Over the last 20 years, the NBA has seen an increasingly larger insertion of international players among their ranks.
This has propelled the NBA to new heights across the world as far as audience and revenue goes. The invasion of international talent has not been a good thing for the NBA; it has been a great thing. There is a total of 4 players born outside the United States who are legitimate MVP candidates, while others are ascending up the ranks with every passing night of NBA action. The league has never been more internationally represented than at this very moment, nor has it ever been more up in the air.
Today, we search the globe far and wide to put together the best team possible made up of players born from 6 of the 7 continents in the world. Antarctica doesn’t have enough players to field a team, so they are unfortunately excluded. These teams are the best possible starting 5 that we can come up with using the 6 continents represented throughout NBA history. The teams feature NBA champions, MVPs, Finals MVPs, and some of the greatest NBA players of all time. The world has been proudly represented by these 30 players and shall be honored for such here today.
Rule: Players were selected for each continent’s team based on where they were born.
These are the all-time greatest NBA teams, with players born on every continent.
All-Time North American NBA Team
Credit: Fadeaway World
All-Time North American NBA Team: Magic Johnson, Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Shaquille O’Neal
The NBA’s All-Time greatest teams for each content get started off with where the NBA plays most of their games, in North America. The North American team is made up of solely American-born players who have risen to the top of the NBA’s all-time hierarchy. The team gets started off with the greatest point guard of all time, Magic Johnson. Magic is the best passer and playmaker in NBA history who could lead and run a fast break like no other man in NBA history.
Next to Magic, we have put the 2 greatest superstars who have ever played the shooting guard position, Kobe Bryant and Michael Jordan. Bryant was an elite scorer in his day who won 2 scoring titles, 1 MVP award, and 2 Finals MVP awards, with 5 championships to his name. Michael Jordan is considered the greatest basketball player that ever lived. He won 6 NBA championships, 10 scoring titles, 6 Finals MVP awards, and 5 MVP awards, and he holds numerous NBA records. Jordan and Kobe round out the elite offense that the North American Team brings from the perimeter.
Another player that is not in his primary position in this lineup is LeBron James. LeBron is also considered to be one of the best players, passers, playmakers, and all-around talents in NBA history. He can serve as a scorer or passer in this lineup, as well as someone who can effectively defend any position he so chooses. With James, Kobe, Magic, and Jordan, this team is already the best lineup on the board, but there is one more piece to the puzzle.
The final addition to the North American team is our big man in the middle, Shaquille O’Neal. Shaq enjoyed one of the most dominant peaks in NBA history on his way to an MVP, 3 straight NBA championships, and 3 straight Finals MVP awards. O’Neal is a physical specimen in the middle who used brute strength to overpower and dominate opponents in the paint. With Shaq as their go-to big man, the North American team would be one of the best lineups ever created.
All-Time South American NBA Team
Credit: Fadeaway World
All-Time South American NBA Team: Manu Ginobili, Leandro Barbosa, Luis Scola, Al Horford, Nene
The South American team is up next, and they get us started with the winningest Argentinean player in NBA history, Manu Ginobili. Manu spent his entire career with the San Antonio Spurs, where he was a member of 4 championship-winning teams. Ginobili was also selected as an All-Star twice and made 2 All-NBA Third Teams in his career. In 2008, Ginobili was selected as the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year, recognizing him as the best bench player in basketball.
Joining Ginobili in the backcourt is 14-year NBA veteran Leandro Barbosa. Mostly known for his time with the Phoenix Suns and his current work as a member of the Golden State Warriors coaching staff, Barbosa played for 5 teams in 14 seasons in the NBA. In 2007, Barbosa was selected as the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year with 18.1 PPG, 4.0 APG, and 1.2 SPG for Phoenix in 80 games played. Barbosa would go on to win the 2015 NBA championship, with Golden State appearing in all 21 playoff games on the title run.
Luis Scola comes in at our first forward spot for South America and is selected based on his work on the NBA and international levels. Scola spent 10 seasons in the NBA, 5 of which came with the Houston Rockets from 2008 through 2012. Scola averaged 14.5 PPG and 7.7 RPG over that span and peaked at 18.3 PPG for the Rockets in 2011. In 2005 and 2007, Scola was named the Liga ACB MVP and has accomplished much more on an international level with Argentina’s national team.
