1) Bob McAdoo (Italy)

Just as McAdoo was enjoying a late career revival with the Lakers as a sixth man, winning two championships, the NBA was permeating Italian television. This created the perfect storm for Dan Peterson, an American who came to Italy in 1973 and eventually became so revered that he was nicknamed simply “The Coach.” Peterson rightly recognized McAdoo’s skill set translating perfectly to European style of play and recruited the former NBA MVP to Olimpia Milano in 1986. The impact was immediate, with McAdoo leading the squad to back-to-back EuroLeague titles in 1987 and 1988, earning Final Four MVP in the latter. Over seven years in the Italian league, McAdoo averaged 27.0 points and 8.9 rebounds per game before finally retiring at age 41. It was a watershed moment in basketball’s worldwide proliferation and McAdoo subsequently became an international ambassador for the sport, notably as part of the Basketball Without Borders program.

2) Walter Szczerbiak (Spain, Italy)

From the moment he scored 47 points in his debut with Real Madrid, Sczcerbiak became a standard bearer for American success in European basketball. Born in Germany in 1949 to Ukrainian refugees who then migrated to the U.S., Szczerbiak played college ball at George Washington and one year in the ABA before embarking on his European career. His seven seasons with Real Madrid are the stuff of legends, most notably his 65 points in a 1976 victory over Breogan, which still stands as the Spanish Liga ACB single game record. Szczerbiak was also the Liga ACB scoring champ in ’75-’76, earned four league titles and three EuroLeague championships, and was MVP of the 1977 FIBA Club World Cup. He made later stops with Italy’s Udine and Spain’s Canarias before retiring in 1984. Though the elder Szczerbiak never reached the NBA his son Walt, Jr., a.k.a. “Wally,” spent a decade in the league and was an All-Star representing the Timberwolves in 2002.

3) Alphonso Ford (Spain, Greece, Italy)

How prolific was Ford in the EuroLeague? Well, they eventually re-named the trophy after him for yearly scoring leader, if that tells you anything. Ford earned that title himself in ’00-’01 and ’01-’02, becoming the first and still only American to accomplish it twice. This was nothing new for the gunner shooting guard who racked up 3,165 career points in four seasons at Mississippi Valley State, which is still sixth in NCAA history. Waived by the 76ers after just 11 NBA games played, Ford eventually absconded to Europe, starting with Spain’s Penas Huesca in 1996 and later becoming a star for Olympiacos in Greece. He was eventually named 1st-Team All-EuroLeague twice and the Greek Basketball League MVP in 2001 but Ford’s career was cut tragically short in 2004. He was forced to retire due to his worsening leukemia and then passed away soon after at age 32. The Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy debuted in his honor in 2005 and the inaugural winner was Charles Smith, a fellow American former NBA player turned Olympiacos star.

4) Michael Batiste (Italy, Greece, Turkey)

Though he stands only 6’8″, Batiste became such an imposing defensive threat as an undersized center in the Greek League that fans took to calling him “The Bulldozer.” It was a set of skills honed at Arizona State, where Batiste led the Pac-10 in total blocks in the ’97-’98 season before going un-drafted in the NBA. His pro career started in Belgium, was re-routed to the NBA with the Grizzlies in ’02-’03, then took off in earnest when he joined the commanding Greek squad Panathinaikos. With Batiste starting at center (and usually leading the team in rebounds and blocks), they won eight consecutive Greek League championships starting in 2004, five Greek Cups, and three EuroLeague titles, in 2007, 2009, and 2011. In that last edition, Batiste was 1st-Team All-EuroLeague and the playoffs’ leading scorer, though Final Four MVP went to his teammate, the legendary Dmitris Diamantidis. Following a decade in Athens, earning Greek League MVP, Finals MVP, and 1st-Team All-Greek League honors five times, Batiste joined the Istanbul club Fenerbahce and added a Turkish Super League title to his resume, for good measure. Following his retirement as a player, Batiste returned to the United States as a coach, taking assistant jobs with the Nets, Hornets, Magic, Wizards, Rockets, and most recently the Raptors.

