By Semih Altınbaş / info@eurohoops.net
Sergio Llull is the current example of what Nikos Galis or Dejan Bodiroga were in the past. A star player, with a great career in Europe, though he decided not to play in the NBA.
With that in mind, the Draft is a great opportunity for many young players to land to the best league in the world, but for one reason or another, the following 15 players who were picked by NBA franchise after the turn of this century never made the leap. Still, they left their mark in the sport while playing in Europe. Obviously, we have left out those with options to sign for NBA franchises in the near future, such as Nikola Milutinov and Vasilije Micic.
Some of the following names have even been first-round picks, though chose to stay in the Old Continent:
Fran Vázquez
Country: Spain
NBA Draft: 2005 / 1st Round, 11th pick – Orlando Magic
Perhaps one of the most unique cases on the list. Fran Vázquez was one of the highest picks on the list and has been chosen ahead of players like Danny Green, Gerald Green, Nate Robinson, or David Lee, who had major roles in the NBA for many years.
Axel Hervelle
Country: Belgium
NBA Draft: 2005 / 2nd Round – 52nd pick – Denver Nuggets
Five seasons in the Euroleague and another eight seasons in the EuroCup endorse the career of Axel Hervelle, a legendary player in European basketball.
At the end of his first season as a Real Madrid player, at age 22, he was selected by the Denver Nuggets, becoming the first Belgian to have achieved this. His rights were transferred a couple of times. The last one, on November 27, 2020, three days before his retirement.
Robertas Javtokas
Country: Lithuania
NBA Draft: 2001 / 2nd Round, 55th pick – San Antonio Spurs
Robertas Javtokas was one of the most valuable bigs in Lithuanian basketball, especially in the 2000s. Although Arvydas Sabonis was obviously still the great reference, the player with the tattooed shark on his arm made a name for himself in Europe.
Javtokas won the EuroCup with Rytas Vilnius in 2005 and the Euroleague with Panathinaikos in 2007, as well as going through a run with Valencia Basket.
Milos Vujanic
Country: Serbia
NBA Draft: 2002 / 2nd Round, 36th pick – New York Knicks
Milos Vujanic is one of the biggest names of the 2000s. The Serbian guard was twice chosen in the Second Best Five of the Euroleague and, at just 22 years old, he became the top scorer in the competition after averaging 25.8 points with Partizan.
Knee injuries prevented one of the greatest talents in European basketball from playing in the NBA, although he has reached the Euroleague title with Panathinaikos.
Sani Becirovic
Country: Slovenia
NBA Draft: 2003 / 2nd Round, 46th pick – Denver Nuggets
Sani Becirovic was part of the great Virtus Bologna after making himself known as a player with Olimpija between 1999 and 2001.
In his first season in Italy, Becirovic failed to win the Euroleague title with Virtus after losing to Panathinaikos in the final, though five years later, luck was on his side as he won the title with the Greens in 2007!
Sofoklis Schortsanitis
Country: Greece
NBA Draft: 2003 / 2nd Round, 34th pick – Los Angeles Clippers
I guess we can’t find many European basketball lovers who don’t know Sofoklis Schortsanitis. Whether because of his physical characteristics or because of his nickname, Baby Shaq, he is a mythical player.
However, in addition to these details, he was a very effective player in the paint. He didn’t have the physique to make a career in the NBA, but he has always been indefensible in the Euroleague.
Erazem Lorbek
Country: Slovenia
NBA Draft: 2006 / 2nd Round, 46th pick – Indiana Pacers
Along with Matjaz Smodis, Erazem Lorbek belongs in the best 4 of Slovenian basketball. In fact, they were teammates at Fortitudo Bologna between 2003 and 2005.
Lorbek, who played in the Euroleague final with Fortitudo Bologna after training in the United States with Michigan State, was finally able to win the European title with Barcelona in 2010. Despite his university experience, he never played in the NBA
Petteri Koponen
Country: Finland
NBA Draft: 2007 / 1st Round, 30th pick – Philadelphia 76ers
Petteri Koponen is one of the most important names in Finnish basketball. The Nordic countries may not produce many stars, but those that do appear have relevant roles on their teams.
Koponen’s best weapon is his perimeter shooting, which helped him to be picked in the 1st round, but couldn’t ultimately develop a career in the NBA.
Georgios Printezis
Country: Greece
NBA Draft: 2007 / 2nd Round, 58th pick – San Antonio Spurs
Georgios Printezis is a legend, not only for Olympiacos, but for European basketball as a whole. Beyond having formed one of the most dominant duos in the Euroleague alongside Vassilis Spanoulis, their winning shot at the 2012 EuroLeague final will forever be carved in our memory.
Despite being considered one of the best modern power forwards and being selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2007 NBA Draft, he never tried his luck in the NBA.
Ante Tomic
Country: Croatia
NBA Draft: 2008 / 2nd Round, 44th pick – Utah Jazz
Balkan centers have always been a reference in Europe and nowadays the same applies to the NBA.
Ante Tomic was also one of the most trusted figures in European basketball for many years. He may not have a career full of great successes in the form of titles, but he has been one of the best centers in the Euroleague for the last decade.
Sergio Llull
Country: Spain
NBA Draft: 2009 / 2nd Round, 34th pick – Denver Nuggets
Sergio Llull, a European basketball superstar who never had the NBA as a dream. It is not that he never had the opportunity to make the leap, rather that he was never really interested.
A two-time EuroLeague champion, Llull is a symbol for Real Madrid and his contribution to the club has made him one of the most loving figures in European basketball.
Bojan Dubljevic
Country: Montenegro
NBA Draft: 2013 / 2nd Round, 59th pick – Minnesota Timberwolves
Bojan Dubljevic is a player of very high value for Valencia. Although he could have played on teams with higher aspirations and even made the jump to the NBA, Valencia was his priority.
Dubljevic has become the flagship player of his club, knowing that he wants to continue his career in Europe and he has a way of playing that could have been very successful in the NBA.