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Top 15 Best Spanish Basketball Players

Spain has a long and illustrious tradition of generating world-class basketball players. These athletes have made substantial contributions to the sport on a national and international level, and their abilities, competition, and passion have captivated spectators all around the world.

These players are well-known for their adaptability, athleticism, and precision. They are also very good at team play and are noted for their accuracy in executing intricate manoeuvres.

The Spanish basketball heritage is not confined to a few exceptional players, since the country has a rich pool of talent and new stars who emerge regularly. This assures that Spain will be a strong international basketball force for many years to come.

Here are some specific instances of Spanish basketball players that have shown their exceptional talent for the world to see.

1. Pau Gasol

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Pau Gasol is a Spanish former basketball player who was named to four All-NBA teams and six NBA All-Star games. He won back-to-back NBA championships with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2009 and 2010. He was also the first player from a country other than the United States to win NBA Rookie of the Year with the Memphis Grizzlies in 2002.

He is recognized as one of the all-time great power forwards and one of the all-time best European players. Throughout his NBA career, Gasol accumulated more than 550 double-doubles.

Related: Top 10 Facts about Pau Gasol

2. Willy Hernangomez

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Spanish professional basketball player Willy Guillermo Hernangómez last played for the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. He plays at the centre and is 6 feet 11 inches tall. He has also played basketball for the senior Spanish national team. He competed for Spain’s senior national team at the 2016 Summer Olympics and at the EuroBasket 2015, where he won a bronze medal.

He also played at the EuroBasket 2017, where he won a bronze medal. He also took home a gold medal at the 2019 FIBA World Cup. Hernangómez and Spain unexpectedly took home the gold medal at EuroBasket 2022 after defeating France in the championship game. He finished with 14 points and 8 rebounds.

3. Marc Gasol

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Marc Gasol is a Spanish professional basketball player who has been named to three NBA All-Star games and three All-NBA teams. He was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year in 2013 and won an NBA championship with the Toronto Raptors in 2019.

Gasol was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2007 NBA draft and has also played for the Memphis Grizzlies and Toronto Raptors.

He has been a consistent member of the Spanish national team since 2006 and has won two Olympic silver medals, two FIBA Basketball World Cups, two EuroBasket championships, two EuroBasket bronze medals, and one EuroBasket silver medal.

4. Jose Calderon

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José Calderón is a Spanish basketball executive and former player who is now a special advisor for the NBA’s Cleveland Cavaliers. In his active career, he won a FIBA World Cup title with the Spanish national team in 2006, two Olympic silver medals in 2008 and 2012, and a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

He also won a bronze medal in EuroBasket 2013, two silver medals in EuroBasket 2003 and 2007, and a gold medal in EuroBasket 2011. In 2007, he was named to the All-EuroBasket Team.

5. Ricky Rubio

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Spanish professional basketball player Ricky Rubio made history when he became the youngest player ever to compete in the Spanish ACB League at the age of 14. Just a few days after turning 16, he made his EuroLeague debut, making him one of the youngest players to do so in the league’s current system.

In 2009, he was drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the fifth pick in the first round, becoming the league’s first draft player born in the 1990s.

6. Juancho Hernangómez

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Juan Hernangómez is a Spanish professional basketball player who has played for several teams in the NBA and the Spanish national team. He was drafted by the Denver Nuggets in the 2016 NBA draft and played for them for three and a half seasons.

He then had brief stints with the Boston Celtics, San Antonio Spurs, and Utah Jazz before joining the Toronto Raptors in the 2022 offseason. In 2022, he helped his native Spain win the EuroBasket.

7. Rudy Fernandez

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Spanish professional basketball player Rudy Fernández is a three-time All-EuroLeague Team selection and won the championship in 2015 and 2018. He was also a member of the NBA All-Rookie Second Team during his time playing in the NBA.

Fernández represents the senior Spain national team internationally. He has won two FIBA World Cup championships, two Olympic silver medals, and a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He also won four EuroBasket championships.

8. Ferrán Bassas

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Basketball player Ferran Navarra represents Gran Canaria in the Spanish Liga ACB and EuroCup. He won the Basketball Champions League on April 30, 2017, while representing Tenerife. He participated in 2019–20 for Burgos.

On July 2, 2020, Ferran committed to Joventut Badalona. On July 5, 2022, Bassas signed a deal with Gran Canaria of the Liga ACB and EuroCup.

Check Out: 20 Best Hispanic Basketball Players of All Time

9. Jorge Garbajosa

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Jorge Garbajosa was a Spanish professional basketball player who played both power forward and small forward. He was an All-EuroLeague first-team selection in 2003 and an All-EuroLeague second-team selection in 2006. He was also named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team in 2007.

Garbajosa played internationally with the senior Spain national team, which won a bronze medal at the EuroBasket 2001, two silver medals at the EuroBasket 2003 and 2007, and a gold medal at the EuroBasket 2009.

10. Felipe Reyes

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Felipe Reyes is a Spanish former professional basketball player who played as a power forward and centre. He represented the senior Spain national team and won multiple championships with them, including the gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Cup, and gold medals at the 2009 EuroBasket, the 2011 EuroBasket, and the 2015 EuroBasket.

During his pro club career, Reyes won two EuroLeague championships, in 2015 and 2018. He was also an All-EuroLeague First Team selection in the EuroLeague 2014–15 season.

11. Sergio Rodríguez

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Sergio Rodríguez is a Spanish professional basketball player for Real Madrid. He is a point guard who won the EuroLeague title in 2015 and was an All-EuroLeague First Team selection, as well as the EuroLeague MVP the year before.

Rodríguez is a regular member of the senior Spain national team, with whom he won a FIBA World Cup title in 2006, an Olympics silver medal in 2012, and a bronze medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. He also won a EuroBasket title in 2015, a silver medal in 2007, and a bronze medal in 2013. He earned an All-EuroBasket Team selection in 2015.

12. Carlos Jiménez

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Carlos Jiménez is a Spanish former professional basketball player who is now the sporting director of Unicaja. He played with the senior Spain national team and won a gold medal at the 2006 FIBA World Championship. He also won a silver medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics, where Spain lost to Team USA in the final.

13. Fernando Martín

Fernando Martin was a Spanish professional basketball player who was considered to be one of the best Spanish basketball players ever. He was a versatile player who could play both centre and power forward. He was also an accomplished athlete in other sports, such as swimming, handball, table tennis, and judo.

In 1991, he was named one of FIBA’s 50 Greatest Players. In 2007, he was enshrined into the FIBA Hall of Fame.

14. Juan Antonio San Epifanio “Epi”

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Juan Antonio San Epifanio, better known as “Epi”, is a Spanish retired professional basketball player who spent his entire career playing for FC Barcelona. He was named the Mister Europa European Player of the Year in 1984 and the Best European Player of the 1980s decade by the Italian basketball magazine Superbasket.

He was also named one of FIBA’s 50 Greatest Players in 1991. He is considered to be one of the greatest small forwards to ever play in Europe.

15. Serge Ibaka

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Serge Ibaka is a Congolese-Spanish professional basketball player who last played for the Milwaukee Bucks of the National Basketball Association. He was drafted by the Seattle SuperSonics as the 24th overall pick in the 2008 NBA draft.

Ibaka is a three-time NBA All-Defensive First-Team selection and has twice led the league in blocks. He is known for his athleticism and defensive prowess. Although born in the Republic of the Congo, Ibaka plays for the Spain national team. He won his first NBA championship in 2019 as a key member of the Toronto Raptors.

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