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#3 Serge Ibaka
Serge Ibaka is the first player from the Republic of Congo to play in the NBA. After moving to Spain, he learned Spanish and played for a second division club. His athleticism and brilliance in the paint caught the eye of several NBA scouts.
He was drafted 28th by the Seattle Supersonics[which later came to be known as Oklahoma City Thunder] in 2008. Ibaka was an integral part of the young OKC team that had the likes of Russell Westbrook, Kevin Durant and James Harden. In his very first year, Ibaka grabbed eyeballs with a few powerful performances. He was brilliant in the paint and his raw physicality made things very difficult for his opponents.
He played an integral part in OKC's trip to the NBA Finals in 2012. Ibaka was part of three NBA All-Defense first teams. He led the league in blocks in 2012 and 2013. After playing seven seasons for OKC, he was traded to the Orlando Magic in exchange for Victor Oladipo, Ersan Ilyasov and draft rights for Domantas Sabonis.
He moved to the Toronto Raptors in 2017 and instantly became a favorite there. Ibaka played a big part in Toronto's championship-winning season. During the finals, the center averaged 11.3 PPG, 5.2 RPG and 1.7 BPG in the 6 games. After a successful spell for the Raptors, he moved to the Los Angeles Clippers last season. He suffered several injuries and did not actively feature in their playoff run to the conference finals.
Ibaka initially played for his home country Congo, but after moving to Spain he decided to play for them. He was part of the Spanish team that won gold and a silver medal at the Olympics and the FIBA European Championship.
#2 Marc Gasol
Marc Gasol started his career with Spanish giants FC Barcelona. He then moved to Girona in 2008 and won the ACB Most Valuable Player there. Gasol then decided to enrol himself in the NBA draft. He was picked 48th overall by the Lakers and was later traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in exchange for his older brother Paul Gasol.
Marc made an instant impact with the Grizzlies. His defensive prowess and creative abilities from the center position helped the team make the trip to the conference finals in 2013. The same year, Gasol was also named as the defensive player of the year.
After 10 years in Memphis, Gasol decided to move to Toronto in 2019. He was a vital part of the championship-winning team as he came up big in the finals averaging 12.0 PPG and 7.3 RPG against the Golden State Warriors.
After a glorious stay in Toronto, the center made its way back to the team that drafted him - the LA Lakers. He struggled to get minutes in LA and eventually moved away from the team at the end of the season.
He was one of the leaders in the Spanish national team. After winning two Olympic medals, two World Cup's and five Eurobasket medals he decided to retire from the national team post the Tokyo Olympics.
#1 Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol is easily one of the best European players to ever play in the NBA. He came into the league after getting drafted third overall by the Atlanta Hawks in 2001. Gasol had an instant impact on the team as he averaged 17.6 PPG and 8.9 RPG in his first year to bag the Rookie of the year title.
Gasol started in all games in his first two seasons and played 240 games before missing out on games due to an injury in his third year. He ended his seven-year career with the Grizzlies in 2008, as he was traded to the Lakers that year. Gasol was part of the incredible team that won two championships in a row.
He formed a lifelong friendship with the great Kobe Bryant and played an excellent second fiddle to him in their championship-winning team. Pau then moved to Chicago in 2014, where he was exceptional. His last big move came in 2016 when he moved to San Antonio, where the center made his sixth all-star appearance. He then moved to Milwaukee, but an injury ended his season after he had only played three games for them.
Pau Gasol was easily one of the best players in Spain's national team. He scored the most points during the 2004 Athens Olympics. Gasol was also the leader of the team, which won three consecutive Olympic medals. The center also has one world cup and a seven Euro Basket medal to add to his stacked resume.
Guess the Lakers players!
