Since Yuta Tabuse, Yuta Watanabe became the first full Japanese player to step foot on the NBA hardwood. Zhou played in 18 games across two seasons for the Houston Rockets. Several years after Yi Jianlian’s NBA departure, Zhou Qi became the first Chinese player to play in the NBA since then. Rui Hachimura's Lakers playoff issues get Jontay Porter comparison from Shannon Sharpe Years later as a Raptor, he eventually became the third NBA player of Asian descent to win an NBA championship. Lin had several memorable moments with the Knicks. For a while, Jeremy Lin took the NBA by storm after several obstacles that came in his way. No one can ever forget the impact of Linsanity. Haddadi played for five seasons in the league, suiting up for the Memphis Grizzlies and the Phoenix Suns. Hamed Haddadiĭespite going undrafted, Hamed Haddadi became the first Iranian player to see minutes in the NBA. Thanks to Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, Sun became the second Asian and Chinese NBA player to win an NBA championship in 2009. Sun YueĪlthough China often sent big men to the NBA, Sun Yue was a forward. His best season came with the New Jersey Nets where he averaged 12.0 points and 7.2 rebounds per game in 2009-10. Although Yi wasn’t as dominant as Yao, he was able to play for five seasons in the NBA. After a successful stint in the Chinese Basketball Association, Yi was made the sixth overall pick by the Milwaukee Bucks. With hype surrounding Yao, Yi Jianlian was dubbed as the next Yao Ming. He is the only Asian basketball player to be inducted thus far. Because of this, Yao was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame. He appeared in eight All-Star Games and made the All-NBA team five times. Yao Ming is arguably the best NBA player from Asia. His best game with the Blazers saw him tally 13 points and five rebounds off the bench in a victory over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers. Selected by the Portland Trail Blazers in the second round, the 7-foot-3 center stayed in the NBA for two seasons. Ha Seung-Jin was the first South Korean player to ever get drafted and to play in the NBA. He made the cut for the Phoenix Suns’ opening night roster for the 2004-2005 season and played in four games, averaging 1.8 points per game. While Misaka was the first Japanese-American NBA player, Yuta Tabuse would become the first full Japanese to see minutes in the NBA. After five years in the NBA, Wang shot a solid career clip of 38.5 percent from deep. The stretch big man was selected in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks. Wang ZhiZhi became the first Chinese player to get drafted in the NBA.

Aside from the Spurs, he also played for the Denver Nuggets and Toronto Raptors. Thanks to Tim Duncan and the Spurs, Bateer rode the bench en route to a ring. The first Chinese player to do so was Mengke Bateer.

Mengke BateerĪlthough Yao Ming became one of the best Asian NBA players, he never won an NBA championship. Walters played for seven seasons in the NBA, suiting up for the New Jersey Nets, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Miami Heat. Rex WaltersĪside from Misaka, another Japanese-American player that played in the NBA is Rex Walters. Seikaly carved out an 11-year NBA career, which saw him win Most Improved Player of the Year in 1990. Born to Lebanese parents, Seikaly would become one of the earliest international players to make an impact in the NBA. Rony SeikalyĪ decade after Townsend was drafted, another Asian-American NBA player emerged. He played for two seasons with the Warriors before wrapping up his career with the Indiana Pacers. Townsend was a first-round pick by the Golden State Warriors in the 1978 NBA Draft. Raymond TownsendĪfter Misaka, one of the next Asian NBA players was Filipino-American Raymond Townsend. The Japanese-American played in three games and averaged 2.3 points per game. After leading the University of Utah to an NCAA championship, Misaka was drafted by the New York Knicks. Wataru Misaka was the first Asian NBA player. Also, Cam Thomas will not be included since his mother was an American stationed in Japan when he was born. It’s worth noting that this piece will not be considering naturalized NBA players such as Andray Blatche, Nick Fazekas, and Joe Vogel. Let’s take a look at 18 Asian players that played in the NBA. Moreover, some would even make their mark in the NBA.

Fortunately for Asian hoops fans, there have been a few who managed to make the cut. Although there were a handful of players who were able to be drafted, many would not earn a spot in an NBA roster.

Nba spurs roster