A few decades ago, the majority of players in the NBA used to be from the United States. But with time, it has changed, and a lot more overseas players are now getting a chance to showcase their talent in the league.
Dallas Mavericks superstar Dirk Nowitzki certainly helped in paving the way for them. In fact, some of the best players in the NBA right now are overseas players.
The likes of Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid have all become fan favorites in just a few years. But does the rise of European players mean that the American players are lacking somewhere?
After all, the last four NBA MVPs have been overseas players, and it’s not that common for it to happen in the league.
Kendrick Perkins With A Fair Warning For American Players
NBA analyst Kendrick Perkins has always been known for his blunt takes. He is never shy about sharing his takes, even if they might sound a little too out of the box to fans,
One of his most recent controversial takes was when he compared Nikola Jokic to NBA legend Hakeem Olajuwon. In the same video, Perkins also talked about why NBA GMs are slowly but surely investing more in European players.
(Starts at 12:50)
“When I look at Jokic, when I look at Giannis, when I look at Luka and I even look at Embiid, okay, those are four of the top seven players in the NBA in my opinion and they are European players, okay. But I look at how they carry themselves, right. They show up to work every day. They are always available unless they have some type of serious injury. They play every minute, they never disappoint fans and they never get into trouble. They always about family so they’re bringing a certain level of culture right?
I think they’re okay with two separate groups because if you watch them Giannis has already said I don’t want to work out with guys. Luka is over there doing his own thing, Jokic is over there riding horses and working out. Like, they don’t care, they actually embraced that. And so, when I look at there mentality and the way that they approach the game, it’s like, yeah, like if Americans don’t get their act together, sooner or later, the front offices are going to be invested more into the European players. And I think they’re right because the trust is there.”
Perkins questions the work ethics of American players in the video as he believes that they aren’t that focused on the game.
On the other hand, he believes the players like Giannis, Luka, and Jokic are a lot more focused. They tend to play more games and keep themselves out of trouble most of the time. As per Perkins, this develops a sense of trust for NBA GMs and is one of the biggest reasons why they are slowly shifting towards investing in overseas players.
