Former EuroLeague players in NBA: Doncic and Wembanyama in the mix / News - Basketnews.com
Currently, 38 former EuroLeague players have transitioned to the NBA. Oklahoma City Thunder have the most extensive EuroLeague experience among all teams, totaling 293 games collectively.
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Credit Getty Images via AFP, Reuters, AFP, AP, ZUMAPRESS.com, USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con - Scanpix, Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images BasketNews has already explored how many ex-NBA players compete in the EuroLeague, but now let's shift our focus in the opposite direction.
Bogdan Bogdanovic
MIN:26.62PTS:15.83 (50.81%)REB:3.11As:2.44ST:1.44BL:0.33TO:1.39GM:18ProfileNBA2023/2024Currently, 38 former EuroLeague players are making their mark in the NBA. Among them, 18 have found a home in Eastern Conference teams, while the Western Conference boasts 20.
Breaking it down further, a majority of these players -- precisely 31 -- hail from various European countries. Additionally, there are four Australians (Joe Ingles, Dante Exum, Jock Landale, Duop Reath), two Americans (Patrick Beverley, Anthony Gill), and one Senegalese player (Ibou Badji).
When it comes to NBA teams maintaining these EuroLeague alumni, the Philadelphia 76ers, Washington Wizards, Orlando Magic, and Oklahoma City Thunder lead the pack with three players each -- the highest representation among all 30 teams.
OKC also emerges as the team with the most extensive EuroLeague experience, with a collective 293 EuroLeague games among their players -- Vasilije Micic, Davis Bertans, and Aleksej Pokusevski.
The Sacramento Kings (247 games) follow them, and the Dallas Mavericks (143) round out the top three.
The first two teams in this category not only have the most EuroLeague experience but also feature players who made a recent leap to the NBA at a mature age, both being former EuroLeague MVPs.
Thunder guard Micic stands out with 229 EuroLeague games under his belt, spanning nine seasons. The 29-year-old Serbian experienced a significant bounce in his game from 2018 to 2023 during his time with Anadolu Efes Istanbul.
The 29-year-old Serbian became EuroLeague MVP in 2021, won two consecutive championships in 2021 and 2022, and racked up the back-to-back EuroLeague Final Four MVP award in the same two years.
Ricard Rubio
Team:Cleveland CavaliersPosition:PGAge:33Height:193 cmWeight:86 kgBirth place:Barcelona, SpainProfileNewsStatisticsMeanwhile, Kings forward Sasha Vezenkov falls just one game short of Micic in terms of EuroLeague matches played. The 28-year-old reigning EuroLeague MVP is also a two-time All-EuroLeague First Team selection in 2022 and 2023 but has yet to secure a EuroLeague title.
Last season, Vezenkov and his former team, Olympiacos Piraeus, came agonizingly close to the trophy but ultimately lost a nail-biting EuroLeague final against Real Madrid by a single point (78-79), sealed by a game-winning shot.
2023-24 NBA players with the most EuroLeague appearances
No. Player EuroLeague games Seasons in EuroLeague Points per game 1. Vasilije Micic 229 9 13.1 2. Sasha Vezenkov 228 8 9.6 3. Bogdan Bogdanovic 108 5 12.3 4. Cedi Osman 98 4 6.7 5. Joe Ingles 95 4 5.6 6. Bojan Bogdanovic 87 6 13.8 7. Luka Doncic 80 3 10.6 8. Simone Fontecchio 77 5 8.8 9. Anthony Gill 70 3 10.5 10-11. Ricky Rubio 63 4 5.5 Dante Exum 63 2 10.4Micic is one of five EuroLeague champions who now play in the NBA. He shares this distinction with Ingles, Ricky Rubio, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Luka Doncic.
The latter superstar is undoubtedly the most famous ex-EuroLeague athlete gracing the NBA court.
A four-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team member, Doncic was 13 when he joined Real Madrid and went on to become the youngest EuroLeague and EuroLeague Final Four MVP, guiding the Royal club to the 2018 title at age 19.
Beyond his on-court achievements, Doncic has been arguably the most prominent promoter of EuroLeague basketball in the U.S. Every time he praises the competition or says good words about Real, it gets headlines.
As such, Doncic has raised awareness of the league's quality and passion, revealing that he watches more EuroLeague than NBA games.
Atlanta Hawks shooting guard Bogdanovic is another player worth mentioning in this category.
Following a dominant 2017 season, Bogi departed from Europe after earning a spot in the All-EuroLeague First Team and playing a crucial role in Fenerbahce Istanbul's EuroLeague triumph.
EuroLeague champions in 2023-24 NBA season
Player Team Winning year Games that season PPG that season Vasilije Micic Anadolu Efes Istanbul 2021, 2022 40 and 34 16.7 and 18.2 Luka Doncic Real Madrid 2018 35 16.0 Bogdan Bogdanovic Fenerbahce Istanbul 2017 22 14.6 Joe Ingles Maccabi Tel Aviv 2014 30 6.4 Ricky Rubio FC Barcelona 2010 22 6.8EuroLeague players generally take two main paths when transitioning to the NBA. The first involves seasoned players who depart for the NBA after achieving (almost) everything in the EuroLeague.
