Ranking the 10 best African NBA players ever to play the game

The NBA (National Basketball Association) is arguably the most popular league in the USA and one of the best globally. The basketball league has produced legendary athletes like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Lebron James, and the best African NBA players.

Africa has produced many legendary NBA stars who have made history in the league. They include players who are citizens of an African nation or those with African roots.

Best African NBA players of all time

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Dikembe Mutombo are among the best African basketball stars in the American league. Their exceptional talents and achievements helped them shine in the basketball league and win numerous awards and trophies.

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The above players were born and raised in Africa before moving to the USA to play basketball in the NBA. Below are details about them, including the teams they played for and their achievements.

10. Didier Ilunga-Mbenga

Mbenga was born and raised in Kinshasa, Zaire (Democratic Republic of Congo). His family moved to Belgium, where they were given asylum following unrest in Congo. He played in NBA for Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, and New Orleans Hornets. Mbenga won two NBA Championships.

9. Festus Ezeli

The Nigerian-born basketball star was drafted into the NBA in 2012 but lost two seasons due to injuries. He starred for the Golden State Warriors and won an NBA Championship in 2015, averaging 9.2 minutes per game over 20 matches in the Playoffs.

8. Luol Deng

Deng, who hails from South Sudan, is among the few African-born stars selected as an All-Star. He represented the Eastern Conference in 2012 and 2013 while with Chicago Bulls. Luol Deng was picked by the Phoenix Suns in the seventh pick at the 2004 Draft but was sent to the Bulls the same day. He later played for Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves before retiring.

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7. Serge Ibaka

Ibaka plays as a power forward/centre for Milwaukee Bucks in the NBA. He ranks among the best African NBA players in 2022. He was drafted 24th overall by the Seattle SuperSonics (Oklahoma City Thunder) in 2009.

Serge also played for Orlando Magic, Toronto Raptors, and Los Angeles Clippers and won one NBA Championship. He was born and bred in Brazzaville, Congo, and moved to France aged 17 to pursue his dream of playing professional basketball.

6. Andre Iguodala

Andre was born to an African-American mother and a Nigerian father in Springfield, Illinois. He is by far the most successful African NBA star. Iguodala won three championships with the Golden State Warriors and was named the finals MVP in 2015. He was also included in NBA All-Star in 2012.

Andre returned to the Warriors in September 2022 for the 2022-23 season after spending two years with the Miami Heat.

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5. Pascal Siakam

The Cameroonian-born power forward has proved his talent on the court. He was drafted 27th overall by the Raptors in 2016. However, Pascal immediately joined Toronto's G-league team, where he won a championship and finals MVP before returning to the Raptors. In 2018, he was named the most-improved player in NBA before helping the Raptors clinch the 2019 NBA title.

4. Joel Embiid

Embiid is another Cameroonian basketball star in the NBA. He plays as a centre for the Philadelphia 76ers. Joel Embiid was born in Yaounde and later moved to the United States at age 16 to pursue his basketball dreams.

In 2014, the talented centre was drafted as the 3rd overall pick by the 76ers, but injuries slowed him down. Embiid has been named to every All-Star team since 2018 (3) and twice to the All-NBA second team. He also appeared twice in NBA all-defensive second team and the 2017 all-rookie first team. The Cameroonian finished as the 2022 MVP runner-up, losing to the Nuggets' star, Nikola Jokic.

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3. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Considered by many the best NBA player in the 2022-2023 season, Giannis Antetokounmpo is known for his explosive playing style. He was born in Athens, Greece, to Nigerian parents. His NBA record has been impressive since he was picked 15th overall in 2013 by Milwaukee Bucks.

Antetokounmpo is a 4-time All-Star and made the all-NBA first team once. In addition, he made the all-NBA second team twice and was named the most improved player in 2017. The Greek Freak is currently leading the race to win the 2022-2023 MVP award after putting up an outstanding performance in the league.

2. Dikembe Mutombo

Mutombo starred in the NBA for 18 seasons between 1991 and 2009. He is a Congolese-American basketball legend who won multiple awards for his remarkable performance. Dikembe was named an All-Star eight times, an All-NBA Team three times, and a four-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year, among others.

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The retired centre played for Denver Nuggets, Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, New Jersey Nets, New York Knicks, and Houston Rockets.

Who is the best African NBA player of all time?

Legendary Hakeem Olajuwon tops our list of best African players in the NBA. He reportedly played 1,238 games for Houston Rockets and Toronto Raptors in the league and grabbed several awards and trophies.

1. Hakeem Olajuwon

Olajuwon won two Championships with the Rockets (1994, 1995) and was named MVP on both occasions. He was also named MVP of the NBA regular season in 1994. The Nigerian-American legend was also named to the All-NBA Team 12 times.

The Lagos-born legend registered 3, 830 career blocks, which remains the most by any player in the history of the NBA. Hakeem grew up playing soccer in Nigeria before switching careers to basketball.

NBA players from Africa in 2022

Eight African players got picked in the 2022 NBA draft. They include Christian Koloko of Cameroon, Senegal's Khalifa Diop, and Ochai Agbaji, with Nigerian ties.

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As observed, most of the best African NBA players have dual citizenship. Only a few have represented their African national teams. Although basketball is not among Africa's popular sports, the continent continues to produce unique talents who join the NBA.

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