“Name a time we heard about a European player being caught up in some BS” – NBA analyst says European players are diligent and stay away from criticism
Over the past decade, the NBA has seen an increase in the number of European players. They are no longer viewed as rare talents or prospects. Instead, many of the top 10 players in the league right now are Europeans.
Luka Doncic entered the league as a highly touted prospect who was successful from a young age in the EuroLeague. However, players like Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic honed their skills after being drafted. They are now two of the best players and have won the past four MVPs between them.
The way NBA veteran Kendrick Perkins sees it, the level of discipline of European players is different. In his words, it's incredibly rare to see a European player making headlines for causing trouble. During a recent episode of ESPN's "Swagu & Perk," the analyst said:
"Name a time we heard about a European player being caught up in some BS. Name a time we heard about Giannis hitting the headlines over some negative news. Name a time we had heard about Jokic hitting the stuff about negative news."
Watch the conversation unfold from 25:29.
This notion is an interesting one since nobody has pointed to the unproblematic nature of European players before. While there have been many European players in the league, it is rare to see them generating controversy off the court.
Building a franchise around European players
Perkins went on to explain why he believes more NBA teams should be built around European stars. The way he sees it, it's because of their work ethic. While the blanket statement certainly doesn't hold true in every instance, talented players are coming more frequently from other countries.
Perkins said teams should take note of the way European players conduct themselves on and off the floor. With a great work ethic and a family-focused lifestyle, they offer unique consistency to teams that other players don't:
"You know that you could trust them. You could build a franchise around them. They're gonna come in, show up to work every single day. They're going to take their behinds home. Half of them is married with kids and you ain't got to worry about the extra stuff with them. And you getting a superstar-caliber player."
It can be strongly debated that even American-born players like LeBron James and Stephen Curry provide similar leadership. Nevertheless, Perkins' sentiment about building more teams around European players is an interesting one. Dirk Nowitzki provided a shining example of this with the Dallas Mavericks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic carry forward that legacy with the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver Nuggets, respectively. With another European prospect, Victor Wembanyama, projected to be the top draft pick next season, teams can start to plan to build around his leadership.