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While the NBA is the biggest basketball league in the world, former players have opted to play in other leagues across Europe after retirement.
Few couldn't bear to stay as they found their way back to the US in under a season. But some traveled miles across the world and continued to dominate, for the rules of basketball do not change.
It is a popular belief that the NBA is the most difficult league to play in just by evaluating the sheer number of elite talent in the league. However, the NBA has been accused of being too soft, which is why European basketball is a bit more physical. Three years ago, the legendary Kobe Bryant shared the same view. He said,
"I feel like European basketball is more physical than the NBA is right now."
Nonetheless, here are five former NBA players that found success in European basketball.
#5 Alex English
Alex English was selected in the second round of the 1976 NBA draft by the Milwaukee Bucks, but his career really took off later down the line. English was arguably the best scorer in the league during the 80s as he played for the Denver Nuggets, winning the NBA scoring title once and making eight consecutive All-Star appearances.
In what was his final NBA season, he signed with the Dallas Mavericks as a rotation player and failed to produce at the level everyone had grown accustomed to. After his one-year stint with the Mavericks, he opted to play for Depi Napoli, an Italian team.
In the one year he spent with the Italian side, he averaged 14 points and played in only 18 games. English retired from the NBA with career averages of 21.5 points, 5.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He was also the first player to score 2,000+ points for eight consecutive seasons.
#4 George Gervin
The NBA hosted some of the most prolific scorers, and George Gervin was one of them. He was an elite shooting guard who made nine All-Star appearances and led the league in scoring for three consecutive seasons from 1978, and once in 1982.
Gervin retired from the NBA in 1986 and went on to ply his trade in Europe the following season. He retired at the age of 33 and opted to give it another go while playing for Banco Di Roma in Italy. That season, he averaged 26.1 points per game.
He returned to Europe for the 1989-90 season after playing for Quad City Thunder in the Continental Basketball Association (CBA). But this time, he played for TDK Manresa in the Spanish National Basketball League. Although he's not as quick, he averaged 25.5 points and five rebounds.
#3 Dominique Wilkins
Dominique Wilkins made several trips to and from the NBA in his 17-year career as a basketball player. Although he did not win an NBA championship, he had a successful NBA career, making nine All-Star appearances, and was the scoring champion in 1986.
An area where Wilkins excelled was by dunking the ball, and he took that to Europe during his two different runs. He played for Panathinaikos in Greece and helped them win the Greek Cup in 1996. The nine-time NBA All-Star also won the Greek Cup Finals MVP and was the top scorer.
Wilkins returned to the NBA after his one-year stint in Greece and was part of the bench unit for the San Antonio Spurs. However, he left for Italy to play for Fortutido Bologna and helped down win the Italian Cup.
The two-time slam dunk champion made a final return to the NBA to play with the Orlando Magic. At the end of the 1998-99 season, he retired from professional basketball and was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2006.
#2 Luis Scola
Luis Scola started his basketball career in Europe, playing in Spain from 1999-2007. He was selected by the San Antonio Spurs in the 2005 NBA draft but terms of his buyout could not be reached so the Spurs traded the rights to Scola in 2007.
Scola played only ten seasons in the NBA before retiring as a 36-year-old. He played in China for two seasons before returning to Europe to play for Olympia Milano in the 2019-20 season and Varese in the 2020-21 season.
Although his contract with Varese had the option of an extension, Scola's playing days are over as he recently rejoined the team as its chief executive officer.
#1 Bob McAdoo
Bob McAdoo made an instant impact in the NBA after he was selected with the second overall pick by the Buffalo Braves in the 1972 draft. In his sophomore season, he averaged 30.6 points and was the scoring champion that season.
McAdoo got better in his third season as he averaged 34.5 points and 14.1 rebounds to win the second of three consecutive scoring titles. After a successful NBA career where he was crowned MVP once and won two championships, he opted to play in Europe.
The five-time All-Star played for three Italian teams in seven years and won one Italian Cup and two Italian league championships. Added to that were two EuroLeague championships and a EuroLeague Finals MVP.
