The best players in the World have always played in the NBA, an increasingly international league.
However, there are also some exceptions, phenomenal athletes who have written basketball history without landing in the top league. These are mostly European athletes, with the exception of Brazilian Oscar Schmidt, who became great in our country, especially with Caserta. In the Top Ten best to have never played in the NBA., compiled by El Mundo Deportivo and taken up by Sky Sports, Blue legend Dino Meneghin also appears in second position.
Some were chosen in the draft but eventually never played a game in the NBA. Here is the ranking.
10) Serglio Llull – Spain (Guard)
Picked in the 2009 Draft (#34)
Club: Manresa, Real Madrdi
Palmares: 7 x La Liga, 6 x Copa del Rey, 9 x Spanish Super Cup, 3 x EuroLega, 3 x European Gold, 1 x World Gold, 1 x Olympic Silver, 1 x Olympic Bronze
9) Dimitris Diamantidis – Greece (Play)
Undrafted
Club: Irakils, Panathinaikos
Palmares: 9 x Greek Championship, 10 x Greek Cup, 10 x Greek Super Cup, 3 EuroLega, 1 x European Gold, 1 x World Silver.
Individual awards:
8) Theo Papaloukas – Greece (Play)
Undrafted
Clubs: Dafni, Panionios, Olympiacos, CSKA Moscow, Maccabi Tel-Aviv
Palmares: 7 x Russian Championships, 3 x Russian Cup, 1 x VTB League, 3 x Greek Cup, 1 x Israeli Championship, 1 x Israeli Cup, 1 x Israeli League Cup, 1 x Adriatic League, 2 x EuroLega, 1 x World Silver, 1 x European Gold
Individual awards:
*In 2007 he turned down a two-year, $10 million deal offered to him by the Miami Heat.
7) Dejan Bodiroga – Serbia (Wing)
Selected in the 1995 Draft (#51)
Clubs: KK Zadar, Trieste, Olimpia Milano, Real Madrid, Panathinaikos, Barcelona, Virtus Roma
Palmares: 2 x Spanish Championship, 1 x Copa del Rey, 1 x Scudetto, 1 x Italian Cup, 3 x Greek Championship, 3 x EuroLega, 1 x Olympic Silver, 2 World Gold, 3 European Gold.
6) Jaun Antonio San Epifanio – Spain (Ala)
Undrafted
Club: Barcelona
Palmares: 7 x La Liga, 10 x Copa del Rey, 1 x Korac Cup, 2 x Cup Winners’ Cup, 1 x Spanish Supercup, 1 x Intercontinental Cup, 1 x European Supercup, 1 x Olympic Silver, 1 x European Silver.
5) Nikos Galis – Greece (Guard)
Chosen at Dradft 1979 (#68)
Club: Aris Thessaloniki, Panathinaikos
Palmares: 8 x Greek Championships, 7 x Greek Cup, 1 x European Gold, 1 x European Silver.
Individual awards: 11 x Best Greek Championship Realizer, 5 x Greek Championship MVP, 4 x Greek Championship Finals MVP, 1 European MVP, 1 x Best World Realizer, 4 x Best European Realizer
4) Oscar Schmidt – Brazil (Guard)
Selected in the 1984 Draft (#131)
Clubs: Palmeiras, Sirio, America, Caserta, pavia, Valladolid, Corinthias, Bandeirantes, Gremio, Flamengo
Palmares: 3 x Brazilian Championship, 1 x Copa Interamericana, 1 x Intercontinental Cup, 1 x South American Campeonato, 1 x Gold Pan American Games, 3 x South American Championships
Individual Awards: 7 x Best Scorer Serie A
3) Micky Berkowitz – Israel (Guard)
Undrafted
Clubs: Maccabi Tel-Aviv, Maccabi Rishon LeZion, Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel-Aviv
Palmares: 16 x Israeli Championship, 13 x Israel Cup, 2 x Champions Cup, 1 x Intercontinental Cup, 1 x European Silver, 1 x Asian Games Gold
*He did not play in the NBA because on two separate occasions he failed to be released from his contract with Maccabi Tel-Aviv.
2) Dino Meneghin – Italy (Center)
Picked in the 1970 Draft (#182)
Clubs: Varese, Olimpia Milano, Trieste
Palmares: 12 x Scudetto, 6 x Italian Cup, 7 x Champions Cup, 1 Korac Cup, 1 x Cup Winners’ Cup, 4 x Intercontinental Cup, 1 x Olympic Silver, 1 x European Gold
1) Clifford Luyk – Spain (Center)
Picked in the 1962 Draft (#27)
Club: Real Madrid
Palmares: 14 x La Liga, 10 x Copa del Rey, 6 x Champions Cup, 1 x European Gold
Cover photo: FIBA
BasketUniverso was born in 2012 from an idea of a group of young people with the aim of providing readers not only with news, but also with in-depth features and columns, plus exclusive content.
