Top 10 international players to have played in the NBA

#8 Yao Ming (China)

Yao Ming combined great rim protection with the ability to hit mid-range jump shots

Honors: 8x All-Star, 2x All-Nba 2nd Team, 3x All-Nba 3rd Team

Career Averages: 19 points, 9.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks

Injuries prevented Yao Ming from being higher up the list, for when he was healthy, he was one of the best big men in the NBA. Yao combined great rim protection with the ability to hit mid range jump shots, which was rare for a man of his height.

In 2006-07, Yao averaged 25 points and almost 10 rebounds, showing his potential to become one of the all-time great bigs, but his body was breaking down. He only played 48 games that season, in fact, he didn't manage to play 80 games in a season since his 3rd campaign. It was a shame considering it looked like Yao and Tracy McGrady could become a great 1-2 option for Houston.

Apart from injuries, another reason for him being lower on the list is the fact that he only managed to advance past the 1st round of the playoffs once in his career.