The Dream Team’s popularity at the 1992 Olympics inspired international players to play college basketball, some who went on to be drafted by NBA teams.
In the Summer of 1992, Team USA won the Olympic gold medal for Men’s Basketball in Barcelona, Spain. It was the first year that NBA players were allowed to represent their countries in the Olympics. The popularity of that team and other teams participating was said to contribute immensely in the rise of the globalization of the sport.
Crossover International therefore decided to analyze every NBA Draft since then to see how many players who held citizenship from another country, but played college basketball in the United States, were drafted.
Caveats:
- There were some American players who stayed for extended periods of time overseas after being drafted and then became naturalized citizens of that country. They were not included in this list.
- Also, a significant amount of players played high school basketball in the United States hold citizenship from country. It is important to not assume that every player here came directly from the country listed to play in college.
- Even though a different country is listed, some players still hold American citizenship.
Drafted international players over time:
1993
Shawn Bradley (Germany) – BYU
Geert Hammink (Netherlands) – LSU
Richard Petruška (Slovakia) – UCLA
Spencer Dunkley (United Kingdom) – Delaware
1994
Yinka Dare (Nigeria) – George Washington
1995
George Zidek (Czech Republic) – UCLA
Constantin Popa (Romania) – Miami (FL)
1996
Vitaly Potapenko (Ukraine) – Wright State
Steve Nash (Canada) – Santa Clara
Doron Sheffer (Israel) – UCONN
1997
Adonal Foyle (Saint Vincent and the Grenadines) – Colgate
Tariq Abdul-Wahad (France) – San Jose State
Serge Zwikker (Netherlands) – North Carolina
Paul Rogers (Australia) – Gonzaga
1998
Michael Olowokandi (Nigeria) – Pacific
Felipe López (Dominican Republic) – St. John’s
Sean Marks (New Zealand) – UC Berkeley
Andrew Betts (United Kingdom) – Long Beach State
1999
Cal Bowdler (Republic of Ireland) – Old Dominion
Obinna Ekezie (Nigeria) – Maryland
Francisco Elson (Netherlands) – UC Berkeley
Todd MacCulloch (Canada) – Washington
2000
Jérôme Moïso (France) – UCLA
Jamaal Magloire (Canada) – Kentucky
Mamadou N’Diaye (Senegal) – UC Irvine
Eduardo Nájera (Mexico) – Oklahoma
Hanno Möttölä (Finland) – Utah
2001
Samuel Dalembert (Haiti) – Seton Hall
Ruben Boumtje-Boumtje (Cameroon) – Georgetown
Alvin Jones (Luxembourg) – Georgia Tech
2002
Robert Archibald (Scotland) – Illinois
Dan Gadzuric (Netherlands) – UCLA
Darius Songaila (Lithuania) – Wake Forest
2003
None
2004
Ben Gordon (United Kingdom) – UCONN
Luol Deng (South Sudan) – Duke
Rafael Araújo (Brazil) – BYU
Pape Sow (Senegal) – Cal State Fullerton
Romain Sato (Central African Republic) – Xavier
Luis Flores (Dominican Republic) – Manhattan
2005
Andrew Bogut (Australia) – Utah
Charlie Villanueva (Dominican Republic) – UCONN
Ike Diogu (Nigeria) – Arizona State
Julius Hodge (Antigua and Barbuda) – NC State
Francisco García (Dominican Republic) – Louisville
Linas Kleiza (Lithuania) – Missouri
2006
