Kendrick Perkins was asked to reveal who he believes are the 5 greatest international players in the history of the league on ESPN’s NBA Today. He named Nikola Jokic, Hakeem Olajuwon, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dirk Nowitzki, and Manu Ginobili as the best international players to ever play in the league’s history.
The list isn’t controversial by any means, as many consider all of these players to be the best-ever international stars in the league. However, one could make the argument that Steve Nash, who is Canadian, could be on the list. Another case can also be made for Ginobili’s long-time teammate Tony Parker, who was French.
In the last 10 years, the NBA has seen an influx of foreign superstars, and these players have come to dominate the league. This is reflected in the NBA’s last six MVP winners. The league has not had an American MVP since 2018, when James Harden won the award. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Nikola Jokic, and Joel Embiid have dominated the award since 2019.
Last year, the NBA’s top 3 in the MVP voting were Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Luka Doncic. This was the third year in a row that no American players were in the top 3 of the MVP voting. The last Americans to make the top 3 of the MVP voting in the last five seasons are LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and James Harden.
The NBA has a wealth of superstars from all over the world. The success of these players has done wonders for the popularity of the league, and the sport of basketball as a whole across the globe. These foreign players becoming stars in the NBA helps attract fans from their home country, and other fans of theirs to the league.
When Will The NBA Get An American MVP Again?
With Nikola Jokic winning his third career MVP, the NBA is yet to see an American MVP this decade. The 2020s have been dominated by foreign stars, and with the way they have been playing, it doesn’t look like this will change anytime soon. More and more foreign stars are taking the leap to superstardom each year.
Many expect Luka Doncic to play a massive role in the MVP race next season. Doncic has been phenomenal in the last few years, but what has held him back from being a serious contender in the MVP race has been the Mavericks’ poor record. That changed this year, as he finally made the top 3 in the voting.
Doncic now has a much better roster around him on the Mavericks, with Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson now providing backup to him. If the Mavs are able to secure a top-4 seed in the Western Conference, and Doncic puts up similar, if not better numbers next season, he could be named the NBA MVP.
However, young American players are starting to emerge as stars in the league, with players like Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, and Paolo Banchero reaching their full potential.
Edwards is also expected to be a key figure in the MVP race next season, many believe Ja Morant will have a stellar comeback season. Will they be able to offset the new crop of elite European stars like Victor Wembanyama? We will have to see in the years to come.
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