5 NBA Players whose nationalities you would have never guessed

Lauri Markkanen

Lauri Markkanen - Forward / Center for the Chicago Bulls, Lauri Markkanen had a breakthrough season last year and is from Finland, a small country bordering near Russia with a population of around 5.5 Million. Markkanen grew up in Finland and committed to play with Arizona Wildcats. Markkanen made his mark with the Wildcats, being the third team all American and also was a first-team All-Pac- 12. One of the brighter spots for the otherwise dismal season of the Chicago Bulls.

Al Horford – Center of the Boston Celtics and an important factor in their playoff success, Al Horford is from the Dominican Republic, a small island in the Caribbean. His father Tito Horford, played for around 3 years in the NBA along with an overseas stint. Horford moved his family to the USA in the year 2000 & that's where Al set several school records which remain unbroken even till date. He joined the stellar college program under Coach Billy Donovan at Florida before being picked by the Atlanta Hawks, with the 3rd overall pick, where he spent over 9 years.

Cheick Diallo – Forward from the Pelicans, he was an MVP of the McDonalds All American Game. Classic case of one and done from Kansas Jayhawks was picked 33rd overall by the LA Clippers and was traded to the Pelicans on the evening of the draft. Cheick comes from Mali, a landlocked country in West Africa, the 8th largest in Africa, a French Colony. He moved from Mali in 2012 in pursuit of a career in Basketball.

Skal Labissiere – Power Forward from the Kings, he played one year in Kentucky under Coach John Calipari and comes from the earthquake tormented small island of Haiti. Born in Port Au Prince, Skal and his brother and mother were trapped in the 2010 quake for over 3 hours and he moved a few months after the incident to the United States with the Reach Your Dream Foundation which brings international prospects to the States.

As the world becomes more and more connected, one feels this is only the beginning and more and more cultures and countries will be a part of this league.