5) Bob Morse (Italy, France)

FIBA’s 1991 list of the 50 greatest international players included 42 Europeans, six South/Central Americans, one Australian, and one American. It was one more honor in a long list for Morse, a Philadelphia born power forward who eventually became so beloved in Varese, Italy that he was declared an honorary citizen. An All-American at the University of Pennsylvania, Morse was drafted by the Buffalo Braves in 1972 but couldn’t make the squad and sojourned to Italy. Over a decade spent with Pallacenestro Varese of the Italian LBA, Morse was a six-time scoring leader and led the squad to four titles. He also transformed the team into a EuroLeague powerhouse, with titles in 1973, 1975, and 1976, finishing as the tournament’s leading scorer in the first two. Morse moved on to play three seasons with the French squad Olympique Antibes but made sure to close out his career in his adopted city, playing two seasons with Reggiana Varese before retiring. For years after his playing days ended, Morse would host tours for American vacationers of Varese and the surrounding region, with an itinerary that always included attending an LBA game.

6) Derrick Sharp (Israel)
7) Anthony Parker (Israel)
8) Maceo Baston (Israel)
9) Nate Huffman (Spain, Israel)

A powerhouse in the late ’70s and early ’80s, with six consecutive EuroLeague semifinals appearances, including two titles, Maccabi Tel Aviv was stuck in a rut by the late ’90s. Sure, they had continued their dominance of the Israeli Premier League, continuing a stretch of 36 league titles in 37 years. But the squad was bowing out weakly in the EuroLeague, falling behind rising powers in Greece, Italy, and Spain. To stem the tide, Maccabi Tel Aviv turned to a quartet of Americans in Sharp, Parker, Baston, and Huffman. Sharp was a star at South Florida then spent 18 years in Israel, the last 16 of which came with Tel Aviv. Parker was a first round pick of the Nets in 1997 but struggled in the NBA with injuries and signed with Tel Aviv in 2001. Huffman spent some time in the CBA and Spain before reaching Tel Aviv in 1999. Baston was part of the star recruiting class that came to Michigan in the mid ’90s and played 108 NBA games, but his time with Tel Aviv starting in 2003 was his career high point. Thus, the “second golden era” of Maccabi Tel Aviv began and included a 2001 SuproLeague title, back-to-back EuroLeague championships in 2004 and 2005, and a near three-peat in 2006. Huffman was the hero in 2001, scoring 21 points in the SuproLeague Final win over Panathinaikos and earning tournament MVP honors. Baston and Parker then led the charge in 2004 and 2005, with Parker earning EuroLeague MVP in 2004. As for Sharp, he was always more of a role player, adding defensive intensity and three-point shooting while serving as a long-time team captain. But he had one distinct heroic moment during the 2004 EuroLeague Round of 16, hitting a game-tying buzzer beater against BC Zalgiris. While Parker, Baston, and Huffman parlayed their Israeli league success into a second chance in the NBA, Sharp played with Tel Aviv until 2011, when he became the team’s assistant coach, and gained Israeli citizenship to represent the national team.

10) David Rivers (France, Greece, Italy, Turkey)

A high school All-American at St. Anthony in New Jersey (under the legendary Bob Hurley), a collegiate All-American at Notre Dame, and a league MVP in the CBA, Rivers found his NBA career much less successful. Standing only 5’11”, the dynamic point guard struggled in short stints with the Lakers and Clippers. He relocated to France in 1993, signing with Olympique Antibes, and kickstarting a legendary FIBA career. After two seasons with Antibes, which included a league title, Rivers signed with the Greek powerhouse Olympiacos. He led the club to its first ever EuroLeague title in 1997, getting named tournament MVP after dropping 28 points in a semifinals win over Smelt Olimpija and 26 in a finals victory over FC Barcelona. Rivers then had successful stints with Fortitudo Bologna in Italy (where he was teammates with Dominique Wilkins) and Tofas in Turkey before returning to Olympiacos to close out his career, playing to age 38. Rivers spent some time coaching in Italy after retiring before settling in as director of a youth basketball training camp in Switzerland.

11) Tyus Edney (Lithuania, Italy, Greece, Ukraine)

BC Zalgiris made history in 1999, becoming the first Lithuanian club to win a EuroLeague title. Two of their star players, Edney and George Zidek, also made individual history that season, becoming the first players ever to win an NCAA and a EuroLeague title in their career. It was all the sweeter for the pair that they won both together, the first coming as teammates on UCLA in 1995. Edney (born in Long Beach, California) was the starting point guard and Zidek (born in Czechia) the starting center on the only Bruins title team post-John Wooden. Both were selected in the 1995 NBA Draft but failed to find consistent playing time, leading to their Lithuanian reunion in the ’98-’99 season. Edney was named MVP of that 1999 EuroLeague Final Four, then solidified his European superstar status with later outstanding stints in Italy, Greece, and Ukraine.

