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Time was, choosing an international player in the NBA Draft also meant a team choosing to wait several years to see a return on its investment. Arvydas Sabonis of Lithuania, who was drafted by Portland in the first round of the 1986 NBA Draft, didn’t wear a Blazers uniform until 1995. Toni Kukoc of Croatia was selected by the Chicago Bulls in the second round in 1990, and didn’t see his first action with the club until 1993. Peja Stojakovic of Yugoslavia was chosen by Sacramento in the first round in 1996, and didn’t enter the NBA until 1999.
 Grizzlies forward Pau Gasol was named NBA Rookie of the Month for November. Joe Murphy NBAE/Getty Images |
Gasol was the third overall selection by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2001 draft before his rights were dealt to Memphis. One month into his NBA career, he leads the Grizzlies in scoring (15.5 ppg), and paces all first-year players in scoring and rebounding (6.6 rpg). Parker, the final pick of the first round this year by San Antonio, is starting and averaging 11.2 points and 4.6 assists for the Spurs.
So why has the rate of return increased in recent years? Just ask Germany’s Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks, who like Stojakovic joined the NBA in 1999, and is now considered among the elite players in the game.
“You saw it when the Lithuanian team almost beat the Dream Team in the Olympics,” said Nowitzki, who leads the Mavericks in scoring (24.3 ppg) and rebounding (8.8 rpg). “It just shows that Europe has a lot of talent. The leagues are good over there. The players are getting better every year. They’re very good with fundamental skills; they can all shoot and move. I think Europe will continue to bring players over here that will have an impact on the NBA.”
The league features 51 international players from 30 countries and territories on team rosters. Other international rookies of note include Seattle’s Vladimir Radmanovic of Yugoslavia (4.6 ppg, 2.7 rpg); Utah’s Andrei Kirilenko of Russia (9.0 ppg, 5.4 rpg), originally drafted in 1999; and Detroit’s Zelijko Rebraca of Yugoslavia (8.5 ppg, 4.5 rpg), originally drafted in 1994 by Seattle.
In 2000, Hidayet Turkoglu (Turkey) and Jake Tsakalidis (Greece) were both selected in the first round. After being eased into the rotation, Turkoglu went on to capture NBA All-Rookie Second Team honors. This year, he’s averaging 11.2 points and 4.8 rebounds in 23.9 minutes. Tsakalidis started down the stretch last year for Phoenix and this year is averaging 6.0 points and 4.9 rebounds.
The international trend has extended beyond the draft. Houston’s Oscar Torres (Venezuela) was signed as a free agent on September 10, 2001. The Rockets had scouted him for several years, but finally brought him in this season for a tryout. He is now a solid contributor off the bench, averaging 6.5 points.
“Five years ago they probably weren’t ready,” said New Jersey Nets President Rod Thorn. “One of the advantages foreign players have is playing against more experienced players and pretty talented players. A player of comparable age might be further along than a player in the United States because of the competition.”
Rob Reheuser is a member of the NBA Editorial staff.
