LOS ANGELES (USA) - Sasha Vujacic of Slovenia, a lights out shooter and an integral part of the Los Angeles Lakers teams that won titles in 2009 and 2010, says what's made Europeans valuable commodities to NBA teams is something basic, yet essential.
They are fundamentally sound.
When asked by Out the Mud Podcast host and former NBA player Tony Allen if European players were catching up with Americans, Vujacic responded not with a "yes" or "no" but instead a reason why the old continent produces great players.
"For us, fundamentals are everything," he said, "understanding the game of basketball, not seeing yourself as an individual on the team but understanding the concept, 'How can I bring the best out of Zebo, how can you guys bring the best out of me?'"
Zebo is former NBA star Zach Randolph, the other host of the podcast.
"That’s what they teach you at a young age," Vujacic said. "The X’s and O’s, you can put those aside but you need to know the fundamentals of the game in order to be respected.
"And I think that’s what us from Europe are doing better at the moment? We’re just playing the right way. And it opens up the path towards bigger things in life."
European players have been all the rage the past several years but really, since the millennium, the old continent has given amazing players to the NBA.
Germany's Dirk Nowitzki, France's Tony Parker and and Spain's Pau Gasol, for example, were three of the league's best players during their long careers which started around the millennium.
The trio captured NBA titles and played in All-Star Games. Nowitzki was the NBA MVP in 2007. All three are in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame.
"You saw the (Olympic) games this summer in France, Serbia were just one or two plays away (from beating the USA in the Semi-Finals)," Vujacic said.
"The ones that are dominating are the ones with the most fundamentals. If you don’t work on your fundamentals, someone else is going to come."
Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokoumpo of Greece and Denver's Nikola Jokic have won NBA titles, and a combined five league MVP awards in recent times.
Vujacic's fellow Slovenian Luka Doncic was Rookie of the Year in 2019 and five times has been All-NBA First Team.
The three stars are set to represent their national teams in the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket from 27 August to 14 September.
San Antonio's Victor Wembanyama of France was Rookie of the Year in 2023-24.
When asked to name the top five European players, Vujacic struggled to narrow down the field.
"You can't say best five because they're all different eras," he said.
“I gotta go with Nikola, he’s probably up there," he said. "Drazen (Petrovic). Drazen was the idol of many. Arvydas Sabonis, (Sarunas) Marciulionis, the first point guard, a tall point guard, was just incredible."
"We had quite a few Europeans that were (great) for sure. Dirk. Pau played with me. Peja (Stojakovic) of course, Vlade (Divac).
"(There was) Tony (4-time NBA champion Parker), Divac, Dino Radja. There’s so many, it’s hard to say. Definitely one that is changing the game because of the way that he plays is Nikola (Jokic). He just understands the game 10 steps ahead of everyone else. So it’s fun to watch him."
Vujacic then reflected on the late Petrovic, who is in both the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame and the FIBA Hall of Fame.
The Croatian didn't get a lot of playing time when he was on the books of Portland from 1989-91 under coach Rick Adelman but his fortunes changed after he joined the New Jersey Nets and played for coach Chuck Daly.
"They all knew in Europe how good (Drazen) was," Vujacic said. "He was one of the first ones here (in the US) and again not playing for the right coach at the time, was not given an opportunity to really shine.
"He was first in Portland, then he went to (New) Jersey, and then in Jersey he just exploded. But, sometimes it’s inevitable to deny the talent, or you just can’t see, that tells a lot.
The G.O.A.T. subject also came up.
"For me, MJ (Michael Jordan) and Kobe (Bryant), they’re right there. And then everybody else. If Nikola is the European G.O.A.T., I think it’s going to be the battle between him and Luka (Doncic) in the next few years, so let’s watch."
Could a strong performance at the upcoming EuroBasket sway the public opinion in each of their favor?
FIBA