Utah Jazz rank: The top 10 international players in team history

More than ever, the NBA is an international league and the Utah Jazz have been a huge part of that evolution. But who are the best int’l players in team history?

Counting Mississauga, Ontario, Canada’s Naz Mitrou-Long, who logged a whopping 31 seconds of court time in December, eight foreign-born players suited up for the Utah Jazz during the 2017-18 season, seven of which played important minutes for the team.

That said, the international flavor is nothing new in Jazzland. Nearly 30 international players have rocked with the Jazz band since 1987, when the franchise used the 15th overall pick in the NBA Draft to make Jose Ortiz the first-ever Puerto Rican draftee.

Although Ortiz’s exploits in Utah ultimately weren’t in the same universe as his efforts abroad, some great international players have plied their trade for the Jazz.

And the brunt of those have been in the last decade.

Why is all of this notable? Because, every year, basketball grows as a global sport and the NBA becomes more of an international league. It’s been an incredible evolution and the Jazz organization has been at the forefront of the movement.

So, in celebration of all the diversity of Jazzdom, here’s my list of the 10 best international ballers in team history, with a focus on their Jazz tenures.

Next: No. 10

10) Dante Exum, G — Australia

Thanks to injuries, we still don’t have a great idea of what exactly Dante Exum can be as an NBA player. And in the time he has spent on the floor, he’s largely left us wanting more — particularly on the offensive end.

Having said that, the former top-five pick has still shown elite speed and quickness, an ability to get to the hoop and a natural aptitude for defense.

The latter has been his best attribute over the course of an injury-plagued career. Case in point: his work on James Harden during the second-round of the 2018 NBA Playoffs.

Whether we’ve seen the last of Exum in a Jazz uniform or not, he’s done some good things for the team and still has the potential to do so much more.

Jazz stats: 162 GP (67 starts), 5.7 PPG, 2.2 APG, 1.8 RPG, .395 FG%, .306 3P%

Next: No. 9

9) Carlos Arroyo, PG — Puerto Rico

After bringing up the rear as a third-stringer the previous year, Carlos Arroyo was given a daunting task as the 2003-04 season tipped off. Specifically, he was the guy asked to replace the retiring John Stockton.

We’re only talking the greatest pure point guard in the history of the game; no pressure, right?

Nevertheless, Arroyo acquitted himself rather well as a key cog to one of the most entertaining teams the Jazz ever fielded. In 71 starts that season, he averaged nearly 13 points and five assists per game. In doing so, he helped a squad that was pegged to win eight games finish 42-40.

Of course, his best moment while a member of the Jazz actually came internationally when he and Ortiz led Puerto Rico to a blow-out win over Team USA ahead of the 2004 Olympic Games.

Arroyo ultimately fell out of favor in Utah. Still, he carved out a decade-long career for himself in the Association.

Jazz stats: 145 GP (87 starts), 8.7 PPG, 3.9 APG, 1.8 RPG, .435 FG%, .338 3P%

Next: No. 8

8) Enes Kanter, F/C — Turkey

This probably won’t be a popular choice, and I totally understand why. Not only did Enes Kanter fail to live up to his status as a No. 3 overall pick, but he also forced his way out of town and burned as many bridges as he could in the process.

Having said that, Kanter developed nicely over his nearly four years in Utah. With Al Jefferson and Jazz developmental drilling him in the post, he acquired the skills that made him one of the best inside scorers in the game.

Also: he dropped the mic once —

Now, Kanter is one of the league’s few legit double-double machines.

He still can’t guard a tree stump or stop a man in cement shoes from getting to the tin, but he’s really good at the things he does do and has made a ton of money as a result.

Jazz stats: 265 GP (87 starts), 9.3 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 0.4 BPG, .501 FG%, .744 FT%

Next: No. 7

7) Gordan Giricek, G/F — Croatia

To begin the ’03-04 season, a young DeShawn Stevenson was the starting shooting guard for Utah. And while he was a great athlete, an improved shooter and had raised his scoring to over 11 points per game, he didn’t pack the punch offensively that the Jazz needed. So, then-GM Kevin O’Connor swapped him for Gordan Giricek.

The 6-foot-6 wing was a hit initially. He stepped right into Stevenson’s old spot and closed the year scoring over 13 points per game and hitting 36 percent of his triples. Unfortunately, that 25-game stretch probably represents the high-water mark of his Jazz career.

Giricek suffered lapses defensively, clashed with Jerry Sloan at times and even became inconsistent shooting the ball.

Still, he spent more than four years in Utah and was usually an important part of the rotation, not to mention one of the NBA’s better deep threats over that span. Giri was also the player that netted the Jazz Kyle Korver via trade, so kudos to him for that.

After leaving Utah, he got choked out by Shaquille O’Neal. Cool.

Jazz stats: 226 GP (104 starts), 8.9 PPG, 2.1 RPG, 1.4 APG, .442 FG%, .373 3P%

Next: No. 6

6) Raja Bell, G — Virgin Islands

Raja Bell is another player who left Jazz fans with less-than-fuzzy feelings about his time here. It’s hard to say who holds the most blame for what transpired, but here is what we know —

• • Bell famously clashed with Tyrone Corbin during the 2011-12 season. The situation was so bad that he was essentially banished from the team and never heard from again as a player.
  • He seemingly continues to hold a grudge over the incident. As recently as two years ago, he called the Jazz organization unprofessional.

  All that aside, though, his first stint with the team was great. Even during the failed return several years later, he was one of the Jazz’s better players.

  Utah was the place where Bell emerged as one of the Association’s premiere defenders and a lights-out 3-point shooter. His efforts as a Jazzman from 2003-05 are what springboarded him into a nice free agent deal with the Phoenix Suns, with whom he broke out in a major way.