Wrapping up the South American team is their strong frontcourt duo of Nene and Al Horford. On both sides of the ball, these 2 bigs can become game-changers at any moment and have done so over their long and consistent careers. Horford is a 5-time All-Star and a 1-time member of the All-NBA Team. He has played 16 seasons in the NBA so far in his career and is still a valuable piece for the Celtics in 2022-23. Nene was never an All-Star but was a pest on the defensive side of the ball and did a tremendous job of defending entry passes into the lane. Nene was also a consistent scorer despite battling injuries during his early 30s. These 2 bigs conclude a solid lineup for the South American team.
All-Time African NBA Team
Credit: Fadeaway World
All-Time African NBA Team: Steve Nash, Pascal Siakam, Joel Embiid, Hakeem Olajuwon, Dikembe Mutombo
The only team that has a real shot at knocking off the North Americans is the team we have fielded from Africa. The lineup gets started off with one of the best playmakers in NBA history, Steve Nash. He was a poster boy for efficient shooting and scoring but could lead and run an offense like no other in the 2000s. Nash would go on to win 2 MVP awards in his prime over the likes of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James, as well as 8 All-Star selections and 7 All-NBA Team selections. He also led the NBA in assists 5 times in 18 years.
The next pick on our team from Africa is Pascal Siakam. Over the last 3 seasons, Siakam has developed into a versatile and talented forward who can do a little bit of everything on the court. In 2019, Siakam played a key role in bringing the Toronto Raptors their first NBA championship in their franchise history. In 2019, he was also named the NBA’s Most Improved Player. He was selected to his only All-Star game in 2020 and has been named to 2 All-NBA Teams so far in his career.
Joel Embiid is one of the most talented big men in the last 20 years of the NBA. Embiid can do it all on the offensive side of the ball, including forcing his way to the foul line and shooting decently from within the 3-point line. Embiid is also a more than a decent defender who can hold most other skilled big men to off nights and frustrating output. Embiid has been the MVP runner-up in each of the last 2 seasons behind Nikola Jokic and is also a 5-time All-Star, 4-time All-NBA Team selection, and a 3-time All-Defensive team selection. In 2022, he became the first center since Shaq in 2000 to win the scoring title.
The last pieces to our African lineup might just be the best frontcourt ever assembled. Hakeem Olajuwon and Dikembe Mutombo are 2 of the best interior defenders in NBA history and, when brought together, will bring a trove of issues to their opponents. Olajuwon is an MVP, 2-time champion, 2-time Finals MVP, and a 2-time former Defensive Player of the Year. Mutombo brings 4 Defensive Player of the Year awards to the table, as well as 8 All-Star appearances and 6 All-Defensive Team selections. With these 2 manning the paint for Africa, they could be the team to dethrone the North Americans.
All-Time European NBA Team
Credit: Fadeaway World
All-Time European NBA Team: Luka Doncic, Dominique Wilkins, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Dirk Nowitzki, Nikola Jokic
The playmaking and scoring coming from the Team from Europe are unbelievable. First, we start off with Luka Doncic fresh off the first 60-point, 20-rebound, 10-assist game in NBA history. Doncic has become one of the league’s best passers, scorers, playmakers, and overall talents in just 4 and a half short seasons. He has already etched his name into Dallas Mavericks and NBA history with his stellar play willing a less-than-average Mavs team to a Western Conference Finals appearance in 2022. At just 23 years old, Luka is already the best European point guard to play in the NBA.
Next, we have Dominique Wilkins, who was born in France in 1960. The Human Highlight Rell was one of the most explosive scorers of the 80s and 90s with the Atlanta Hawks. Dominique made 9 straight All-Star games from 1986 through 1994 and won a scoring title in 1986 with 30.3 PPG. Wilkins went to 9 All-Star games and was selected to 7 All-NBA Teams in his career. He is still the Hawks’ all-time leader in scoring in both total points and points per game.
The third piece to the team from Europe is the Greek Freak Giannis Antetokounmpo. For the past several seasons, Giannis has entered his name into the hunt for the title of the best player in the world. He has won 2 MVP awards, 1 Defensive Player of the Year award, and led the Bucks to their first title since 1971. Giannis was named Finals MVP in one of the best Finals performances ever, with a 50-point closeout game to win the championship. His stellar two-way play makes him an easy choice to insert into this lineup.
