The New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson has just finished a tour in Asia with the Jordan brand in an effort to grow the NBA internationally. The number of international players in the league has grown exponentially since the 1990s.
A website ranked the top 78 foreign-born players and a few pelicans made the list.
HoopsHype has ranked Hakeem Olajuwon as the best international player of all time. This comes as no surprise, as the Nigerian has won two NBA championships, two Finals MVP awards, and two Defensive Player of the Year awards.
The first former Pelicans player to appear on the list is Peja Stojakovic, at No. 17.
Stojakovic is most associated with the Sacramento Kings, whose Chris Webber and Vlade Divac played against the Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s. The Serbian forward spent just over four years in New Orleans for the Hornets. After signing with the Hornets in 2006, the forward made history by becoming the first NBA player to score 20 consecutive points to open a game for his team.
Stojakovic also became the first player in franchise history to make 200 three-pointers in a season. His 231 three-pointers made in the 2007-08 season still rank second in New Orleans history, with C.J. McCollum’s 239 three-pointers made last season eclipsing his record. Stojakovic was a key member of the Hornets’ franchise-record 56-game winning streak in 2008.
The next Pelicans player on the list is recently traded center Jonas Valanciunas, who joined New Orleans. sent to the Washington Wizards this summerHe appears at 48th place in the all-time ranking.
Valanciunas spent the last three seasons in the Big Easy and was a key player for the team. The Lithuanian center played all 82 games last season for the first time in his career. He played in 235 of a possible 246 games in that span, the most of any Pelicans player in that time.
Valanciunas averaged a double-double during his time in New Orleans, scoring 14.6 points per game and grabbing 10.1 rebounds per game. New Orleans will have to fill a huge void with their midfield departure and rumors have it that a few contending teams could call on his services later in the year before the playoffs begin. The former Pelicans center was selected to the All-Rookie Second Team and won two silver medals at EuroBasket. Valanciunas is entering his 13th year in the league.