Top 5 former NBA players who found success in European basketball
While the NBA is the biggest basketball league in the world, former players have opted to play in other leagues across Europe after retirement.
Few couldn't bear to stay as they found their way back to the US in under a season. But some traveled miles across the world and continued to dominate, for the rules of basketball do not change.
It is a popular belief that the NBA is the most difficult league to play in just by evaluating the sheer number of elite talent in the league. However, the NBA has been accused of being too soft, which is why European basketball is a bit more physical. Three years ago, the legendary Kobe Bryant shared the same view. He said,
"I feel like European basketball is more physical than the NBA is right now."
Nonetheless, here are five former NBA players that found success in European basketball.
#5 Alex English
Alex English was selected in the second round of the 1976 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, but his career really took off later down the line. English was arguably the best scorer in the league during the 80s as he played for the Denver Nuggets, winning the NBA scoring title once and making eight consecutive All-Star appearances.
In what was his final NBA season, he signed with the Dallas Mavericks as a rotation player and failed to produce at the level everyone had grown accustomed to. After his one-year stint with the Mavericks, he opted to play for Depi Napoli, an Italian team.
Alex English during the 1980s:
▪️25.9 PPG
▪️4.4 APG
▪️5.9 RPG
▪️51.0 FG%
▪️83.8 FT%
▫️3x All NBA
▫️8x All Star
▫️1983 Scoring Champion
▫️Scored 21,018 points
▫️8 consecutive 2,000 PT seasons https://t.co/H75RhkYpN0
In the one year he spent with the Italian side, he averaged 14 points and played in only 18 games. English retired from the NBA with career averages of 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He was also the first player to score 2,000+ points for eight consecutive seasons.
#4 George Gervin
The NBA hosted some of the most prolific scorers, and George Gervin was one of them. He was an elite shooting guard who made nine All-Star appearances and led the league in scoring for three consecutive seasons from 1978, and once in 1982.
Gervin retired from the NBA in 1986 and went on to ply his trade in Europe the following season. He retired at the age of 33 and opted to give it another go while playing for Banco Di Roma in Italy. That season, he averaged 26.1 points per game.
Happy B-Day to Iceman, 4-time @NBA scoring champ George Gervin and originator of one of the smoothest moves in all of hoops: The Finger Roll https://t.co/leAZmxVhhP
He returned to Europe for the 1989-90 season after playing for Quad City Thunder in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). But this time, he played for TDK Manresa in the Spanish National Basketball League. Although he's not as quick, he averaged 25.5 points and five rebounds.