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NBA: 30 greatest international players in league history

By Daniel Lubofsky

SAN ANTONIO - MAY 09: Guard Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball past Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 9, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
SAN ANTONIO - MAY 09: Guard Steve Nash #13 of the Phoenix Suns dribbles the ball past Tony Parker #9 of the San Antonio Spurs in Game Four of the Western Conference Semifinals during the 2010 NBA Playoffs at AT&T Center on May 9, 2010 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /
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Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets
Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets (Photo by Garrett Ellwood/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Greatest international NBA players of all time: 19. Nikola Jokic

The offensive package Nikola Jokic brings to the table doesn’t really make sense, even in the souped-up unicorn-rich NBA of today. He’s a seven-foot dough boy weighing in around 250 pounds, yet he brings the ball up the court consistently and can make passes most floor generals couldn’t if given 1,000 tries.

For as crowded as his hype train may be right now, that wasn’t always the case. Taken with the 41st overall pick back in 2014, he spent another year overseas before coming aboard the Denver Nuggets. For about a year and a half, he shared the frontcourt with Jusuf Nurkic, who also showed promise.

Denver tried to make the pairing work, even going so far as to pair the two on the court at the same time. In the end, the Nuggets had to make a choice for their long-term future. They shipped off Nurkic and put their faith in Jokic, a move that’s played out pretty well for them so far.

Jokic has played four seasons in the NBA, and each one has seen an increase — some big and others small — in his points, rebounds and assists per game. So far, those numbers have been topped off with a 2018-19 campaign that gave him his first All-Star appearance with averages of 20.1 points, 10.8 rebounds and 7.3 assists per game.

That assist average ranks third all-time among centers for a single season behind only two Wilt Chamberlain campaigns. Once he passes the 400-game threshold — and assuming he doesn’t fall off a cliff — his career 5.1 assists per game average will place him No. 1 in NBA history amongst his positional contemporaries.

After falling short of the playoffs the previous two years, the Nuggets burst onto the Western Conference playoff picture this year with 54 wins and the No. 2 seed. A loss in Game 7 of the conference-semis will sting for quite some time, but it won’t be the last we hear of this young bunch.

The NBA has seen great passing big men in the past, but none who outright run the show like Jokic. Only 23 years of age, the Serbian center still has plenty more room to grow. When those improvements come, Denver may be the team to beat in a league that’s finally seeing the end of one of its greatest dynasties.