The NBA is becoming a global game. Foreign-born players are some of the most talented players in the league today. The NBA’s focus on bringing the game worldwide has made a positive impact on the game’s popularity. Talented legends like Tim Duncan, Dirk Nowitzki, and Hakeem Olajuwon have opened the doors for foreign-born players to be able to flourish. Positionless basketball has been born due to players that have come overseas. Those players born in other countries focus on fundamentals at a young age. They learn all the basics about basketball in camps and in the leagues.
Now there are seven-footers that can start your offense. They have the ability to shoot threes and bang bodies down low. Players like Joel Embiid, Giannis Antetokounmpo, and Nikola Jokic are prime examples of this. Tall point guards like Luka Doncic and Ben Simmons are examples of the playmaking ability that foreign players have. Dirk Nowitzki is still the only foreign-born player that has eclipsed the 30,000 point mark for his career though. There are several young players that may achieve that goal.
Foreign-Born Players That Have a Chance to Score 30,000 Career Points
Joel Embiid
Embiid took a long time to play in the NBA but when he finally did it was clear to see that he was a star. Embiid’s talent knows no bounds. He can put the ball on the floor and get from the three-point line to the hole. Also, he has the ability to shoot the three and play down low all at seven feet tall. He has never had a season where he didn’t average more than 20 points a game.
His average points per game (24.1) shows his consistency when he actually has gotten to play. To make it to 30,000 he will have to remain consistent. His health is a big question though. Injuries have kept him out of action his first two seasons in the NBA and right now he is injured. It is unlikely that Embiid will make it to that mark because he will have to play approximately 15 more seasons and he is injury prone, but there is a chance if he can raise his average.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo is a freak of nature. As a seven-footer, he can play the point guard position and get to the hole anytime he wants. He was able to win the MVP award and he was the fourth foreign-born player to ever win the award. When he started out he was not as productive as he is now. He took a couple of years to develop. That might hurt his chances. He only averages 19.8 points per game currently for his career.
If he is able to average 27.0 points per game as he did in his MVP season he has a great chance. In approximately 10 seasons, he will reach 30,000 points if he can average what he consistently put up his MVP season. Dirk Nowitzki was not the star he was in his career when he started out and he was able to reach the mark. That is true but there is the fact that he played 20 seasons. If Giannis can reinvent himself later in his career to shoot better than he will definitely be able to do it.
Luka Doncic
Doncic is a phenom. He has been able to play professional basketball at a young age. His early start has helped him at the beginning of his NBA career. He has the ability to take over games with his affinity to play iso-ball. Last year he won Rookie of the Year and in his sophomore season, his name is in the conversation to win the MVP award. The sky is the limit for Doncic. LeBron James reached 30,000 points by being consistent as soon as he started out.
On March 30, 2018, an NBA.com article said that James had 941 straight games with at least 20 points. Doncic is not on James’ level but he is great in his own right. In only five games this season, Doncic has scored less than 20 points. He has not stayed injured for a long period of time and he has been great right out of the gate. Luka Doncic may be the next foreign player to reach 30,000 points for his career.
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