From Jokic’s MVP Dominance to Dirk’s Fadeaway, These Legends Changed the Game
The Rise of International NBA Stars
The NBA is growing internationally, no doubt. What used to be a sport dominated by Americans has grown to a level where some of the best talent in the league now comes from outside the United States. If you’d like to know more about the betting opportunities for NBA international players, just click here.
That said, a large part of the population of NBA players is African American. In fact, 70% of the NBA is African American, according to a report in 2023. White NBA players only make up 17.5% of the NBA. With so much European talent joining the NBA from the EuroLeague and other top European leagues, the number of white NBA players has risen slightly over the last few years from 2020.
Some of the greatest NBA players of all time have been white. Many regard Larry Bird as the greatest white NBA player of all time. However, we’re focusing on the international players for now, and there is no shortage of talent when looking at the list.
Dirk Nowitzki
If Larry Bird isn’t the greatest white NBA player of all time, it has to be Dirk Nowitzki. I dare you to talk bad about Nowitzki to someone who lives in Dallas, because that man is a state-wide treasure in Texas, and for good reason.
Nowitzki has the record for most seasons played with one team, and he started his career with the Dallas Mavericks in 1998 and stayed for 21 seasons, staying loyal his entire career. He also helped bring the city their only NBA championship in franchise history.
The German phenomenon changed the way big men play ball. Standing at 7’ 0”, dirty Dirk was one of the best shooting big men in the league, and his patented one-foot fadeaway will be remembered forever. Nowitzski retired just a few years ago in 2019 and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2023.
Steve Nash
Steve Nash is one of the best white point guards in NBA history, up there with John Stockton. Nash is an interesting international selection, because he was actually born in South Africa, but is listed as a Canadian player as he moved there in his childhood and went to school in Canada.
Nash went on one of the greatest runs in NBA history, as he is the only player in NBA history with four 50-40-90 seasons (50% field goal percentage, 40% three-point field goal percentage, 90% free throw percentage), and he did it in a span of five seasons, from 2005-2010.
Nash is a Hall-of-Famer and an 8-time NBA All-Star. He also won back-to-back MVP selections in 2004 and 2005. Nash also led the league in assists per game in five of seven seasons in a stretch from 2004-2011. This man’s accolades pile up and make him an all-time great.
Manu Ginobili
Manu Ginobili is one of only two basketball players to ever win a EuroLeague title, an Olympic gold medal, and an NBA championship all in one career. He was also the first Argentinian NBA player ever, paving the way for the rush of EuroLeague talent to the NBA.
While Ginobili’s solo accolades don’t compare to Nowitzki’s or Nash’s, he has the most NBA championships on this list with four. Ginobili got very close to winning multiple MVPs, finishing top five in voting twice.
Much like Nowitzki, Ginobili spent his entire career with one team, the Spurs. Ginobili’s impact in San Antonio is rivaled by few others, and he is cemented as one of the best sixth-mans to ever play in the NBA.
Nikola Jokic
Now on to the modern talent. Nikola Jokic is already shaping up to be one of the most dominant players of all time, and he’s still only 29. The Serbian legend is the best white NBA player right now, as he completely shifts the dynamic of the Denver Nuggets when he is or isn’t on the court.
Nicknamed “Joker”, Jokic has won the MVP award in three of the last four seasons (2021, 2022, and 2024), and finished second in voting in 2023 which would have made it four MVPs in a row. He has already brought the Nuggets one championship in 2023, and more are likely on the horizon.
Jokic has been selected as an NBA All-Star in six straight seasons, and it is hard to imagine he won’t make it seven in 2025. Joker is one of the most versatile big men to ever play in the NBA, and he will easily be a Hall-of-Famer when it’s all said and done.
Luka Doncic
Luka Doncic is one of the most clutch players in NBA history. He can play and score from anywhere on the floor and comes alive when his team needs him. The Slovenian phenom has only played in the NBA for six seasons and has been an All-Star selection in five of them, missing only his rookie season. In the 2023-2024 season, he led the NBA in scoring with 33.9 points per game.
Luka can carry a team on his back like few others, and he will go down in history as one of the best white point guards of all time when he retires. However, he is only 25 years old, and he hopefully has a very long career still ahead of him.
