Africa is a special and unique continent when it comes to nurturing and developing sporting talent. There seems to be icons in all sports.
Here though we focus on basketball with a look at the best African NBA players of all time.
Number 5. Manute Bol
The opening name on our list of the best African NBA players of all time is Manute Bol. Sudanese man Bolspent 12 years amongst the elite after joining Washington in 1985. His stats don’t measure up to the other names on this list hence he’s ranked in fifth.
The one area that doesn’t apply to is his insane ability to block; he twice led the league in that stat with the first of those years – 1986 – seeing him earn a place in the second defensive team. He sadly passed away in 2010.
Number 4. Joel Embiid
Cameroonian Joel Embiid has only been in the NBA for seven years; he was the number three pick in 2014. Already he’s made the All-Star game four times along with earning three second team defensive awards.
He’s spent the entirety of his career with the Philadelphia 76ers and looks set to continue challenging the names above him on this list. In the season just gone, Embiid has posted career highs in several key categories; they are the 28.5 points per game he sank, 1.0 in steals and two personal bests in shooting efficiency – 51.3% in field goals and 37.7% from behind the arc.
Number 3. Dikembe Mutombo
Next up is Dikembe Mutombo. Mutombo was a late arrival to professional basketball given he was 25-years-old when he joined the Denver Nuggets in the 1991. Despite that, he went on to record 11,729 points, 12,359 rebounds and 3,289 blocks; only one player has managed more blocked shots in their career.
Those stats saw him leadthe league three times in blocks and twice on rebounds. In addition to his in court stats, DR Congo born Mutombo also earned eight All-Star nods and was named defensive player of the year on four occasions.
Number 2. Steve Nash
South African born Nash, who is now head coach of the Brooklyn Nets, had a decorated career as a player. The Championship evaded his clutches but his performances did see him achieve huge success on a personal level; he was named the leagues MVP in both 2005 and 2006. In terms of his numbers, Nash posted a total of 17,387 points with a game average of 14.3.
His real standout stat though is his assists; he led the league on five occasions and boasts the third most assists ever. In honesty, he only spent the first 18 months of his life in Africa so we umm’d and ahh’d about leaving him out. In the end, we decided he was simply too good not to mention.
Number 1. Hakeem Olajuwon
Finally, we come to the man that tips our list of the best African NBA players of all time; it’s Hakeem Olajuwon. The Houston Rocket legend racked up close to 27,000 points in his career along with 13,747 rebounds and a blocks haul of 3,830 (eclipsing Mutombo for the most ever).
On top of those impressive numbers though the Nigerian also boasts a dozen All-Star appearances, one MVP award, two Finals MVP honours and a duo of Championships. He’s head and shoulders the best African to play in the NBA. It will be a while until he’s knocked off top spot too.
There you have it, the best African NBA players of all time. Right now you can enjoy some African talent in the NBA, like Tacko Fall, the Senegalese giant who already features in the list of tallest players in the league’s history. Don’t believe it? Check it out: https://edge.twinspires.com/nba/top-10-tallest-players-in-nba-history/
Who did we miss? Let us know who the best NBA legend from the African continent is.