The second path is grabbed by young talents who take a direct leap into the U.S. basketball environment as top EuroLeague prospects.
A vivid example of the latter trend could have been Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. While he might have followed the direct jump route, he decided to spend a season outside the EuroLeague with Metropolitans 92 before moving to the NBA.
Despite leaving Europe with just 13 games of EuroLeague action, Wembanyama's draft stock remained extremely high. In fact, he even surpasses nine current NBA players in terms of EuroLeague experience gained during his time with ASVEL Villuerbanne in 2021-22.
Current NBA players who have played in Europe, but not in the EuroLeague: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Svi Mykhailiuk, Kristaps Porzingis, Neemias Queta, Evan Fournier, Royce O'Neale, Nikola Jovic, Garrett Temple, Dennis Schroder, Jakob Poeltl, Nikola Vucevic, Bilal Coulibaly, Mike Muscala, Franz Wagner, LaMelo Ball, Killian Hayes, Malcolm Cazalon, Justin Holiday, Nikola Jokic, Vlatko Cancar, Bismack Biyombo, Alex Len, Jordan Ford, Xavier Moon, P. J. Tucker, Ivica Zubac, Rudy Gobert, Ousmane Dieng, Maxi Kleber, Luka Samanic, Lauri Markkanen, Ish Wainright, Rayan Rupert, Jae'Sean Tate, Alperen Sengun, Jeremy Sochan, and Sidy Cissoko.
Former EuroLeague players per NBA team
Eastern Conference
Milwaukee Bucks
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Thanasis Antetokounmpo Panathinaikos 62Total: 62 games
Boston Celtics
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games - - - -Total: 0 games
Philadelphia 76ers
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Furkan Korkmaz Anadolu Efes 40 2. Nicolas Batum Le Mans Sarthe, SLUC Nancy (2011 lockout) 31 3. Patrick Beverley Olympiacos 19Total: 90 games
Cleveland Cavaliers
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Ricky Rubio Joventut Badalona, Barcelona 63Total: 63 games
New York Knicks
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Isaiah Hartenstein Zalgiris 5Total: 5 games
Brooklyn Nets
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games - - - -Total: 0 games
Miami Heat
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games - - - -Total: 0 games
Atlanta Hawks
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Bogdan Bogdanovic Partizan, Fenerbahce 108 2. Clint Capela Elan Chalon 7Total: 115 games
Toronto Raptors
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games - - - -Total: 0 games
Chicago Bulls
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Onuralp Bitim Anadolu Efes 4Total: 4 games
Indiana Pacers
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games - - - -Total: 0 games
Washington Wizards
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Anthony Gill Khimki Moscow Region 70 2. Deni Avdija Maccabi Tel Aviv 34 3. Danilo Gallinari Olimpia Milano 19Total: 123 games
Orlando Magic
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Joe Ingles Barcelona, Maccabi Tel Aviv 95 2. Goga Bitadze Buducnost Podgorica 13 3. Moritz Wagner ALBA Berlin 2Total: 110 games
Charlotte Hornets
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Theo Maledon ASVEL 22 2. Frank Ntilikina SIG Strasbourg 4Total: 26 games
Detroit Pistons
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Bojan Bogdanovic Real Madrid, Cibona Zagreb, Fenerbahce 87Total: 87 games
Western Conference
Denver Nuggets
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games - - - -Total: 0 games
Memphis Grizzlies
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games - - - -Total: 0 games
Sacramento Kings
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Sasha Vezenkov Barcelona, Olympiacos 228 2. Domantas Sabonis Unicaja Malaga 19Total: 247 games
Phoenix Suns
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Jusuf Nurkic Cedevita Zagreb 6Total: 6 games
Los Angeles Clippers
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Daniel Theis Brose Bamberg 54Total: 54 games
Golden State Warriors
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Dario Saric KK Zagreb, Anadolu Efes 55 2. Usman Garuba Real Madrid 53Total: 108 games
Los Angeles Lakers
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games - - - -Total: 0 games
Minnesota Timberwolves
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games - - - -Total: 0 games
New Orleans Pelicans
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Jonas Valanciunas Rytas Vilnius 15Total: 15 games
Oklahoma City Thunder
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Vasilije Micic Bayern, Crvena Zvezda, Zalgiris, Anadolu Efes 229 2. Davis Bertans Olimpija Ljubljana, Partizan, Baskonia 61 3. Aleksej Pokusevski Olympiacos 3Total: 293 games
Dallas Mavericks
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Luka Doncic Real Madrid 80 2. Dante Exum Barcelona, Partizan 63Total: 143 games
Utah Jazz
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Simone Fontecchio Olimpia Milano, ALBA Berlin, Baskonia 77 2. Omer Yurtseven Fenerbahce 11Total: 88 games
Portland Trail Blazers
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Duop Reath Crvena Zvezda 23 2. Ibou Badji Barcelona 3Total: 26 games
Houston Rockets
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Boban Marjanovic Zalgiris, CSKA Moscow, Crvena Zvezda 48 2. Jock Landale Zalgiris Kaunas 25Total: 73 games
San Antonio Spurs
No. Player Teams EuroLeague games 1. Cedi Osman Anadolu Efes 98 2. Victor Wembanyama ASVEL Villeurbanne 13Total: 111 games
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