The trend continues to strengthen over time: the margin that the United States has historically over the rest of the world in the NBA—and even in basketball in general—is smaller than ever. In addition to the number of international players who play today in the Great League (more than 100 in each exercise, since 2013/14!), you only have to take a look at the various individual awards to be convinced. .
Thus, this season, two non-American players – not to say three – have shared two of the five main distinctions – not to say three -: the Cameroonian Joel Embiid (MVP) and the Finn Lauri Markkanen (Progress of the year), without mentioning the case of the Italian-American Paolo Banchero (Rookie of the year).
The most prestigious of trophies, namely that of “Most Valuable Player”, has fallen squarely into the hands of a foreigner in the last five years (Giannis Antetokounmpo in 2019 and 2020, then Nikola Jokic in 2021 and 2022, before Joel Embiid in 2023), while the voting podium has only included international players for two years (Antetokounmpo-Embiid-Jokic)!
An observation that could also be made for the title of Defender of the Year, won six times by a non-American between 2013 and 2021 (Marc Gasol, Joakim Noah, Rudy Gobert, three times, and Giannis Antetokounmpo), even for Rookie of the Year, won four times by a foreigner between 2015 and 2019 (Andrew Wiggins, Karl-Anthony Towns, Ben Simmons and Luka Doncic), while Progression of the Year was won four times taken by an international player in the last ten (Goran Dragic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Pascal Siakam and Lauri Markkanen).
When is playoff dominance?
Proof that the rest of the world has been on a roll in recent seasons and, the latest example, is the composition of the 2023 “First All-NBA Team”, which leaves Jayson Tatum as the sole representative of the United States , with Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) to accompany him.
It is quite simply the first time that four non-American players have been invited to such a party in the best five, while Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania) appear in the second and third best respectively.
All that remains is to materialize this balance of forces in the playoffs, because there are still only four non-American Finals MVPs: Hakeem Olajuwon, Tony Parker, Dirk Nowitzki and finally Giannis Antetokounmpo. But maybe Joel Embiid or Nikola Jokic will join this list in a month, since Denver and Philadelphia can still dream of the title…