12) Tyrese Rice (Israel, Russia, Germany)

Previously seen as a solid but unspectacular bench guard for Maccabi Tel Aviv, Rice had a stunning breakout in the 2014 EuroLeague Final Four. In the semifinals, Rice led a shocking Maccabi comeback win over CSKA Moscow, capping it with a steal and the game winning basket with five seconds left. In the final against highly favored Real Madrid, Rice scored a game high 26 points, 21 of them coming in the fourth quarter and overtime, as Tel Aviv prevailed 98-86. Rice was named Final Four MVP and parlayed his breakthrough into a lengthy, successful career in Russia, Spain, Germany, and Greece. He earned EuroCup MVP in 2015 (for BC Khimki) and FIBA Champions League MVP in 2019 (for Bamberg). One country that Rice never played professionally in was Montenegro but the Balkan nation recruited him for its national team, which he represented in several international tournaments, including the 2017 EuroBasket.

“How many guys can say they were coached by Bill Russell and teammates with Arvydas Sabonis? If there’s anyone other than Arlauckas, we’d be shocked.”

13) Bryant Dunston (Turkey)

As an undersized big man lacking ball handling or shooting skills, Dunston was a dying breed amongst NBA rosters by the time he was draft eligible in 2008. But his old school defensive prowess was the basis for a legendary EuroLeague career. A superstar at Fordham, where he graduated top three in program history in points, rebounds, and blocks, Dunston started his pro career in the Korean Basketball League, earning MVP honors in 2010. With follow-up successful stints in Greece and Israel, Dunston reportedly was offered a contract by the Nets for the ’12-’13 season but opted instead to remain in Europe. Over a prime spent mostly with Andalou Efes in Turkey, Dunston earned two EuroLeague Defensive Player of the Year awards and led the league in blocks twice. Later in his career, he was a key bench player for the Andalou Efes teams that won back-to-back EuroLeague titles in 2021 and 2022. Despite never playing professionally in the country, Dunston gained Armenian citizenship to represent the national team. He was the tournament’s leading rebounder as Armenia captured its first FIBA European Championship for Small Countries in 2016.

14) Trajan Langdon (Russia)

The NBA kicked off its ’06-’07 preseason with a series of exhibition games between NBA teams and several European powerhouses. Among the highlights was a CSKA Moscow victory over the Clippers, which provided a reunion of two former Duke All-American teammates, Elton Brand and Langdon. While Brand was a two-time NBA All-Star at that point, about to start his eighth season in the league, Langdon had long since flamed out of the NBA. A lottery pick of the Cavaliers in 1999, the long range bomber made history as the first ever Alaskan to appear in an NBA game but was otherwise nondescript in three seasons in Cleveland, quickly earning bust status. He traveled overseas in 2002, playing for teams in Italy and Turkey before settling in Moscow. Joining fellow American J.R. Holden in an elite back court, Langdon helped lead CSKA to five consecutive EuroLeague final fours, including titles in 2006 and 2008. In the latter, Langdon dominated Maccabi Tel Aviv with 21 points in the Final and was named Final Four MVP. He also made history in ’06-’07 as the first American member of the EuroLeague 50/40/90 club. Langdon returned home to the U.S. after retiring as a player, starting off as a scout with the Spurs and working his way up to his current gig, Director of Basketball Operations for the Pistons.

15) Kyle Hines (Germany, Italy, Greece, Russia)

When FIBA named its EuroLeague All-Decade Team for the 2010s, 18 American-born players were nominated but only one, Hines, made the final list of 10. Born and raised in New Jersey and a superstar at UNC-Greensboro (where his jersey was eventually retired), Hines made a few attempts at reaching the NBA via Summer League before heading overseas. Though undersized for a power forward at 6’6″, Hines established himself as one of the EuroLeague’s premier paint defenders. He won the league’s Best Defender award three times, and also earned the equivalent honor one or more times in the German Bundesliga, Italian Serie A, and Russian VTB. But Hines’ most impressive accomplishment was arguably his contributions to numerous titles at various levels. He was part of four EuroLeague titles (2012 and 2013 with Olympiacos, 2016 and 2019 with CSKA Moscow), three Italian Serie A titles, six Russian VTB titles, one Greek league title, and one Bundesliga title. After playing to the age of 37, Hines retired in 2024 and returned to the United States to take a coaching position with the Nets.

