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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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Arvydas Sabonis
Arvydas Sabonis (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Greatest international NBA players of all time: 22. Arvydas Sabonis

Arvydas Sabonis may have come to the NBA in the summer of 1995, but he was hardly set up to be your average rookie. A few overseas prospects may dabble in the EuroLeague before making the jump to the states, but Sabonis had already developed into a full-fledged star at the center spot.

From 1989-95, Sabonis played in Liga ACB, one of the top divisions in the Spanish basketball league. An intimidating 7’3” weighing approximately 279 pounds, there were very few who could keep a guy like him out of the paint. He averaged 20.4 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game.

Sabonis had actually been drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers, twice in fact, after an age minimum was violated in 1985. He almost attended Louisiana State University to maintain amateur status and spend time up in Portland in 1988 rehabbing an Achilles injury suffered a couple of years prior.

Despite x-rays that painted a grim picture of his body, the Blazers finally managed to bring Sabonis on board prior to the 1995-96 season as a 31-year-old rookie. His presence may have been strange, but he proved well worth the wait in averaging 14.5 points and 8.1 rebounds a game.

Having already been a consistent participant in the postseason, Portland would continue that streak with Sabonis in the fold. He even helped the Blazers to back-to-back Western Conference Finals in 1999 and 2000. If not for a blown 15-point fourth quarter lead in Game 7, they may have taken down the mighty Lakers en route to the 2000 NBA Finals.

Sabonis would average a modest 12.0 points and 7.3 rebounds a game in seven seasons, retiring for the 2001-02 season before returning for a final run. For his total basketball efforts, he was elected to the Hall of Fame. Had he joined the NBA at an earlier age, he had more than enough talent to establish himself as an all-time great.