The NBA has been overflowing with international players in recent years, a significant rise that increased the league's level of overall talent and in turn, its appeal to loyal NBA fans.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has not only witnessed this rise but has also been fueling it as one of the best international players who has ever played in the NBA.
Now, basketball dominance cannot be discussed without mentioning the names of players like Nikola Jokic , Giannis Antetokounmpo and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander .
Since they rose to stardom in the past five years or so, they have electrified arenas with their exceptional and rare playstyles and influential personalities and presence that have made for an exciting and memorable experience for NBA fans.
And for Doncic, what we are seeing is only the beginning of international players' NBA takeover. Last year, there were 125 players born outside the United States listed in opening-night rosters. Luka believes that their number and their impact on the league will only continue to rise in the coming years.
"I think international basketball is going higher and higher," Doncic said on Hot Ones. "I mean, it's exciting because everybody in the world is now watching the NBA because of so many international players."
Foreign players have come a long way compared to how much their talent was appreciated and recognized back in the day.
From 1993-1994 through 2018-2019, only three foreign-born players have won the MVP award, namely Hakeem Olajuwon, Steve Nash , Dirk Nowitzki . They accounted for four of the 25 total MVP awardees during this span.
Now, international stars are taking the league for themselves.
The past seven MVPs are all foreigners thanks to Jokic (2021, 2022, 2024), Antetokounmpo (2019, 2020), SGA (2025) and Joel Embiid (2023). Excluding Embiid, they have a total of three NBA titles and three Finals MVPs.
And it seems that Doncic's forecast about their continued ascent is right, as the top five MVP favorites for this season are all foreign players. According to the 2025-2026 American Express season preview, the top MVP bets are Antetokounmpo, Doncic, Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic and Victor Wembanyama .
With the way the league is going, it's highly possible that this trend of foreign MVPs will continue.
It is undeniable that today's generational superstars, particularly LeBron James , Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant , are past their primes.
James is entering his 23rd year and retirement is knocking on his door. It will only be a matter of time before Curry and Durant face this inevitable reality. As these stars slowly enter their golden years, international players, meanwhile, are grabbing the golden opportunity to rule the league.
Doncic stressed that there are still a lot of American players who are making the game watchable and inspiring people with their talents, such as young stars Jayson Tatum , Anthony Edwards and Ja Morant and of course, the aging James, Curry, and Durant.
However, for the L.A. star, non-American players are keeping up.
"Obviously, we still have American players that are unbelievable," Doncic said. "But you know, we're getting up there."
NBA all-time greats Larry Bird and Julius Erving believe that the internationalization of the NBA is needed for it to continue to flourish. For Dr. J, foreign players' continued ascendancy should be a challenge for local players to elevate their game. Meanwhile, Bird believes that taking in more foreign-born hoopers is a must to boost the NBA's popularity .
There are still a handful of young American superstars leading the league, but the recent influx and dominance of international players make it clear that Doncic is right: the future of the NBA is global.
And the rest of the league will just have to learn how to deal with it.
Related: "Anybody talks" - Luka Doncic on the difference between trash talk in Europe and America
This story was originally reported by Basketball Network on Oct 10, 2025, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
