In today's NBA, several European players have made a name for themselves. German-born Dirk Nowitzki, Spaniard Pau Gasol, and Turkey's Hedo Turkoglu are just a few examples.
Sure, Europeans are enjoying some major success in the league now, but it hasn't always been like that. Until the 1980s, seeing a European player in the NBA was basically unheard of.
In the 1981 draft, the Portland Trail Blazers selected Iceland native Petur Gudmundsson with the 61st overall pick. The former University of Washington star appeared in 68 games for the Blazers in 1981-82 posting averages of 3.2 points and 2.7 rebounds per contest.
Although Gudmundsson didn't exactly put up eye-popping numbers, he still had made history by becoming the first ever European to play in the league.
A guy by the name of Georgi Glouchkov was the first player from an Eastern bloc country. The 148th overall pick of the 1985 draft, he is widely considered as the one who "paved the way" for Europeans since he didn't play any college ball.
Glouchkov began the 1985-86 season in the Phoenix Suns' rotation as a rebounding machine, but as the year progressed, he started to put on excessive amounts of weight. People say it was because he loved American fast food and candy.
Glouchkov entered training camp the following year 25 pounds lighter, but was still cut by the Suns before the regular season got under way. He then returned to Europe where he played professionally until 2003.
In 1989, Vlade Divac made his debut with the Los Angeles Lakers replacing the retired Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Vlade didn't quite fill Kareem's shoes, but he did help the Lakers reach the Finals in 1991.
He went on to have a solid career and was a key member of those exciting Sacramento Kings teams of the early 2000's.
Drazen Petrovic also entered the league in '89. "Petro" spent his first year and a half coming off Portland's bench before being traded to the New Jersey Nets. With the Nets he blossomed into a star averaging over 20 points per game in his two full seasons with the team.
Sadly, Petrovic was killed in an automobile accident in Germany in the summer of 1993 leaving fans wondering "what if." If he hadn't died early, he may have emerged as one of the greatest players of all time.
Meanwhile, Detlef Schrempf, the winner of the Sixth Man Award in both 1991 and 1992, earned a trip to the 1993 All-Star Game. He was named an All-Star in 1995 and 1997 as well.
Prior to the 1993-94 season, Toni Kukoc made his way onto the scene with the defending champion Chicago Bulls. Nicknamed the "Croatian Sensation", the 6'11" forward was a valuable player off the bench during the Bulls' second three peat.
Arvydas Sabonis finally stepped onto the NBA hardwood in 1995 as a 31-year old rookie. The 7'3" center was drafted by the Blazers in 1986, but had opted to remain overseas.
Sabonis played seven solid seasons in Portland, but if he had entered the league years earlier, he may have went down as one of the games most unstoppable centers.
The 1996 draft produced two more All-Stars: Peja Stojakovic and Zydrunas Ilgauskas. Peja emerged as one of the league's most feared shooters, while "Big Z" has served as a reliable center for the Cleveland Cavaliers.
1998 saw the entrance of Nowitzki, the European who has perhaps enjoyed the most individual success in the NBA. He is an eight-time All-Star and the only European to be named league MVP. There's no doubt that he will wind up in the Hall of Fame once his career is over.
Tony Parker and Gasol arrived via the 2001 draft. Parker helped the San Antonio Spurs win three titles and became the first European-born player to win Finals MVP. Gasol was named Rookie of the Year in 2002 and of course, teamed with Kobe Bryant to bring another championship to L.A.
In closing, we are all aware of the impact that Europeans have had in the NBA over the last 20 years or so, but the question is, "Who will be that next guy?
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