  Full disclosure — I own a Raja Bell Jazz jersey; and I’m glad to despite the bad end. He had some elite-level skills and was a big part of some fun teams in Salt Lake City.

  Jazz stats: 247 GP (132 starts), 9.9 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 1.4 APG, .428 FG%, .376 3P%

  Next: No. 5

  

  5) Ricky Rubio, PG — Spain

  The “Spanish Samurai” may be just one year into his Jazz career, but it was one helluva year. It didn’t start out that way, though.

  Before we had even reached the mid-way point of the 2017-18 season, there was a vocal contingent of Jazz fans calling for Ricky Rubio‘s head. His shooting was as bad as advertised, his defense had been a letdown and the Jazz simply couldn’t score when he, Rudy Gobert and Derrick Favors shared the floor.

  It was bad times.

  Fast-forward to now and Rubio officially has both a breakout year (having logged career highs in points per game, field goal percentage and 3-point percentage) and a playoff series victory under his belt. In many ways, he’s become the heart and soul of the current Jazz squad and a true fan favorite.

  Ricky Rubio has several nicknames. He was "The Greatest Showman" in Game 3. Here is a look back on his playoff triple-double. #UtahJazz #takenote #nba pic.twitter.com/sX6z3kmgEC

  — Jeremiah Jensen (@JeremiahJensen) April 23, 2018

  When the Jazz lost his services for Round 2 versus the Houston Rockets, it was a gut punch the team couldn’t recover from.

  Jazz stats: 77 GP (77 starts), 13.1 PPG, 5.3 APG, 4.6 RPG, .418 FG%, .352 3P%

  Next: No. 4

  

  4) Joe Ingles, SF — Australia

  Whodathunk four years ago when Dante Exum was entering the league as a No. 5 overall pick with his own Adidas ad campaign that another, much older Aussie with male-pattern baldness — who was cut during training camp by the LA Clippers — would end up being the better player?

  The jury may still be out on Exum, but that’s legitimately where things stand right now with Joe Ingles.

  Slow-Mo’ Joe is proof positive that you can teach an old dog new tricks. All you need is the right dog. This past season, at age 30, he was arguably a top 10 player at his position league-wide. In his first year as a full-time starter, he averaged double figures and finished in the top five in the NBA in 3-point percentage for the second straight year.

  Bottom line — Ingles has been a godsend for Utah. He’s stepped up and excelled in every role Jazz coach Quin Snyder has asked him to assume in his four years with the team and shown himself to be one of the game’s most multi-faceted talents. So what if running and jumping aren’t among said talents?!

  Jazz stats: 324 GP (121 starts), 7.0 PPG, 2.9 RPG, 2.8 APG, .467 FG%, .440 3P%

  Next: No. 3

  

  3) Rudy Gobert, C — France

  Give it a few years and there’s a good chance Rudy Gobert tops this list. But we all know how good “The Stifle Tower” is, so how about I just let the video do the talking on this one?

  Here’s some of the damage Gobert managed to do this season —

  If Gobert isn’t the 2018 Defensive Player of the Year, I don’t know who is.

  Jazz stats: 325 GP (234 starts), 10.0 PPG, 10.0 RPG, 2.2 BPG, .614 FG%, .629 FT%

  Next: No. 2

  

  2) Mehmet Okur, C — Turkey

  During his seven-year run with the Jazz, Mehmet Okur was nothing short of a revelation. He was the ultimate floor-spacing stretch big before half the league even realized that was a thing they should have.

  In that respect, you could argue that Memo joins Dirk Nowitzki in being an instigator for changing the way NBA basketball is played.

  His place in history aside, Okur was a key figure in Utah’s success during the mid-to-late 2000s. Along with Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer, the “Money Man” helped lead the Jazz to heights not seen since the glory days of Stockton-to-Malone. If he hadn’t ruptured his Achilles tendon in 2010, who knows how long that era of Jazz basketball lasts.

  Throughout his tenure in Salt Lake, Okur was truly one of the game’s elite offensive talents and a crunch-time maestro. He boasted an impressive resume of clutch moments befitting his Money nickname. Memo’s stellar play was rewarded with an All-Star selection in 2007.

  Jazz stats: 474 GP (404 starts), 15.3 PPG, 7.6 RPG, 0.7 BPG, .462 FG%, .381 3P%

  Next: No. 1

  

  1) Andrei Kirilenko, F — Russia

  When the Jazz picked up a Russian teenager called Andrei Kirilenko with the 24th pick in the 1999 NBA Draft, it didn’t exactly set the world on fire. But when he finally debuted for the Jazz in 2001, it became apparent in short order that “AK-47” was as deadly as his nickname implied on the court.

  Until Gobert takes the mantle from him, he’s officially (according to me, anyway) the Jazz’s greatest international player. Heck, he’s arguably one of the 10 best in the history of the league.

  Kirilenko established himself as one of basketball’s elite defenders and a versatile frontcourt playmaker early in his career. Although his confidence took a hit when Williams and Boozer became Utah’s go-to combination offensively, he continued to be a defensive game-changer and one of the most underrated overall talents in the league.

  That would be the case for a decade.

  Like Okur, he played in an All-Star Game. Kirilenko was also a three-time All-Defensive team selection and the master of the 5×5. Google that last one, kiddos.

  As great as he was in his day, AK was probably ahead of his time. In the modern NBA, he’d be mentioned in the same breath as Draymond Green and an annual Defensive Player of the Year candidate.

  Jazz stats: 681 GP (478 starts), 12.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 2.0 BPG, 1.4 SPG .470 FG%, .312 3P%

  Next: KBD injured during pre-draft workout with the Utah Jazz