Current and former Bulls dominate list of greatest international players
One area where the Chicago Bulls have excelled over the years is the acquisition of international talent.
The game has become progressively more diverse, with the last six MVPs going to players who were born outside of the United States.
With Victor Wembanyama looking like the next superstar and the 1st round of the 2024 draft containing six international players, it’s safe to say that trend is going to continue.
The Bulls are hoping that’s the case with Lithuanian-American Matas Buzelis, though Buzelis was born and grew up in Chicago, so technically he doesn't really count.
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He would continue a long history of Bulls with an international flavor that includes plenty of former and even a current player.
In a recent article in HoopsHype, they ranked the 78 best international players of all time and the Bulls were well represented.
Chicago Bulls dominate list of best international players of all time.
There is plenty to argue about at the top of this list, though I would agree with Hakeem Olajuwon and Dirk Nowitzki at the top. You can debate Giannis vs. Jokic or guys like Steve Nash, Tony Parker and Pau Gasol, but it’s safe to say all should be included.
The Bulls start appearing later and often in the list with five current or former players:
#22: Toni Kukoc
#24: Nikola Vucevic
#25: Joakim Noah
#32: Luol Deng
#66: Lauri Markkanen
This is an interesting group and there’s an argument that the positions should be re-arranged.
Was Kukoc really better than the rest of these guys or just the beneficiary of playing on one of the best teams of all time with the NBA’s greatest player?
I would probably put Noah and Deng ahead of Vucevic. Both guys were far superior defenders and more versatile offensively.
Markkanen, who now plays for the Jazz after what turned out to be a some horrible asset-management by the Bulls, has a chance to climb this list significantly if he can stay healthy for 5-6 more seasons, but that is a big if.
The talent around the rest of the world has caught up to the US, and it won’t be long before NBA Africa starts making a bigger impact as well, so hopefully the Bulls can continue their history of finding talented players from outside the United States.
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