Is There Any Mexican NBA Players?
Contents
With the NBA season underway, many fans are wondering if there are any Mexican players in the league. Although there are no players from Mexico currently in the NBA, there have been a few in the past. Keep reading to learn more about these players and the impact they made on the game!
NBA Players of Mexican Descent
As of the 2019-2020 NBA season, there have been eleven Mexican descent players who have played in at least one regular season game. Some of these players were born in the United States, while others were born in Mexico.
The first Mexican player to ever play in the NBA was Horacio Llamas, who played for the Phoenix Suns during the 1996-1997 season. Llamas was born and raised in Mexico before eventually moving to the United States to play college basketball at Arizona State University.
Since Llamas’ debut, there have been ten other Mexican players who have made it to the NBA. Jorge Garbajosa, Eduardo Nájera, and Gustavo Ayón all played for the Dallas Mavericks during their careers; Carl Herrera and Rolando Blackman suited up for the Houston Rockets; Horacio de la Corte and Ruben Nembhard donned jerseys for the Indiana Pacers; Eduardo Najera played for the Nets, Hornets, and Sixers; Francisco Elson had stints with the Nuggets, Spurs, Bucks, Clippers, and Suns; and Hugo Sánchez is one of only two Mexican-born players in NBA history (the other being Jorge Garbajosa).
The most recent Mexican player to enter the league is Mo Bamba, who was drafted 6th overall by the Orlando Magic in 2018. Bamba was born in Harlem but has dual citizenship with the United States and Senegal.
Mexican-born NBA Players
There have been a handful of Mexican-born players in the NBA. The most notable recent example is Horacio Llamas, who played for thePhoenix Suns and Dallas Mavericks in the late 1990s and early 2000s.Other Mexican-born players include Francisco Elson, Carlos Arroyo and Eduardo Nàjera.
Mexican Players in the NBA D-League
Is There Any Mexican NBA Players?
NBA D-League, or the NBA Development League, is the NBA’s official minor league. There are 22 teams in the D-League, all of which are affiliated with an NBA team.Mexican Players in the D-League
Yes, there are currently two Mexican players in the NBA D-League. They are:
– Jorge Gutiérrez: A shooting guard for the Delaware 87ers, he was born in Mexico City and played college basketball at the University of California, Berkeley.
– Renaldo Major: A small forward for the Austin Spurs, he was born in Tijuana and played college basketball at St. Edward’s University.
Conclusion
As of right now, there are no Mexican NBA players. However, this could change in the future as the game of basketball continues to grow in popularity around the world.
