Is Dirk the greatest foreign-born player ever?

[Rolando Blackman]

Hey y'all:
 
There is some question about the recognition of Dirk Nowitzki of the Dallas Mavericks as being one of the NBA's all-time great players. While his numbers quite apparently bear this out, due to his lack of rings he is not recognized as such by many pundits. IMO, here are the rankings in 2 different categories:

10 greatest players without a championship ring (since 1980...sorry, Pistol Pete):
 
Karl Malone
Dominique Wilkins
Patrick Ewing
John Stockton
Charles Barkley
Dirk Nowitzki
Mark Price
Kevin Johnson
Jason Kidd
Alonzo Mourning
   
10 greatest foreign-born players:

Tim Duncan
Dirk Nowitzki
Patrick Ewing
Steve Nash
Detlef Schrempf
Sarunas Marciullionis
Drazen Petrovic
Tony Parker
Vlade 'Divotz' (Chickie Baby...snif)
Peja Stojakovic


I did this off of the top of my head with no stats look-up...strictly on my recall of their performance. I'm sure that I have overlooked someone. Due to the rep of foreign players as being 'soft', I thought there might be a strong correlation with their lack of rings...my list tends to bear this out.
 
Lakers will get whisked.
   
- RB
Shaq #1

[Reality]

Dirk vs Timmy D the results speak for themselves.
The only year Dirk *got over* (2006) was barf inducing the way Bavetta helped him and even with Bavettas help Duncan owned him statistically.

Didn't last in the '06 Finals tho.

Dirk is great, he's owning the current Lakeshow.
Dirk adds a Championship it will completely change his legacy.

Btw Manu is #2. 

[Derek Bodner]

Tim Duncan was born on US soil.

I think this title goes to Hakeem.

[jn]

Derek beat me to it.  Hakeem has to be #1.   I know Duncan was technically born in the U.S. but I would still consider him both a foreigner and better than Dirk.   

I'm not sure I could put Parker and Peja ahead of Sabonis and Kukoc.   If you only consider NBA performance then yes, Sabs would have to be dropped because his peak came before he came to the U.S. but it's still a tough call.   

I'd take Manu over Marciullonis as well, though I admired Sarunis.  Former NBAer current Wolves announcer made a great observation about Sarunis.  Peterson said he was the first "mean" Euro player.   He didn't just counter the image Euros as being soft by being willing to take a shot and get back up, he was the first one who was willing to agitate with physical, borderline dirty play.

[Rolando Blackman]

Hey Reality!
I can't believe I'd forgotten Ginobili...he has played at a high levl for an extended period. That is the main reason that the injury-prone Yao Ming isn't on my list...can you imagine what he and that Russian guy Arvydas Sabonis that was on the 'Blazers in the '90s if they could have been healthy for the majority of their careers? The freakish size of the 7-footers virtually guarantees that they will be physically fragile in some way...btw, whatever happened with Sean Bradley? This old geeezer doesn 't remember.
 
- RB

[Reality]

^^ Yep RB.
People will say it's crack induced but i honestly think some big men should be held to 50 games in the regular season in prep for the playoffs.
Shoot maybe even 40.  I think this gives the bones joints ligaments etc more time to rest then limiting them to 20 minutes per game.   
Yaoswer certainly one of them. 
Im not sure Bynum shouldn't become one (by choice, not by forced injury).

After 2006 I would have liked to have seem Shaq played this way.  Certainly would like to see Timmy Dunks played differently but i have zero faith in 2008-onward Greg Coatails Popovich.

To put it in Lakerese (not for you RB but for the board Laker Hiders), noneother then Magic Johnson himself said the 82 game reg season is wayy too long for players.

[Rolando Blackman]

Hey reality!
 
Playoff basketball is no longer outside~in, the way it used to be...nowadays, the 3~pointer is key.
 
~rb