The NBA at the end of the 80s also opened its doors to foreign players, thanks to the far-sighted policy of the then executive commissioner David Stern
The first generation of foreigners had problems of adaptation and enhancement that do not exist today, but had the function of a forerunner for subsequent generations. Among the many successful European players in the American and world top league there are two who have achieved all the highest awards. Regular Season Winners, NBA Champions, Best Player of the Regular Season, Best Finals Player and one of its seventy-six greatest players in history. They are German Dirk Nowitzki and the Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo. The latter is a player still in business, so he managed to get these accolades in a short time and the regular season mvp award has already achieved it twice.
There were other great European champions who were vying for second to enter among the seventy-six gods of Olympus in the stars and stripes, but then some critics were not selected perhaps even a little for the well-known patriotism of the Americans. Pau Gasol two-time NBA champion with the Lakers, his brother Marc Gasol several times best overseas center award, Tony Parker 4-time NBA champion with Spurs. So for Nowitzki and Antetokounmpo these awards are worth double, because they have also overcome the mental barriers of a patriotic foreign country. Both Nowitzki and Antetokoumpo were chosen in the top league with low numbers because hardly anyone believed in them, but thanks to their work ethic they proved everyone wrong.
Andrea Renzi
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