As playoff time draws a bit closer, I felt compelled to write an article about some of the league's international players that are causing a stir in the NBA. Here is a list of a few of my faves that are making a huge impact.

The NBA is loaded with international talent. Don't believe me? Just flip on the T.V. or look on the internet and you will see that the leaders in stats and the teams who have done well are led by international fame.

The proof lies in the numbers. The San Antonio Spurs have won the title the past couple of years and yes, Tim Duncan is a huge reason (no pun intended). But you have to look at who their guards are as well. Their starting and All-Star point guard is Tony Parker. Parker hails from France and plays for their national team come Olympics time.

Then you look at their shooting guard – this guy is an absolute scoring machine – Manu Ginobili, from Argentina. Ginobili has spearheaded the Spurs' campaign for these titles and is a relentless defender as well.  

I f you focus your attention on the reigning NBA MVP for the Dallas Mavericks you will see why these international athletes are so good. His name: Dirk Nowitzki. Nowitzki hails from Germany and broke on to the NBA scene a mere handful of years ago.  He has averaged 26.2 points on 50.9 percent shooting since the All-Star break and seemingly had the Mavs on course for a top-six seed in the West.

There has also been talk of a man who comes from Spain and now plays for the Lakers after being traded from the Memphis Grizzlies. He is none other than Pau Gasol.

The list goes on for a while. There is Steve Nash (from Canada originally), who has also recently won MVP as he runs the point for the Phoenix Suns. Nash is shooting 51.8 percent from the field, 48.2 percent on 3s and 90.4 percent from the charity stripe, putting him on pace for his second 50-40-90 campaign in three years. He missed the mark last season ... by one foul shot.

Then there is Mr. Yao Ming who came from China to play for the Houston Rockets. He had a great deal of hype surrounding his arrival and he has more than lived up to it, posting record numbers. He has become a perennial powerhouse Center for the Rockets and at the tender age of 27 looks to have many years left in the league.

By going to www.espn.com you can check out the full list of 30 international players who have been turning heads and drawing attention to the NBA. They have definitely helped in ticket sales over the past decade.

So the next time you are watching an NBA game, look at the rosters to see if any of these players are in the line-up. And if they are, watch out! You are likely to see some amazing plays and hear an interesting background about where it is these guys hail from. 



Dan Olson writes for KSTW-TV in Seattle. All opinions expressed in this column are his.