Cuba’s Top Basketball Players
Contents
- The top Cuban basketball players of all time
- The top Cuban basketball players of the modern era
- The top Cuban basketball players in the NBA
- The top Cuban basketball players in Europe
- The top Cuban basketball players in Asia
- The top Cuban basketball players in South America
- The top Cuban basketball players in the Caribbean
- The top Cuban basketball players in Africa
- The top Cuban Basketball players in the world
- The top Cuban basketball players of all time
Cuba has produced some of the world’s top basketball players and many of them have gone on to have successful careers in the NBA. In this blog post, we’ll take a look at some of Cuba’s top basketball players and what made them so successful.
The top Cuban basketball players of all time
When it comes to basketball, Cuba may not be the first country that comes to mind. However, the island nation has produced some excellent players over the years. Here are some of the top Cuban basketball players of all time.
1. Luis Fernandez
Fernandez was a member of the Cuban national team that won the bronze medal at the 1972 Summer Olympics He also played professionally in Spain and Italy.
2. Ariel Herrera
Herrera was a shooting guard who played for Cuba’s national team in the late 1960s and early 1970s. He was part of the team that won the gold medal at the 1971 Pan American Games
3. Leonardo Stephesen
Stephesen is a retired Power Forward who played for Cuba’s National Team in the 1980s and early 1990s. He won a gold medal at the 1991 Pan American Games and a silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics
4. Vladimir Rodriguez
Rodriguez is a retired small forward who played for Cuba’s National Team in the 1980s and early 1990s. He won a gold medal at the 1991 Pan American Games and a silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics
5. Robertoabout Schmidt
Schmidt is a retired center who played for Cuba’s national team in the 1980s and early 1990s. He won a gold medal at the 1991 Pan American Games and a silver medal at the 1992 Summer Olympics
The top Cuban basketball players of the modern era
In recent years Cuban Basketball Players have made a significant impact in the NBA. In 2018, the Dallas Mavericks signed guard Luka Dončić, making him the first player born in 1999 to play in an NBA game In 2019, the New Orleans Pelicans traded for center Bruno Caboclo, becoming the youngest player in franchise history.
While Dončić and Caboclo may be the most well-known Cuban players in the NBA, they are far from the only ones. In fact, there are a number of Cuban players who have had successful careers in the league. Here are some of the top Cuban basketball players of the modern ERA
--Rudy Gobert Probably the most successful Cuban player in the NBA today Gobert is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year and a two-time All-Star. He currently plays for the Utah Jazz and is widely considered one of the best Defensive Players in the league.
--Dennis Rodman One of the most controversial figures in NBA history Rodman was a five-Ime Nba champion and two-time Defensive Player of the Year. He was known for his rebounding prowess and his eccentric personality. After retiring from basketball, he became even more famous (or infamous) for his close relationship with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.
-Jose Calderon: A journeyman point guard who played for a number of teams during his 16-year NBA Career Calderon was a dependable player who was always able to provide steady minutes off the bench. He retired from basketball in 2019 after spending one season with the Detroit Pistons
These are just a few of the many Cuban players who have made an impact on basketball over the years. With more and more Cubans entering the league every year, it’s likely that we’ll see even more Great players come out of Cuba in the future.
The top Cuban basketball players in the NBA
The top Cuban basketball players in the NBA are:
-Dennis Rodman
– Shaquille O’Neal
– Kobe Bryant
– LeBron James
The top Cuban basketball players in Europe
As the sport of basketball continues to grow in popularity around the world, more and more players are coming from unexpected places.
Cuba is one such place. In recent years a number of Cuban players have made the leap to Professional Basketball in Europe, where they have enjoyed great success.
Here are some of the top Cuban players currently making waves in Europe:
-Yordan Minousos: A 6’11” center who plays for ASVEL Lyon-Villeurbanne in France, Minousos is one of the most promising young players in the Cuban basketball community. He has represented Cuba at both the U-17 and U-19 levels, and has already shown glimpses of his potential at the professional level.
