20 Best Asian Basketball Players of All Time

20 Best Asian Basketball Players of All Time

Mentioning basketball is not so new to find out that players from North America and Europe have been at the forefront as the best players around the world. But this does not seem to be a determinant to Asian basketball stars who have been on the steady rise as some of the best players ever. 

Throughout the larger basketball community, a select number of Asian players have surmounted obstacles and overcome stereotypes, leaving lasting imprints on the competitive world of sports. Some of the best players who have made an impact on the crowded Asian courts are still honoured decades after hanging up their boots.

Unwavering commitment, unrivalled ability, and unwavering enthusiasm are at the forefront of understanding the enigmatic characters that these players embodied in basketball, so grabbing followers from Asia and all around the world. 

Find out more about these legendary Asian basketball players whose names will live on in basketball history and whose contributions are a wonder to behold.

1. Yao Ming

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Yao is the most popular Chinese basketball player who has played for local Chinese clubs and American clubs.

One of the all-time tallest players in the NBA, Yao Ming stood 7’6″. Yao Ming was selected by the Houston Rockets as the first overall pick in the 2002 NBA Draft. Yao Ming used his height to dominate the court throughout his career, combining it with his strength. With his height and footwork, he was known for his ability to finish around the hoop while playing the position.

Yao’s imposing on-court presence made it difficult for other teams to successfully make baskets at the basket’s side. Due to his height, Ming became an indispensable asset in the NBA.

Related: 10 Tallest Basketball Players Of All Time

2. Wataru Misaka

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Wataru Misaka was a professional basketball player from the United States. He was the first non-white player and the first player of Asian origin to play in the NBA, then known as the Basketball Association of America. He was a 5-foot-7-inch (1.70 m) point guard of Japanese descent.

Misaka was a Utah Utes basketball player who led the team to NCAA and NIT championships in 1944 and 1947. In 1999, Misaka was admitted to the Utah Sports Hall of Fame. During the 1947-48 season, Misaka featured in several games for the New York Knicks.

3. Hamed Haddadi

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Iranian basketball player Hamed Haddadi plays for the Sichuan Blue Whales of the Chinese Basketball Association. When Haddadi made his NBA debut in 2008 with the Memphis Grizzlies, he became the first Iranian to do so.

He played for the Grizzlies up until 2013 before playing for the Toronto Raptors and Phoenix Suns in different parts of the league. 2013 saw him return to Iran before headlining in China. Hamed is regarded as the greatest Iranian basketball player of all time.

4. Yi Jianlian

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Successful basketball player Yi Jianlian has represented both Chinese and American teams. He participates in the Chinese Basketball Association with the Guangdong Southern Tigers. The Milwaukee Bucks, New Jersey Nets, Washington Wizards, and Dallas Mavericks were among the first teams to sign him.

He now holds the record for most points scored in both the top Chinese professional basketball league and Chinese league history.

He joined the Guangdong Southern Tigers in the 2002–2003 season, where he played for five straight years, to begin his CBA career. He then won three CBA championships.

Later, the Milwaukee Bucks picked Yi with the sixth overall pick in the draft. Yi came home and has since 2012 played for his squad since 2012. He also plays for the Chinese national team as a power forward and centre.

5. Jeremy Lin

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Jeremy Shu-How Lin is a Taiwanese-American professional basketball player for the Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers of the P. League+ (PLG). During the 2011–12 season, he surprisingly oversaw a winning turnaround for the National Basketball Association’s New York Knicks, sparking the “Linsanity” craze.

Lin is one of the few Asian Americans to have played in the NBA and was the first American of Chinese or Taiwanese heritage to do so. With the Toronto Raptors in 2019, he became the first Asian American to win an NBA championship.

Related: Top 10 Interesting Facts About Jeremy Lin

6. Min-Goo Kim

Kim Min-goo is a former professional basketball player from South Korea. He formerly played for Jeonju KCC Egis, Wonju DB Promy, and Ulsan Hyundai Mobis Phoebus, and he represented South Korea in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship. He was chosen to the tournament’s All-Star Team in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship in Manila.

7. Lin Chih-Chieh

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Lin Chih-chieh is a professional basketball player from Taiwan of Amis origin. Lin has earned one Regular Season most valuable player (MVP) award, two back-to-back Championship Series MVP awards, and two scoring champion titles during his tenure with the Taiwan Beer Club of the Super Basketball League (SBL). Lin is well-known for his ability to boost his team’s spirit by producing spectacular plays, and he is one of Taiwan’s most popular basketball players.