16) Bootsy Thornton (Italy, Spain, Turkey, France)
17) Terrell McIntyre (France, Italy, Germany, Spain)

The ’07-’08 EuroLeague Final Four featured a surprise participant in Italy’s Montepaschi Siena, fueled by a pair of recently signed Americans, Thornton and McIntyre. Thornton was a prolific scorer at St. John’s, leading them to the NCAA Tournament Elite Eight in 1999, but went un-drafted in 2000 and subsequently spent his entire pro career overseas. His ’07-’08 season with Siena was a career peak, leading the team to an Italian Cup title and getting named 2nd-Team All-EuroLeague. McIntyre was All-ACC for Clemson but at 5’9″, was always a long shot for the NBA. He made a go of it for two years with the Fayetteville Patriots of the D-League before settling into a successful European career. McIntyre was named MVP of the Italian Lega Serie A twice and of the domestic Italian Cup once. Thornton and McIntyre were a formidable backcourt duo, leading Siena to upsets of Panathinaikos and Fenerbahce en route to a third place EuroLeague finish, the best in club history. McIntyre played just three more seasons before retiring at age 33 due to a hip injury but was so revered in Siena that he became just the third player in club history to receive the honor of a retired jersey.

18) Marcus Brown (France, Italy, Turkey, Russia, Spain, Israel, Lithuania)

At the time of his 2011 retirement, no one had scored more career EuroLeague points in the 21st century than Brown. A superstar at Murray State University, where his #5 jersey hangs from the rafters, Brown had an NBA cup of coffee with the Trail Blazers in ’96-’97 before finding greater success in Europe. He racked up major accolades in four different countries, starting with France, where Brown was named “Foreign Player” MVP while leading Limoge to the ’99-’00 league title. With Italian club Benneton Treviso in ’00-’01, Brown was one of the leading scorers of EuroLeague and an Italian Super Cup champ. He then moved to Turkish powerhouse Efes Pilfen, with whom Brown was named to the All-EuroLeague team three times and won two Turskish league titles. With CSKA Moscow, Brown became the first American ever named MVP of Russia’s top league. At this point playing into his 30s, Brown was still just getting started, eventually adding domestic titles in Spain, Israel, and Lithuania, while earning a Playoffs MVP award in the latter.

19) Audie Norris (Spain)

FC Barcelona has never been shy about bringing in American players and Norris was arguably their first big splash. An undersized but skilled center who excelled at Jackson State, Norris made the Trail Blazers roster as a second round pick but found himself buried on the depth chart behind Mychal Thompson, Sam Bowie, and others. He absconded for Europe in 1985, first earning Italian league All-Star honors with Pallacanestro Treviso before signing with Barca. In his first three seasons with the Spanish powerhouse, Norris helped the team win three domestic titles and reach the EuroLeague Final Four three times. He was the leading scorer for Barcelona in the 1990 EuroLeague Final in a losing effort, then was named to the All-Tournament team in 1991. Since retiring as a player in 1994, Norris has run basketball camps and coached all over the world, including as an assistant coach at his alma mater Jackson State and with the Spanish club Real Betis.

20) Will Clyburn (Germany, Israel, Turkey, Russia, Italy, Spain)

It was a long road for Clyburn from Romulus High School in Detroit to his legend status in Russian basketball. He played college ball first with a community college, then at Utah, and finally at Iowa State, where he earned All-Conference honors. After a Summer League stint with the Kings didn’t pan out, Clyburn found success with pro teams in Germany, Israel, and Turkey. CKSA Moscow signed him in 2017 and Clyburn immediately became one of the top scorers in the Russian VTB United League. Teaming up with fellow Americans Cory Higgins, Kyle Hines, Alec Peters, Daniel Hackett, and Othello Hunter, Clyburn led Moscow to the 2019 EuroLeague title. He scored 18 points in a semifinal win over Real Madrid and dropped 20 in the Final against Andalou Efes, earning Final Four MVP. In a rematch with Efes in the 2021 semifinals, Clyburn put on another show, finishing with 26 points and seven rebounds and getting named to the All-EuroLeague team. In the wake of Russia invading Ukraine and CSKA Moscow being banned from the EuroLeague, Clyburn has moved on to stints in Turkey, Italy, and Spain.

