The NBA remains very much an American business. Despite the league's growing international footprint, including its Global Games Series and ambitious plans for a sister league across the Atlantic, it remains dominated by American elements, notably the collegiate feeder system.
Yet, as has been well noted, the influence of foreign players is becoming increasingly pronounced. On the opening night of last season, around 30% of the players were foreign-born. If you look back to the early 1990s, that number was around 5%.
While that shift is noticeable, you might also make the case that not only is the number of non-American players rising, but the number of elite foreign players has been, too. The best way to sum this up is to look at the current betting for the 2025/26 NBA MVP, where foreign players, notably Europeans, dominate the top of the markets.
European players are dominating the NBA MVP
Of the top six players in the current market, four are from Europe. They are: Nikola Jokic, Luka Doncic, Victor Wembanyama, and Giannis Antetokounmpo. For content, the two Americans in the top six are Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Anthony Edwards. Thirty years ago, heads were turned when Hakeem Olajuwon became the first non-American to win, now most fans will shrug when they see the elite status of foreign-born players.
While this might feel normal now to have so many elite foreign players in the top bracket, it’s worth remembering that it wasn’t so long ago that things were different. For instance, if we look back ten years ago at the 2015-2016 season, when Steph Curry got the MVP Award, the All-Star selections were 100% American. By that, we mean the 15 players chosen as the league’s best for All-NBA First, Second, and Third teams were American. Could you picture that today?
It will be interesting to see how these trends develop in the future, but it is not certain that they will continue on the same trajectory. The 2023 and 2024 NBA Drafts were famously topped by French players (Wembanyama and Zaccharie Risacher, respectively), so that gives the impression that the future belongs to Europe, yet the 2025 Draft felt more like a return to the mean, with young American college stars filling out six of the top seven spots, including No.1 pick Cooper Flagg. Indeed, even the ‘odd-man-out’ in that group, Bahamian-born VJ Edgecombe, attended high school and college in the US.
Talent influx to the NBA may hurt other leagues
Most would agree that the league's growing cosmopolitan nature is good for business. Moreover, there are areas of the world that probably have a lot more to give in terms of elite player development, notably in parts of Africa and Australia. The NBA’s global scouting network and development programs will also help pinpoint and nurture young talent.
Nonetheless, it is logical to think that scouring the world for the best youngsters and bringing them to the NBA dilutes the talent pool in other leagues. It also puts the NBA’s plans for a European League under scrutiny. Would it be a secondary competition where players hope to eventually reach the “big” leagues in America? Or would it be a veritable competitor to the original NBA, showcasing the best of Europe’s talent? This is all speculation right now, but it will be interesting to see how it develops if and when the NBA’s European plans become more concrete.
In the end, it’s exciting to see different players across the globe competing in what remains the highest level of competition in basketball. Those players bring different styles to the court, and some may one day become coaches, bringing new ideas to NBA teams. It enriches the game, even if all the talent becomes concentrated in a single area.
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