Seven NBA Players With Better Careers Overseas

by Jeremy Block - 6/26/2025

NBA players with better careers overseas Jimmer Fredette

Every basketball player dreams of the NBA, until the NBA doesn’t exactly dream back. Whether it’s due to bad fits, bad timing, or just flat-out not being that good in the world’s top league, some players find their groove in other places with less ESPN coverage.

Some of these names were hyped up once upon a time, others barely made a mark before going full takeover mode in Europe or Asia. Either way, they found what they were looking for in the places everyone else treats like a runner-up prize. Let’s take a look at seven players who turned second chances into first-class careers overseas.

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Stephon Marbury

Once upon a time, there was a point guard who made Timberwolves fans believe, then made Knicks fans absolutely furious. Stephon Marbury had moments in the NBA, but they were blinded by fits, ego issues, and not-so-great career choices.

Then he landed in China and somehow morphed into the Basketball God of Asia. I’m not kidding. In eight seasons in the CBA, he averaged 20 points and 5.5 assists, led the Beijing Ducks to three championships (2012, 2014, 2015), and even dropped 52 points in a playoff game. He won CBA Finals MVP, regular season MVP, and they even built him a statue. I mean, come on, what more do you want? Back in the U.S., he wasn’t a bust, but no one was pouring concrete in his honor.

Josh Childress

There’s something funny about a guy turning down NBA money to go play pro basketball in Greece, but when Josh Childress did it in 2008, it was less of a joke and more of a wake up call for both the NBA and EuroLeague. He didn’t exactly dominate in the NBA, and the Atlanta Hawks weren’t about to become his personal playground or piggy bank. But in Europe, he cashed in and earned every penny.

By his third EuroLeague season with Olympiacos, he averaged 15.2 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 52% from the field—yes, 52%. He helped lead the team to the Greek Cup and EuroLeague Final Four, all while signing a $20 million contract. Look, was it an All-Star career overseas? Not exactly. But his bank account looked great, and no one was yelling at him for not playing defense. That’s a win-win.

MarShon Brooks

Sometimes the NBA just isn’t ready for a scorer until he’s already lighting it up somewhere else. MarShon Brooks looked like he might stick around for awhile after dropping 15.6 points per game as a rookie with the New Jersey Nets, but the league had other plans. After some awkward bench rides and G League stints, he took his talents abroad and turned into exactly the kind of offensive weapon every team dreamt about.

In China’s CBA, Brooks was a defense killer, averaging back-to-back seasons of 36+ points, 4+ assists, and 5 rebounds per game with the Jiangsu Dragons. The NBA saw glimpses of his three-level scoring abilities, but it was in Asia where Brooks finally got to be the guy, not just a role player. The NBA never got the full MarShon Brooks experience, but overseas? He was a straight-up scoring machine.

Anthony Parker

Before the NBA figured out what to do with versatile wings who could shoot, defend, and not make a mess of the offense, Anthony Parker was already out in Europe doing all of that—and winning.

With Maccabi Tel Aviv, Parker won two EuroLeague titles (2004, 2005), secured two EuroLeague MVP awards, and averaged 18 points and 5.3 rebounds and shot 47% from long range in his prime seasons overseas. Not to mention, he shot over 50% from the field for his career and was basically untouchable in big games. Parker’s prime happened in the wrong part of the globe, and Israel knew it long before NBA scouts caught on.

Emmanuel Mudiay

Some guys go overseas after the NBA closes its doors. Emmanuel Mudiay took the opposite route. Before becoming the 7th overall pick in the 2015 draft, he played a season in China instead of doing the college one-and-done thing. And while his NBA career never quite took off, that year in Guangdong may have been the best he ever played.

Mudiay averaged 17.7 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 5.9 assists in just 10 games before an ankle injury cut his season short. Still, the upside was clear. He scored 29 points in just his second game, shooting 12-17 from the floor, and held his own against other veteran imports and local stars. In the NBA, Mudiay bounced from team to team trying to find a system that fit. In China, he was just doing his thing—hooping. Simple as that.

Kendrick Nunn

Kendrick Nunn’s NBA story started late and ended quicker than expected. After showing promise during his short stint with the Miami Heat, averaging 15 points a night as a rookie, he quickly faded into thin air. Between injuries, depth charts, and bad timing, Nunn quickly turned into an afterthought faster than you can say "G League assignment."

Then he took his game to Europe, looking for more than just minutes off the bench. In his first EuroLeague season with Panathinaikos (2023–2024), Nunn averaged 15.4 points per game and shot 38% from deep—solid numbers for a newcomer. But he didn’t stop there. The following year, he only got better, averaging 21 points, 4.3 assists, and taking home the Alphonso Ford Top Scorer Trophy. It’s clear that when overseas, Nunn is not just a part of the system—he is the system.

Jimmer Fredette

It turns out unlimited range doesn’t mean much when your coach keeps yanking you after two missed 3-pointers. Jimmer Fredette was built for a game the NBA hadn’t fully embraced yet. When he got his chance in China, though? Bad news for defenses. He was putting up numbers that looked like video game stats.

In his 2016–17 season with the Shanghai Sharks, Fredette averaged 37.6 points and 7.9 rebounds per game, including a career-high 75-point onslaught in a double overtime game. He led the CBA in scoring that year and became an instant sensation. Over five seasons overseas, Fredette averaged 29.7 points and shot 42% from 3-point land. Chinese fans loved him, defenders couldn’t stop him, and the entire league basically bent around trying to contain him.

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Start:	June 26, 2025 @ 10:10 PM
Expert:	Vernon Croy
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Seven NBA Players With Better Careers Overseas

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