21) Miles Aiken (Spain)

A superstar at St. Bonaventure University, Aiken would have assuredly gotten drafted by an NBA team in 1964 if not for a major knee injury that waylaid him for nearly his entire senior season. Instead, he became a bellwether for American success in the European leagues. His pro career started with Club Aguilas in Spain and as a rookie, Aiken led the Spanish Liga de Baloncesto in scoring. He then joined the powerhouse Real Madrid, where Aiken succeeded despite reportedly clashing with their legendary coach, Pedro Ferrandiz, and earned the nickname “Black Panther” from teammates. In the 1967 EuroLeague Final Four, he dropped 31 points in a semifinals win over ASK Olimpija and 23 points in a Finals victory over Olimpia Milano. Aiken then led Real Madrid to a repeat title in 1968 with 23 points in a Final victory over Spartak Brno, and a near three-peat in 1969, with 24 points in a losing effort against CSKA Moscow. After his brief playing career ended Aiken transitioned into coaching, including a gig as head coach of the United Kingdom’s men’s basketball team.

22) J.R. Holden (Latvia, Belgium, Greece, Russia)

When he failed to get any invites for NBA Summer League after graduating from Bucknell University, Holden was considering quitting basketball when a fateful phone call happened. It was a club in Latvia offering him a contract, setting off a sojourn that ended with the Pittsburgh-born point guard becoming such a huge star in Russia that they granted him citizenship. Holden went from Latvia to Belgium to Greece, (where he was an All-Star) to Russia, signing with CSKA Moscow in 2002. In his first season with the club, Holden led them to a Russian league title and a EuroLeague Final Four. When a new regulation passed limiting the amount of foreign players on rosters, CSKA Moscow’s ownership directly lobbied president Vladimir Putin, who granted Holden citizenship via decree. This allowed Moscow to recruit other Americans, such as Trajan Langdon, and build a powerhouse around Holden as the starting point guard. They made nine consecutive EuroLeague Final Four appearances, winning titles in 2006 and 2008. With his new citizenship intact, Holden also represented the national team at the Olympics in 2008 and at EuroBasket in 2007, when he made the winning shot in the championship game to clinch a title. Holden was one of three Americans (along with Langdon and Anthony Parker) named to the EuroLeague All-Decade team in 2010, and in 2020, he became just the second American inducted into the Russian VTB United League Hall of Fame.

23) Joe Arlauckas (Spain, Greece)

How many guys can say they were coached by Bill Russell and teammates with Arvydas Sabonis? If there’s anyone other than Arlauckas, we’d be shocked. Born in Rochester, New York to a Lithuanian immigrant father, Arlauckas was a disruptive and intimidating power forward. He set the all-time blocks record at Niagara University and the Kings drafted him in the fourth round in 1987. Playing time in his one and only NBA season was sparse for Arlauckas, but he at least got to learn some tools of the trade from then head coach Russell, arguably the greatest interior defender in basketball history. After a brief stopover in Italy, Arlauckas teamed up with Sabonis on Real Madrid as one of the premier front court duos in European basketball history. They led the club to back-to-back La Liga titles and then a EuroLeague championship in 1995. In that title game against Olympiacos, Arlauckas and Sabonis put up a combined 39 points and 11 rebounds and were both named to the All-EuroLeague team. When Sabonis left for the NBA, Arlauckas stepped into the spotlight seamlessly, setting a EuroLeague record with 63 points in a 1996 victory over Kinder Bologna. By the time he left Real Madrid in 1998 to play out the remainder of his career in Greece, Arlauckas had set the Liga ACB scoring record with 7,543 career points. Since retiring as a player, Arlauckas has spent time as a basketball camp coordinator in Spain, a EuroLeague global ambassador, and recently hosted a podcast in which he interviewed various fellow EuroLeague legends.

24) Mike James (Croatia, Israel, Italy, Greece, Spain, Russia, France)

Maybe the quintessential basketball journeyman, James has played for the Suns, Pelicans, and Nets, as well as clubs in Croatia, Israel, Italy, Greece, Spain, Russia, and France. A 6’0″ combo guard with excellent handle, James first made international headlines in 2016 when he helped Spanish club Saski Baskonia reach the EuroLeague Final Four for the first time in eight years. He would spend just two seasons with the club and two or less seasons with his next four teams. Along the way, James was named Greek League MVP when he led Panathinaikos to a title, led the EuroLeague in scoring in ’17-’18 while starring for Olimpia Milano, and won every top level championship possible in Russia with CSKA Moscow. He finally settled in with the French club AS Monaco, which had never before won a French league title, French Cup title, or reached the EuroLeague Final Four. In James’ second year on the roster, they accomplished all three and James was quickly established as one of the French league’s biggest stars. Though Monaco was eliminated in the quarterfinals in 2024, James was named as MVP of the EuroLeague, becoming just the second American after Anthony Parker to be honored as such.

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