Every former NBA player in 2024-25 EuroLeague: Teams with most NBA experience
Barcelona has the most NBA experience in the 2024-25 EuroLeague season with 1,898 games across eight players, while EuroLeague newcomers Paris Basketball have the least, with no former NBA players on their roster.
The 2024-25 EuroLeague season is set to have a strong NBA flavor, thanks to an offseason packed with exciting transfers. Many former NBA players are now joining top European teams, raising the competition to new heights.
While the EuroLeague lost talents like Nikola Topic (Thunder), PJ Dozier (Timberwolves), and Guerschon Yabusele (76ers) to the NBA, it gained some well-known names in return.
Among them are Evan Fournier (Olympiacos), Cedi Osman (Panathinaikos), Furkan Korkmaz (Monaco), Jordan Nwora (Anadolu Efes), Chimezie Metu (Barcelona), Wenyen Gabriel (Maccabi), Boban Marjanovic (Fenerbahce), Frank Ntilikina (Partizan), Theo Maledon (ASVEL), and others.
The EuroLeague currently features 101 ex-NBA players, which is five more than it had at the start of last season (after 10 rounds).
Olympiacos Piraeus, AS Monaco, and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul lead the way with nine former NBA players on their roster apiece. Real Madrid had the most last season with nine, but the departures of Yabusele, Vincent Poirier, and the retirements of Sergio Rodriguez and Rudy Fernandez have changed that.
The NBA connection is also reflected in the performance of EuroLeague teams, especially among the top contenders. In fact, eight of last season’s play-in and playoff teams rank among the leaders in terms of current NBA experience on their rosters.
Like last season, FC Barcelona lead the pack with a total of 1,898 NBA games across eight players, including Tomas Satoransky, Willy Hernangomez, Jabari Parker, Alex Abrines, Jan Vesely, Nicolas Laprovittola, and newcomers Chimezie Metu and Justin Anderson.
Real Madrid come in second with 1,576 games from their eight ex-NBA players, while Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens rank third, with their seven players combining for 1,525 NBA games.
On the other end, EuroLeague newcomers Paris Basketball have the least NBA experience, with none of their players having played in the NBA.
When it comes to individual players, Real center Serge Ibaka stands out with the most NBA experience, having played 919 games over his 14-year career.
Approaching his 35th birthday, Ibaka is also one of eight NBA champions in this year’s EuroLeague and a two-time NBA blocks leader. He returned to Europe in 2023 with FC Bayern Munich, averaging 12.6 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 15.8 PIR in 28 EuroLeague games last season.
Credit Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images
Following Ibaka is Virtus Segafredo Bologna sharpshooter Marco Belinelli, who has played 860 NBA games over 13 seasons. The Italian guard won the NBA Three-Point Contest in 2014 and was part of the San Antonio Spurs championship team that same year
Rounding out the top three is Evan Fournier, one of the biggest offseason signings. The French shooting guard, now with Olympiacos, is the highest scorer among former NBA players in the EuroLeague, averaging 13.6 points over his time with Denver, Orlando, Boston, New York, and Detroit.
As mentioned earlier, Ibaka and Belinelli are just two of the eight NBA champions currently playing in the EuroLeague. The other NBA champs include Jordan Nwora, Jordan Loyd, Rodrigue Beaubois, Elijah Bryant, Devontae Cacok, and Kostas Antetokounmpo.
Only three players have won both NBA and EuroLeague championships. Kostas Antetokounmpo joined that elite group last May when he won the EuroLeague title with Panathinaikos after claiming an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2020.
Beaubois, who won an NBA title with the Dallas Mavericks in 2011, has also earned back-to-back EuroLeague championships with Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022.
His teammate Elijah Bryant lifted a EuroLeague trophy in 2022, adding to his NBA win with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021.
The EuroLeague’s talent pool has surged, with a wave of former NBA players now joining its ranks.
Players like Saben Lee, Skylar Mays, Xavier Rathan-Mayes, Evan Fournier, Chimezie Metu, Wenyen Gabriel, Jaylen Hoard, Duane Washington Jr., Carlik Jones, Tyrone Wallace, Deividas Sirvydis, Trent Forrest, Stanley Johnson, Jordan Nwora, Armoni Brooks, Rayjon Tucker, Shaquille Harrison, and Admiral Schofield are all set to make their EuroLeague debuts.
It’ll be exciting to see how these players adapt to the EuroLeague’s challenges, which include the physical play, hostile atmospheres, and the “every-game-matters” mindset that defines European basketball.
