In the landscape of the National Basketball Association (NBA), there have been so many great players. The impact that these players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Stephen Curry have had on the league has been great.
Nowadays, the NBA is beginning to be dominated by international players, especially from Europe. The players are becoming very popular amongst basketball fans and are available to bet on the Norwegian betting site, Norwegian betting site. With that said, here are the top 5 European players in the NBA today.
No. 5: Rudy Gobert (France, Center, Minnesota Timberwolves)
To start off this ranking, Rudy Gobert ranks as the No. 5 European in the NBA today. Gobert has been a defense force in the NBA for quite some time now. With four Defensive Player of the Year awards to his name, he has been known as one of the best defenders in the NBA.
Along with the awards, Gobert has been named to six NBA All-Defensive Teams and is a three time All Star selection. As long as he is on a team, Gobert will be a defensive force for the team.
No. 4: Victor Wembenyama (France, Center, San Antonio Spurs)
One of the greatest NBA draft prospects ranks as the No. 4 European in the NBA. The former No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft has already made a major impact on not only the San Antonio Spurs, but the entire league as well.
With a 7 feet 3.5 inches frame, Wembenyama has taken the league by storm with his immense shooting ability and athletic ability. As a rookie, he broke records and won Rookie of the Year honors.
Despite suffering a season ending injury back in March, Wembenyama averaged 24.3 points, 11 rebounds and 3.4 assists a game. With generational potential, Wembenyama will be a force to be reckoned with in the future of the league.
No. 3: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece, Forward, Milwaukee Bucks)
Better known as the “Greek Freak”, Giannis Antetokounmpo is one of the greatest European players to ever play in the NBA. The two-time MVP has been a force on both the offensive and defensive side of the ball, leading the Bucks to a NBA Championship during the 2020-21 season.
Antetokounmpo has also been selected as an All Star nine times along with the All-NBA team eight times. To top it all, he was named to the NBA 75th Anniversary team, which is a huge honor.
With the Bucks during the 2024-25 season, Antetokounmpo averaged 30.4 points, 11.9 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game, all while making the NBA Playoffs. His game is already legendary and he could go on to be one of the all-time greats and a future Hall-of-Famer.
No. 2: Luka Doncic (Slovenia, Guard/Forward, Los Angeles Lakers)
One of the greatest international basketball players of all time, Luka Doncic was one of the best youth basketball players, playing for Real Madrid while winning various youth awards, before being drafted by the Atlanta Hawks No. 3 overall in the 2018 NBA Draft. Doncic was traded to the Dallas Mavericks on draft night in exchange for the Mavericks’ selection of Trae Young out of Oklahoma.
While with Dallas, Doncic won Rookie of the Year, was a five-time all star, five-time All NBA selection, led Dallas to the NBA Finals during the 2023-24 season and even led the league in scoring during that same season.
This past season, the NBA Twitterverse was flipped upside down when news broke that the Mavericks had traded Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers to join LeBron James. Despite being eliminated in the first round of the NBA Playoffs this year, Doncic will help lead the Lakers to great things in the near future.
No. 1: Nikola Jokic (Serbia, Center, Denver Nuggets)
Already being considered as one of the best centers of all time, Nikola Jokic (“The Joker”) was only selected in the second round of the NBA Draft. He redefined expectations with now being a multiple time All Star, All-NBA Selection, NBA Champion and a three-time MVP.
Jokic just fell short of a fourth MVP in 2025, but averaged a triple-double with 29.6 points, 12.7 rebounds and 10.2 assists per game.
He’s truly a unique talent, reaching the top of his sport despite lacking traditional athleticism. It will be fun to watch for the next few years to see how far Jokic can go in basketball and that’s why he’s the best European in the NBA today.
Main Image: © Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images
