With the New Jersey Nets and the Los Angeles Lakers having reached NBA Finals 2002, the number of international players who have taken the floor in the Finals has grown. That number is now set at 22 – from 15 countries – thanks to the addition of Slava Medvedenko. Here's a quick look at the international presence in the Finals:
 MacCulloch |
- Rick Fox (Canada) joins Mychal Thompson (Bahamas) and Toni Kukoc (Croatia) as the only international players to appear in three NBA Finals.
- Slava Medvedenko (Ukraine) becomes the first player from his nation to play in the NBA Finals.
With the Nets reaching the Finals:
- Todd MacCulloch (Canada) joins Zan Tabak (Croatia) as the only international players to appear in the NBA Finals with two different teams.
ALL-TIME INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS IN THE NBA FINALS:
Australia / Luc Longley / Chicago (1996, 1997, 1998)
Bahamas / Mychal Thompson / L.A. Lakers (1987, 1988, 1991)
Canada / Rick Fox / L.A. Lakers (2000, 2001, 2002)
Canada / Todd MacCulloch / Philadelphia (2001); New Jersey (2002)
Canada / Mike Smrek / L.A. Lakers (1987, 1988)
Canada / Bill Wennington / Chicago (1996, 1997, 1998)
Congo / Dikembe Mutombo / Philadelphia (2001)
Croatia / Toni Kukoc / Chicago (1996, 1997, 1998)
Croatia / Zan Tabak / Houston (1995); Indiana (2000)
Egypt / Alaa Abdelnaby / Portland (1992)
Germany / Detlef Schrempf / Seattle (1996)
Holland / Hank Beenders / Philadelphia (1948)
Holland / Rik Smits / Indiana (2000)
Jamaica / Patrick Ewing / New York (1994, 1999)
Nigeria / Hakeem Olajuwon / Houston (1994, 1995)
Slovakia / Richard Petruska / Houston (1994)
Ukraine / Slava Medvedenko / L.A. Lakers (2002)
Venezuela / Carl Herrera / Houston (1994, 1995)
U.S. Virgin Islands / Raja Bell / Philadelphia (2001)
U.S. Virgin Islands / Tim Duncan / San Antonio (1999)
Yugoslavia / Vlade Divac / L.A. Lakers (1991)
Yugoslavia / Drazen Petrovic / Portland (1990)