-Dairis Bertans: A 6’3″ shooting guard/small forward Bertans is currently playing for Zalgiris Kaunas in Lithuania. He is one of the most experienced Cuban players currently plying his trade in Europe, having also spent time with professional teams in Spain and Latvia.
-Rafael Freire: A 6’8″ power forward/center, Freire plays for Baloncesto Fuenlabrada in Spain. He has been a member of the Cuban national team on multiple occasions, and has won a bronze medal at the FIBA Americas Championship.
-Reynaldo Tejeda: A 5’11” point guard Tejeda plays for BC Nizhny Novgorod in Russia. He is one of Cuba’s most experienced players, having previously played for a number of teams in Spain and Russia.
The top Cuban basketball players in Asia
While basketball is not as popular in Cuba as it is in the United States the level of play is still high. In recent years Cuban players have made a name for themselves in Asia, with several stars making their way to the continent to play professionally.
Here are some of the top Cuban basketball players plying their trade in Asia:
-Yariel Rodriguez: A 6’7″ forward, Rodriguez played for the Cuban national team before making his way to China to play for the Xinjiang Flying Tigers He has also played for teams in Japan and South Korea
-Ricardo rato: A 6’3″ shooting guard rato was a member of the Cuban national team before moving to China to play for the Tianjin Ronggang. He has also played in Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
--Jorge Gutierrez A 6’3″ point guard Gutierrez played collegiately in the United States before making his way to Asia to play professionally. He has spent time with various teams in China, Japan, and South Korea
The top Cuban basketball players in South America
There are many top Cuban basketball players in South America, but here are some of the most notable ones:
-Rafael Cancel
-Jorge Gonzalez
-Pablo Jimenez
-Luis Scola
-Juan Vazquez
The top Cuban basketball players in the Caribbean
Cuba has produced some of the top basketball players in the Caribbean. Among them are:
Ramon Rivas II: A 6’9″ power forward who played collegiately at Pittsburgh and is currently playing for the Maine Red Claws of the NBA G-League. He is the son of former Cuban National Team player Ramon Rivas.
Yariel Rodriguez: A 6’7″ small forward who played for University of Florida and is currently playing professionally in Spain.
Jorge Brian Diaz: A 6’11” center who played collegiately at Nebraska and professionally in Puerto Rico and Mexico.
The top Cuban basketball players in Africa
Africa is home to some of the world’s best Basketball Players but few are as skilled as the players from Cuba. The Cuban National team has won multiple gold medals at the Olympics, and its players have gone on to have successful careers in the NBA. Here are some of the top Cuban basketball players in Africa.
-Rudy Fernández: A 6’4″ shooting guard from Havana, Fernández was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2007. He played three seasons in the NBA before returning to Europe, where he now plays for Real Madrid
-José Calderón: A 6’3″ point guard from Villa Clara, Calderón was drafted by the Toronto Raptors in 2005. He spent seven seasons in the NBA before returning to Europe, where he now plays for FC Barcelona.
-Yi Jianlian: A 7’0″ power forward from Guangdong, Jianlian was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks in 2007. He played four seasons in the NBA before returning to China, where he now plays for the Guangdong Southern Tigers
The top Cuban Basketball players in the world
Since the 1950s, Cuban basketball players have been some of the best in the world. In recent years, however, many of Cuba’s Top Players have defected to the U.S. and other countries in order to pursue their professional careers.
Here are some of the top Cuban basketball players in the world:
1. Yoan Moncada
2. Luis Tiant
3. Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez
4. Jose Contreras
5. Aroldis Chapman
The top Cuban basketball players of all time
There have been many great Cuban basketball players over the years, but some have stood out above the rest. Here are the top Cuban basketball players of all time:
1. Adolfo Ruiz
2. Ariel Diaz
3. Arturo Guevara
4. Carlos Blanco
5. Luis Felipe López