Top 10 Asian Players in Basketball History

Have you ever heard about Asian basketball players? It wouldn’t be so strange if you hadn’t, just because this sport has yet to fully take off in this continent. China, Iran, and, to a lesser extent, Japan are the three most dominant countries if we exclude the powerful Israel, which is part of Europe geographically and in terms of FIBA competitions. The Philippines is where this sport has acquired the greatest historical relevance. Its more than 106 million inhabitants live and breathe basketball and are a major source of players. In this article, we’ll review the basketball pioneers of a continent that still has great room for improvement in terms of player production.

Yao Ming

Above all, there is no doubt that Yao Ming stands out. The 2.29m giant earned his relevance in the NBA with a long career, with 11 seasons in the elite and very good numbers in the Houston Rockets. He’s attracted an enormous amount of bettor attention over the years as a result of his prowess on the court. Undoubtedly, he's one of today’s key players in the spotlight of basketball odds because so many people, including thousands of fans, are willing to take a chance on his talent. His potential as a basketball dynamo in a market as large as the league elevated China on both a sporting and a commercial level.

Yi Jianlian

Chinese center Yi Jianlian spent four years in the NBA before returning to his country. However, this year, he announced his retirement from professional basketball at the age of 38. In a statement posted on his account on the Sina Weibo network, Yi Jianlian explained the reasons for his farewell. Jianlian leaves behind a 21-year career in which he was chosen number 6 of the NBA draft in 2007 and became one of the most important Chinese players in the country's history, playing 4 Olympic games.

After his time in the NBA, Yi Jianlian returned to China, completing a 14-season career, winning six titles and averaging 21 points and 9.9 rebounds.

Hamed Haddadi

Iran's Hamed Haddadi is a clear representative of the talent under the backboard, a player from another era who continues to excite in his country and who had some creditable years in the best league in the world with the Grizzlies, before going to China and returning to be a hero in his homeland. He’s one that the world of basketball will never forget - and nor will we.

Wang Zhizhi

Another good Chinese player was Wang Zhizhi, the league's first Chinese draftee, who spent five years in the NBA, starting in 1999.

Mengkee Bateer

Another pioneer in the world of basketball was the powerful Mengkee Bateer, who was drafted into the NBA in 1997 and won a ring with the Spurs.

Sun Yue

Sun Yue, a talented forward who spent most of his career in the CBA and made history with his national team, also won a ring with the Lakers in 2009.

Zhou Qi

Zhou Qi was also a star in his country, and although he tried to jump into the NBA and did not succeed, his career in the CBA was extremely notable, and he made opponents tremble under the backboard.

Yuta Tabuse

The only one who departs from the giants' profile is 5' 11" point guard Yuta Tabuse, recognized worldwide as the best Japanese player in history so far. He played one year with the Suns and then developed an outstanding career in his own country, where new talents are gradually emerging and more and more interest is being paid to the sport.

Jeremy Lin

We mustn’t forget the talented Jeremy Lin, who is a Taiwanese-American professional basketball player, and who has played for the New Taipei Kings of the P. League+ (PLG).

Rui Hachimura

Rui Hachimura is a 24-year-old player from Toyama, Japan. He is of Beninese origin on his father's side and Japanese on his mother's, and has been a skilled athlete since childhood. Although he started in sports as a baseball catcher, he transitioned to basketball at the age of 14 and was the national high school champion for two consecutive seasons.

After being invited to the Jordan Brand Classic in 2015, he committed to playing at Gonzaga University starting in 2016. He played three NCAA campaigns, taking a leap in quality in his third year, catching the attention of NBA recruiters. He was selected in the 2019 NBA Draft in the ninth position of the first round by the Washington Wizards.

In the 2022-2023 season, he served in the role of backup power forward behind Kristaps Porzingis for the Wizards, taking advantage of his power at 104 kg and 2.03 meters tall. He is not known for being a great passer or stealer, but he can protect the perimeter thanks to his arm span.