Yao Ming, Tony Parker, Peja Stojakovic - Best International NBA players of 2000’s (Part-3)
Yao Ming:
The Chinese sensation Yao Ming recently retired from NBA because of the injuries that his fragile body couldn’t hold anymore. In his prime, Ming was a delight to watch on the court. Selected as the first overall pick of 2002 NBA draft by Houston Rockets, Yao was immensely talented, a fact that can be recognized from the fact that he remained an All-Star throughout his eight year NBA stint.
Ming took the Rockets to new heights in the mid 2000’s. However in the second half of the decade, injuries started to catch up and he was forced to miss a lot of game. In the last two season, Ming combined for only five games (all last season and that too with a 24 minute condition) and after he underwent another hairline fracture, the Chinese star decided to call it quits.
With his departure, ended one of the greatest success stories in the league and if he could have stayed fit, one wonders what more could he have done. His overall career average was 19.0 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.
Tony Parker:
Tony played French league for two years before getting selected by San Antonio Spurs in 2001. Foreign conditions did not bother him much as he quickly adapted and later played an integral part in the three championships Spurs won in 2003, 2005 and 2007.
He plays as a point guard and has ability to pass the ball with precision and accuracy. His Rookie season was not what he quite expected it to be and ended with averages on the low side but since then, he has never looked back and has been improving his stats with every season.
The only serious problem about Parker is his inconsistency. At times, he bludgeons through the opposition defences, but at the same time, he has the tendency to switch off completely. Parker’s overall average so far is 16.7 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 5.7 assists. He might not be the best in the business, but will always be remembered as a very good player.
Peja Stojakovic:
The Serbian who plays as a small forward has been a part of many teams in his career so far. He started his career with Sacramento Kings and after sitting on bench for two years, he got his first shot in 2000-2001, where he managed to impress everyone by averaging 20.4 in the season.
Peja was named Europe's player of the year by an Italian magazine after he led his national team Yugoslavia to gold medal in 2001 Eurobasket.
In his first four NBA seasons, he managed to average more than 20 points but since then, his performance has been on a downward spiral. However, one hopes that before bidding adieu, the three times All-Star gives it a final hurrah.
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