Top 10 international players to have played in the NBA

#1 Hakeem Olajuwon (Nigeria)

Hakeem had a rare combination of size, skill and agility

Honors: 2x NBA Champion, 1x MVP, 2x Finals MVP, 12x All-Star, 6x All Nba 1st Team, 3x All NBA 2nd Team, 3x All NBA 3rd Team, 2x Defensive Player of the Year, 5x NBA All-Defensive 1st Team, 4x NBA All-Defensive 2nd Team

Career Averages: 21.8 points, 11.1 rebounds, 3.1 blocks, 2.5 assists

There can hardly be any debate as to who is first on this list, as Olajuwon was that damn good. Nicknamed the Dream, Hakeem had a rare combination of size, skill and agility which made him one of the best scorers in the post. These skills helped him perfect the iconic Dream Shake wherein he used to fake one way then spin the other and score before the defender could properly contest.

Hakeem was also a dominant defensive presence and is the all-time leader in Blocked shots with 3,830 (almost 600 blocks clear of Mutombo in 2nd). He won MVP, Defensive Player of the Year and the NBA title in 1994, but his greatest performance came in the playoffs the following year.

Matched up with the Spurs who had reigning MVP David Robinson among their ranks, Olajuwon proceeded to dominate Robinson in one of the most memorable playoff encounters ever. After dumping out the Spurs, the Rockets went on to win the title again.

There are some top young international players coming up in the NBA now, like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Joel Embiid, Kristaps Porzingis, Nikola Jokic and Rudy Gobert who could potentially make the list if they continue their growth.

Giannis perhaps has a shot at getting top spot from Olajuwon if he continues to put up freakish numbers and wins a title. It does seem unlikely. however. Hakeem was one of a kind and we likely won't see another one like him ever again.