2 Kings Legends Listed as Top 20 International Basketball Players Ever
The NBA has flourished as a league full of international talent and continues to grow outside of the United States. In the 2022-23 NBA season, Philadelphia 76ers C Joel Embiid (Cameroon), Denver Nuggets C Nikola Jokic (Serbia), Milwaukee Bucks F Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), and Oklahoma City Thunder G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) all finished in the top five for MVP voting.
HoopsHype ranked the 77 greatest international basketball players of all time, with a couple of Sacramento Kings greats finding their way toward the top.
Kings F Peja Stojakovic was ranked 17th, and C Vlade Divac fell to 20th. Stojakovic and Divac, two Serbian greats, were vital pieces to multiple talented Kings squads, including the 2001-02 Western Conference Finals team.
Stojakovic had a Hall of Fame-caliber career, as HoopsHype summarizes his greatness in the NBA:
Generally remembered as the second wheel on those fun Chris Webber-led Sacramento King teams of the early 2000s, Predrag Stojakovic was among the best shooters in the NBA during his time. He had phenomenal size for a small forward and a jumper that would so often hit nothing but net. Stojakovic led the league in free-throw shooting accuracy twice and shot over 40 percent from three for his career.
The three-time All-Star won an NBA Championship late in his career with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011. Stojakovic also won a World Cup gold medal, a Eurobasket gold medal, and Eurobasket MVP honors.
Divac was elected to the Hall of Fame in 2010, as HoopsHype tells about his career as well:
Best known for his time with the Kings, Vlade Divac was a charismatic figure in the game for many years. Divac was perhaps the best passing center in the game during his time in the league, and though he didn’t really work on his body a lot, he still had a phenomenal career both in the league and FIBA competitions with Yugoslavia.
Despite a 16-year NBA career, Divac made the most of his career while international. The one-time NBA All-Star won two World Cup gold medals and is a three-time Eurobasket gold medalist.
While neither Divac nor Stojakovic won NBA championships with the Kings, they are Sacramento legends and are being recognized as international greats.
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