By George Adamopoulos/ info@eurohoops.net
More than 30 years have passed since Drazen Petrovic and Detlef Schrempf were battling over who would have become the first European to compete in an All-Star Game.
Those were still the times when the existence of a European in the NBA was something sort of a dream. Of course, this has heavily changed, leaving very few top players for their whole careers in the old continent.
The NBA is constantly taking talent from Europe and, at the same time, most favorites for the MVP award are standout Europeans and international players. As we turn the page to a new year, Eurohoops ranked the best European players of 2023 with the majority of them thriving in the NBA and only one name spending the bulk of the season in the EuroLeague before moving to the USA.
Nikola Jokic: The double “crown” of “Joker”
The Serbian center of the Denver Nuggets was named NBA MVP in 2021 and 2022. Although many said he deserved to win it again last year, the award was handed to Joel Embiid. It turned out to be a simple formality… The Joker finished the 2022-23 season with almost a triple-double (24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 9.8 assists), but in the playoffs, he left no room for doubt.
He had 30 points, 13.5 rebounds, 9.5 assists. and 46.1% on three-pointers – in the regular season he had 38.3% – and led Denver to its maiden championship in its history. Jokic won the coveted ring and, at the same time, reminded the entire basketball world that right now he is the best player in the globe.