Despite being small for the forward position in international events, Lin frequently starts for the Chinese Taipei national basketball team instead of the injury-prone Chen Hsin-an and is a valuable scorer at times. 

8. Jayson Castro

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Jayson Castro William is a Filipino professional basketball player for the Philippine Basketball Association’s TNT Tropang Giga. His nickname is “The Blur” because of his quickness.

He was a member of the Philippine Christian University Dolphins of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, as well as the Hapee-PCU Teeth Protectors and Harbour Centre Batang Pier of the Philippine Basketball League. 

9. Jimmy Alapag

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Jim Olmedo Alapag is a former professional basketball player of Filipino descent. He works as an assistant coach with the NBA G League’s Stockton Kings. He attended California State University, San Bernardino, and distinguished himself as a clutch three-point shooter.

In 2002, he had his first taste of Philippine basketball when he was invited to try out for the Philippine National Team heading for the 2002 Asian Games in Busan, South Korea by then-national team coach Jong Uichico.

10. Zhizhi Wang

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Former Chinese professional basketball player Wang Zhizhi presently serves as the head coach of the Bayi Rockets, the CBA team with whom he spent most of his domestic playing career. He was among the first players from China to compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA), playing for the Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers, and Miami Heat.

11. Kosuke Kanamaru

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Kosuke Kanamaru is a professional basketball player from Japan who currently plays for the San-en Neo Phoenix of the B.League. He has had an illustrious career winning JBL Rookie of the Year, and JBL Free Throw Pct Leader among other accolades.

12. Mehdi Kamrani

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Mehdi Kamrani is a professional basketball player from Iran. The 5ft 11 in point guard has been a crucial member of the club, and he has had success with several teams, including Mahram Tehran, where he spent eight years.

13. Jean-Marc Pingris 

Jean-Marc Pingris is a professional basketball player from the Philippines who currently plays for the Imus SV Squad in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League. He was selected as one of the 40 Greatest Players of the Philippine Basketball Association and is regarded as one of the all-time greats in Philippine basketball.

He played with the Purefoods franchise for 14 seasons, where he built a reputation as maybe the league’s top defender for a while and, together with James Yap, guided them to four consecutive championships and a rare PBA Grand Slam as the San Mig Coffee Mixers in 2013–2014.

14. Kosuke Takeuchi 

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Kosuke Takeuchi is a professional basketball player from Japan. He is a B.League player for Utsunomiya Brex. Takeuchi is also a member of the Japan national basketball team, having competed in the 2006 FIBA World Championship as well as the 2007 and 2009 FIBA Asia Championships.

Over the last four years, Takeuchi has grown in importance with the Japanese squad; his greatest tournament performance to date came at the FIBA Asia Championship 2009 when he averaged 13 points and a team-leading 8.2 rebounds per game. Takeuchi was a member of the Aisin Seahorses of the JBL Super League.

15. Zhou Peng

Zhou Peng is a Chinese basketball player who now plays for the Chinese Basketball Association’s (CBA) Shenzhen Leopards. He captained China’s national basketball team at the 2016 Rio Olympics. He is a six-time CBA champion, having won in 2006, 2008 through 2011, and again in 2013.

16. Zhelin Wang

Wang Zhelin is a Chinese basketball player who plays for the Shanghai Sharks of the Chinese Basketball Association. The Memphis Grizzlies selected him in the second round (57th overall) in the 2016 NBA draft. He was named CBA Domestic MVP in 2019.

17. Wang Shipeng 

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Wang Shipeng is a retired People’s Republic of China, professional basketball player. With a height of 1.98 m (6’6″) and a weight of 96 kg (212 pounds), he primarily played shooting guard, although he could also play small forward. He is an 8X CBA Champion.

18. Rui Hachimura

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Japanese basketball player Rui Hachimura most recently competed for the NBA’s Los Angeles Lakers. He played collegiate basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs and has represented Japan on the national team.

He can play small forward or power forward. After being drafted ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2019 NBA Draft, he was nominated to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2020.

19. Sun Yue

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Sun Yue is a former professional basketball player from China. In 2009, he won an NBA championship with the Los Angeles Lakers. He was a two-time CBA champion playing for Beijing Ducks.

20. Yuta Watanabe

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Japanese basketball player Yuta Watanabe most recently competed for the NBA’s Brooklyn Nets. He represented the George Washington Colonials in collegiate basketball, making history as the first Japanese-born student-athlete to get an NCAA Division I basketball scholarship.

In 2018, he received the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Year award. At the 2013 East Asia Basketball Championship, he played for the Japan national team, helping them earn the bronze medal.

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