Denham Brown (Canada) – UCONN
2007
Al Horford (Dominican Republic) – Florida
Joakim Noah (France) – Florida
Stéphane Lasme (Gabon) – UMASS
Sammy Mejía (Dominican Republic) -DePaul
2008
Roy Hibbert (Jamaica) – Gerogetown
Kosta Koufos (Greece) – Ohio State
Luc Mbah a Moute (Cameroon) – UCLA
Patrick Ewing Jr. (Jamaica) – Georgetown
Sasha Kaun (Russia) – Kansas
2009
Hasheem Thabeet (Tanzania) – UCONN
Byron Mullens (United Kingdom) – Ohio State
Nick Calathes (Greece) – Florida
Goran Suton (Bosnia and Herzegovina) – Michigan State
Patrick Mills (Australia) – St. Mary’s
Chinemelu Elonu (Nigeria) – Texas A&M
2010
Al-Farouq Aminu (Nigeria) Wake Forest
Greivis Vásquez (Venezuela) – Maryland
Andy Rautins (Canada) – Syracuse
Jerome Jordan (Jamaica) – Tulsa
Gani Lawal (Nigeria) – Georgia Tech
Solomon Alabi (Nigeria) – Florida State
Magnum Rolle (Bahamas) – Louisiana Tech
Hamady N’Diaye (Senegal) – Rutgers
2011
Tristan Thompson (Canada) – Texas
Nikola Vucevic (Montenegro) – USC
Cory Joseph (Canada) – Texas
2012
Andrew Nicholson (Canada) – St. Bonaventure
Fab Melo (Brazil) – Syracuse
Festus Ezeli (Nigeria) – Vanderbilt
Jeffery Taylor (Sweden) – Vanderbilt
Kris Joseph (Canada) – Syracuse
Robert Sacre (Canada) – Gonzaga
2013
Anthony Bennett (Canada) – UNLV
Alex Len (Ukraine) – Maryland
Steven Adams (New Zealand) – Pittsburgh
Kelly Olynyk (Canada) – Gonzaga
Gorgui Dieng (Senegal) – Louisville
Erik Murphy (Finland) – Florida
Arsalan Kasemi (Iran) – Oregon
2014
Andrew Wiggins (Canada) – Kansas
Joel Embiid (Cameroon) – Kansas
Nik Stauskas (Canada) – Michigan
Tyler Ennis (Canada) – Syracuse
Dwight Powell (Canada) – Stanford
Jordan Clarkson (Philippines) – Missouri
Cameron Bairstow (Australia) – New Mexico
2015
Karl-Anthony Towns (Dominican Republic) – Kentucky
Trey Lyles (Canada) – Kentucky
Olivier Hanlan (Canada) – Boston College
Cady Lalanne (Haiti) – UMASS
2016
Ben Simmons (Australia) – LSU
Buddy Hield (Bahamas) – Oklahoma
Jamal Murray (Canada) – Kentucky
Jakob Poeltl (Austria) – Utah
Domantas Sabonis (Lithuania) – Gonzaga
Pascal Siakam (Cameroon) – NM State
Skal Labissière (Haiti) – Kentucky
Cheick Diallo (Mali) – Kansas
Michael Gbinije (Nigeria) – Syracuse
Ben Bentil (Ghana) – Providence
Abdel Nader (Egypt) – Iowa State
2017
Lauri Markkanen (Finland) – Arizona
T.J. Leaf (Israel) – UCLA
Tyler Dorsey (Greece) – Oregon
Dillon Brooks (Canada) – Oregon
2018
Deandre Ayton (Bahamas) – Arizona
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) – Kentucky
Josh Okogie (Nigeria) – Georgia Tech
Moritz Wagner (Germany) – Michigan
Justin Jackson (Canada) – Maryland
Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (Ukraine) – Kansas
Kostas Antetokounmpo (Greece) – Dayton
2019
RJ Barrett (Canada) – Duke
Rui Hachimura (Japan) – Gonzaga
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (Canada) – Virginia Tech
Matisse Thybulle (Australia) – Washington
Brandon Clarke (Canada) – Gonzaga
Mfiondu Kabengele (Canada) – Florida State
Bruno Fernando (Angola) – Maryland
Bol Bol (Sudan) – Oregon
Marial Shayok (Canada) – Iowa State
*All data from www.basketballreference.com
Header image courtesy of Wikimedia Commons