<P> Following pioneers like Vlade Divac (Serbia) and Dražen Petrović (Croatia) who joined the NBA in the late 1980s, an increasing number of international players have moved directly from playing elsewhere in the world to starring in the NBA . Below is a short list of foreign players who have won NBA awards or have been otherwise recognized for their contributions to basketball, either currently or formerly active in the league: </P> <Ul> <Li> Dražen Petrović, Croatia--2002 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1993 Euroscar Player of the Year, 1986 and 1993 Mr. Europa Player of the Year, MVP of the 1986 FIBA World Championship and EuroBasket 1989, 2 - time Olympic silver medalist, World Champion, European Champion, 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors </Li> <Li> Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Lithuania--2014 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame . First Soviet Union and one of the very first Europeans to sign contract with NBA club and to play solidly in the league, helping to lead the way for the internationalization of the league in the late 1990s . </Li> <Li> Toni Kukoč, Croatia--3 - time NBA Champion with Chicago Bulls (1996, 1997, 1998), named in 2008 as one of the 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors </Li> <Li> Vlade Divac, Serbia--2 - time Olympic silver medalist, 2001 NBA All - Star, 2 - time World Champion, 3 - time European Champion, 1989 Mr. Europa, 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors </Li> <Li> Arvydas Sabonis, Lithuania--2011 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1984, 1985, 1988, 1995, 1999 Euroscar Player of the Year, 1985, 1997 Mr. Europa Player of the Year, Olympic gold medalist in 1988 with the Soviet Union and bronze medalist in 1992 and 1996 with Lithuania, 1996 NBA All - Rookie First Team, 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors </Li> <Li> Peja Stojaković, Serbia--NBA Champion with Dallas Mavericks (2011), MVP of the EuroBasket 2001, member of the all - tournament team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, 2001 Euroscar winner, 2001 and 2002 Mr. Europa, 2002 and 2003 NBA Three - Point Shootout champion, 3 - time NBA All - Star (drafted in 1996, entered the NBA in 1998) </Li> <Li> Dirk Nowitzki, Germany--NBA Champion with Dallas Mavericks (2011), MVP of the 2002 FIBA World Championship and EuroBasket 2005, member of the all - tournament team in the 2002 FIBA World Championship, 2002--2006 and 2011 Euroscar winner, 2005 Mr. Europa, 2005 and 2011 FIBA Europe Player of the Year, 2007 NBA MVP, 2011 Bill Russell NBA Finals Most Valuable Player Award, 2006 NBA Three - Point Shootout champion and 13 - time NBA All - Star (entered the NBA in 1998) </Li> <Li> Hedo Türkoğlu, Turkey--2008 Most Improved Player Award winner, member of the all - tournament team in the 2010 FIBA World Championship (entered the NBA in 2000) </Li> <Li> Pau Gasol, Spain--2 - time NBA Champion with Los Angeles Lakers (2009 & 2010), Six time NBA All - Star, 2002 NBA Rookie of the Year, 2004 and 2009 Mr. Europa, 2006 FIBA World Championship MVP, 2008 and 2009 Euroscar and FIBA Europe Player of the Year, EuroBasket 2009 MVP, winner of the NBA Citizenship Award in 2012 (entered the NBA in 2001) </Li> <Li> Andrei Kirilenko, Russia--2004 NBA All - Star, EuroBasket 2007 MVP, 2007 FIBA Europe Player of the Year (drafted in 1999, played in the NBA from 2001 to 2011 before returning to Russia due to the lockout, returned in 2012 as a member of the Minnesota Timberwolves .) </Li> <Li> Tony Parker, France--4 - time NBA Champion with the Spurs, 2007 NBA Finals MVP, 6 - time All - Star and 2007 Euroscar winner (entered the NBA in 2001) </Li> <Li> Manu Ginóbili, Argentina--4 - time NBA Champion with San Antonio Spurs, 2008 Sixth Man Award winner, 2 - time All - Star, 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors, gold medal in the 2004 Summer Olympics with Argentina (drafted in 1999, entered the NBA in 2002) </Li> <Li> Yao Ming, China--2016 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first pick in the 2002 NBA draft and 8 - time NBA All - Star (played in the NBA from 2002 to 2011) </Li> <Li> Leandro Barbosa, Brazil--NBA Champion with Golden State Warriors (2015), 2007 Sixth Man Award winner (entered the NBA in 2003) </Li> <Li> Andrea Bargnani, Italy--First pick in the 2006 NBA draft by the Toronto Raptors (entered the NBA in 2006) </Li> </Ul> <Li> Dražen Petrović, Croatia--2002 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, 1986, 1989, 1992, 1993 Euroscar Player of the Year, 1986 and 1993 Mr. Europa Player of the Year, MVP of the 1986 FIBA World Championship and EuroBasket 1989, 2 - time Olympic silver medalist, World Champion, European Champion, 50 Greatest EuroLeague Contributors </Li> <Li> Šarūnas Marčiulionis, Lithuania--2014 inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame . First Soviet Union and one of the very first Europeans to sign contract with NBA club and to play solidly in the league, helping to lead the way for the internationalization of the league in the late 1990s . </Li>

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