Former 6th Man of the Year Thinks International Players Dominating is a Good Thing

Basketball is a worldwide sport. Something that was primarily for Americans and Canadians has now spread around the globe, and the game has become more international than ever. The NBA fully reflects that. 

Right now, most of the best players in the NBA are international. Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Victor Wembanyama… the list goes on and on. In fact, the league hasn’t had an American-born Most Valuable Player award winner since James Harden won in 2018. 

Lou Williams, whose long NBA career witnessed the slow takeover of international stars, recently spoke about the international dominance in the NBA today. 

“Some of our best superstars are from overseas and different markets and I think it’s great for the game… I like the fact we having that conversation of USA vs the world but don’t get it confused. It’s top heavy for the international side but for the entirety of what the league is don’t get it confused. A lot of overseas role players can’t f*ck with our role players.”

It does seem that the best players in the league are primarily international, but the class of players below superstar status is mainly American. As the game grows, though, that could change. 

Scouts able to find the best of the best from around the world, but finding the role players that could shine in smaller roles is more difficult. There are also tons of international players who might prefer a bigger role in Europe or Asia than a small role in the NBA. 

One thing is for sure, though: the Americans no longer run the league, and, as the game continues to grow internationally, there’s a good chance that international players take over the league completely.