
Regular season ranking: 122nd in blocks, 346th in rebounds, 470th in scoring
Playoffs ranking: 235th in blocks, 437th in rebounds, 469th in scoring
In his short NBA career, Yao Ming made eight All-Star rosters, although some were mostly on the back of the Chinese vote. Still, Yao was an excellent center when healthy thanks in large part to his monstrous size at 7-foot-6 and unbelievably soft touch for a man of his size. He had a turnaround jumper that was impossible to defend when he had it going. Had his career cut short by constant foot problems after going through multiple seasons with almost no rest because of offseason duties with the Chinese National Team.
Top accolades: One NBA title, one All-NBA 2nd Team, three All-Stars, one World Cup gold medal, one Eurobasket gold medal, one Eurobasket MVP
Regular season ranking: 213th in scoring, 356th in steals, 457th in rebounds
Playoffs ranking: 162nd in scoring, 184th in steals, 220th in rebounds
Generally remembered as the second wheel on those fun Chris Webber-led Sacramento King teams of the early 2000s, Predrag Stojakovic was among the best shooters in the NBA during his time. He had phenomenal size for a small forward and a jumper that would so often hit nothing but net. Stojakovic led the league in free-throw shooting accuracy twice and shot over 40 percent from three for his career.
Top accolades: One Olympic gold medal, one World Cup gold medal, four Eurobasket medals, one Eurobasket MVP award, one Euroleague title, one Euroleague MVP award, one Euroleague Final Four MVP award
Regular season ranking: 297th in blocks
Playoffs ranking: 201st in blocks, 284th in rebounds, 349th in steals, 421st in scoring
A do-it-all giant, Arvydas Sabonis was one of the game’s first unicorns. Unfortunately, his super-dominant time in Europe that is so often glossed over didn’t last very long. He was very limited physically by age 24 due to major leg injuries, and it was around that time when he signed with an average Valladolid squad in Spain’s first division. Despite physical limitations, he still managed a sensational career in FIBA basketball and eventually enjoyed seven solid seasons as a center for the Trail Blazers.Sabonis will always be known as one of the biggest what-ifs in basketball, although major injury problems for players of his size are hardly uncommon. He displayed magnificent vision of the court and outside shooting when centers were not really doing those things. It was a joy to watch.