Last but not least, we have one of the most talented frontcourts in NBA history. Dirk Nowitzki and Nikola Jokic will go down as 2 of the greatest European players ever, even if Jokic’s career is far from over. Nowitzki is easily the best shooting big man to ever walk the Earth, as well as a former MVP, NBA champion, and Finals MVP. Nikola Jokic is the best passing big man we have ever seen and has 2 MVP trophies to back it up. He has willed the Nuggets to playoff berths without his 2 best teammates and is on pace to become one of few to win 3 straight MVP awards.
All-Time Asian NBA Team
Credit: Fadeaway World
All-Time Asian NBA Team: Yuta Watanabe, Omri Casspi, Rui Hachimura, Yi Jianlian, Yao Ming
The team from Asia is well-represented by NBA legends but may come in as the weakest team constructed today. It starts off with Yuta Watanabe, who is in his 5th season in the NBA with the 3rd team of his career, the Brooklyn Nets. He is currently leading the NBA in 3-point shooting percentage, hitting on 54.0% of his 3.0 attempts per game. He is averaging a career-high 8.0 PPG and has made 21 appearances for them off the bench.
The second member of the Asian backcourt is Omri Casspi. He was known as a solid role player and secondary option for most of his career. Casspi could shoot the ball from deep with a career 36.8% 3-point shooting percentage with a few seasons over 40.0% as well. He and Watanabe make for one of the better shooting backcourts out of any lineup here today, but it will not be enough to keep up with the other continents.
Rui Hachimura is one of 2 active players to represent Asia on our list today. Hachimura is currently in his 4th season with the Washington Wizards as their backup power forward off the bench. Hachimura is a career 12.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG player who has had some up-and-down times in the NBA so far. At 24 years old, he still has plenty of time to prove his worth as a selection to our All-Asia squad. He just may have to do it somewhere other than Washington.
The final 2 selections to round out the Asian team are probably their 2 best weapons. Yi Jianlian spent just 5 seasons in the NBA as a starting power forward for most of the time there. In 2010, Jianlian had the best season of his career with the Nets when he averaged 12.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 1.0 BPG. In the Chinese Basketball Association, Jianlian was named the CBA MVP 5 times, including 4 years straight from 2013 through 2016. The last selection is Yao Ming, China’s greatest player whose career was cut short due to lingering health issues. Ming was one of the toughest matchups in the NBA during his prime and averaged 19.0 PPG and 9.2 RPG for his career. In 9 seasons, he was selected to 8 All-Star teams and 5 All-NBA Teams.
All-Time Oceanian NBA Team
Credit: Fadeaway World
All-Time Oceanian NBA Team: Kyrie Irving, Ben Simmons, Steven Adams, Andrew Bogut, Luc Longley
The final All-Time continent team is a squad formed with players born in Oceania. Kyrie Irving is the most skilled player in the bunch and is one of the most skilled in NBA history. He is a former NBA champion who iced the series with one of the most clutch shots of all time and is the only 50/40/90 member on this Oceania team. Irving has been the Rookie of the Year, a 7-time All-Star, 1-time All-Star MVP, and 3-time All-NBA Team selection. His skill comes in handy with a team filled with big men to kick things off for Oceania.
Next to Kyrie, sharing the backcourt, will be his current teammate with the Brooklyn Nets, Ben Simmons. As one of the better defenders in basketball and with superb playmaking skills, Simoons’ game compliments Irving’s perfect for this lineup. Both Irving and Simmons have been criticized for drama-filled headlines, but on the court, their talent is undeniable.
Steven Adams will undoubtedly be the enforcer for Team Oceania, just as he has been his whole career with the Thunder, Pelicans, and Grizzlies. Adams is currently in his 10th NBA season and 2nd with the Grizzlies. Over the last 10 seasons, Adams has become one of the league’s best rebounders and premier big men in basketball. His defensive effort and job on the glass have made him one of the more valuable bigs in the West.
The final 2 selections to the team for Oceania are Andrew Bogut and Luc Longley. Bogut was a 14-year NBA veteran and an NBA champion who made 3 Finals appearances with the Golden State Warriors. Bogut is a career 9.6 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 1.5 BPG player who started for Golden State in 2015 when they won the championship. Luc Longley was the starting center for the second 3-peat of the Chicago Bulls from 1996 through 1998. Longley averaged 9.9 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 1.2 BPG in his 3 title seasons with the Bulls and is regarded as one of the premier players in Chicago Bulls history.
Source: fadeawayworld
