20 Best White NBA Players Right Now: Who Tops The List?

Ask any avid basketball fan to list the best white basketball player of all time, and they will always say Larry Bird. The former professional player set the bar so high that few white players compare. The current league also has great players. But who are the best white NBA players right now?

The NBA is an ever-evolving platform where athletes from diverse backgrounds showcase their skills, athleticism, and passion for basketball. Most of the NBA players are black, with the white guys in the NBA being the second highest, as Latinos and Asians follow.

20 best white NBA players

What makes a player great? Many factors come into play when talking about a player's skill. A player’s aggressiveness on the court, how they run, and how they interact with teammates are what most look out for. Here is a detailed list of the best white NBA players now according to Hood MWR:

1. Bogdan Bogdanovic

The 6’5” tall Serbian professional basketball player was drafted in 2014 and has since had a fruitful career. Bogdan Bogdanovićfor plays for the Atlanta Hawks and his national team in Serbia. Before joining the NBA, Bogdan Bogdanović was an architect and urbanist in Serbia.

2. Kristaps Porzingis

As a Center and Power Forward for Washington Wizards, Kristaps Porzingis started playing for youth teams in his hometown. The Latvian, 7 feet and 3 inches tall, was the youngest recipient of the EuroCup Basketball Rising Star award, where he was scouted for the NBA.

3. Jonas Valančiūnas

The 31-year-old Lithuanian professional basketball player is a Center player for the New Orleans Pelicans. Valančiūnas was selected as a fifth overall pick in the 2011 draft. He played for the Toronto Raptors while still playing for his national team.

4. Duncan Robinson

Duncan Robinson played college basketball for the NCAA Division III Williams College Ephs and the NCAA Division I Michigan Wolverines. Currently playing for the Miami Heat as a Shooting Guard and Small Forward, Duncan is regarded as one of the best white shooting guards of all time.

In his second season in Miami Heat, the 29-year-old was hailed for setting a Heat franchise record for three-pointers made in a season, and he is among the best American professional basketball players today.

5. Ricky Rubio

Talk about the most liked NBA players in the league today, and we have Ricard Rubio. He is also one of the top 5 best basketball players from Spain. The Cleveland Cavaliers Point Guard is one of the most followed Japanese professional basketball players today.

At just 14 years, Ricky was the youngest player ever to play in the Spanish Basketball League. He got drafted into the NBA in 2009 and started playing for Timberwolves. He has also played for Jazz and the Suns before returning to Timberwolves and later being signed by the Cleveland Cavaliers.

6. Domantas Sabonis

Playing as a Power Forward, The Lithuanian-American player is one of the players to look out for. He was drafted in 2016 and played for Indiana Pacers in 2017 before joining the Sacramento Kings in 2022.

The 2022-23 season stats show that the 27-year-old averaged 19.1 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists in 79 games Domantas is the son of the Basketball Hall of Famer Arvydas Sabonis.

7. Gordon Hayward

Considered among the greatest offensive players in the NBA among his peers, Gordon Hayward is one of the favourite white players today. Hayward plays for the Charlotte Hornets as a Small Forward.

The 33-year-old played two college basketball seasons for the Butler Bulldogs and got drafted in 2010. After the draft, Gordon Hayward played for the Utah Jazz for seven seasons and was later signed for the Boston Celtics in 2017.

8. Kevin Love

Born Kevin Wesley Love, the Cleveland Cavaliers Power Forward has had quite an impressive career. He played a single college basketball season for the UCLA Bruins and led the team to a Final Four appearance in the 2008 NCAA Tournament.

Kevin is the son of the former basketball player Stan Love. Kevin is a five-time All-Star and won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016. Kevin Love is one of the best white American NBA players to watch out for.

9. Franz Wagner

Franz Wagner is a professional German player for the Orlando Magic team. The Small forward player was born in 2001 and played college basketball for the Michigan Wolverines. He was named BBL Best German Young Player in 2019.

Standing at 6’9”, Wagner started his career at the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) club Alba Berlin. Franz Wagner was named BBL Best German Young Player in 2019. Wagner’s brother, Moritz Wagner, also plays for the NBA.

10. Luka Doncic

You cannot talk of white players in the NBA currently without mentioning Luka DOncic. The Slovenian national plays for the Dallas Mavericks. He had previously played for Real Madrid before being drafted for the NBA in 2018.

Doncic is the only Dallas Mavericks player to record a triple-double in the playoffs. The 6’7” tall player is hailed in NBA history for recording a 60-point, 20-rebound triple-double (60 points, 21 rebounds, 10 assists),250 points, 50 rebounds, and 50 assists in a five-game span.

11. Nikola Jokic

The Denver Nuggets Center has seen his star shine since he was drafted and is arguably the best white NBA player. Standing 6 feet 11 inches tall, Nikola is not only easy to spot but also easy to love.

The Serbian national is praised as one of the biggest draft steals in NBA history and one of the greatest players and centres ever since he was drafted in 2014. Joker, as he is also known, got his nickname "Joker" from former teammate Mike Miller, who couldn't pronounce Jokic.

12. Tyler Herro

Tyler Christopher Herro played college basketball for one year with the Kentucky Wildcats and currently plays for the Miami Heat as a Shooting Guard. Herro was drafted in the first round of the 2019 draft and has hit 601 three-pointers. Tyler Herro is 6 feet 5 inches.

13. Mason Plumlee

The forward and Center player was drafted into the NBA in 2013. Mason Plumlee has had a decent career, having played for Brooklyn Nets, Portland Trail Blazers, Denver Nuggets, Detroit Pistons and currently Los Angeles Clippers NBA team.

While in Portland, he averaged 4.0 assists per game and is regarded as one of only five centres in the NBA to average as many in a game. Plumlee was also a part of the United States national team that won the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup gold medal.

14. Goran Dragic

At 37 years, Goran Dragic still has the sauce on the court. Born in Slovenia, Dragic played professional basketball in Slovenia and Spain before being drafted into the NBA in 2008. Some teams he has been part of include Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, and the Chicago Bulls.

His current team is Milwaukee Bucks, where he plays as a Guard. His nickname, the Dragon, was started by Steve Nash as Nash and others could not pronounce the 6’4” player’s name when he first joined the league.

15. Jusuf Nurkić

Jusuf Nurkić is a professional basketball player from Bosnia who plays for Portland Trail Blazers. The 6’11” giant was drafted in 2014 and got to play for the Chicago Bulls. Jusuf Nurkic also plays for the Bosnia and Herzegovina national basketball team.

16. Joe Harris

The 32-year-old player takes the shooting guard position for the Brooklyn Nets. Joe Harris played college basketball for the University of Virginia before his drafted in 2014. He was selected to play for the Cleveland Cavaliers, where he grew his skills and fanbase.

2016 was a good year for Harris as he scored 24 points and made a career-best seven 3-pointers in a 127–125 loss to the Toronto Raptors. Joe Harris is among the best NBA players from Washington.

17. Kyle Kuzma

Kyle Alexander Kuzma plays for the Washington Wizards. Word is that before Kyle knew how to walk, his mom, Karri, bought him his first hoop. The 28-year-old played college basketball for the Utah Utes.

Kyle was named first-team all-conference in the Pac-12 as a junior in 2016–17 and was drafted in 2017. Kyle Kuzma takes the Power forward, Small forward positions and is among the most loved players in the team.

18. Nikola Vucevic

Nikola Vucevic is one of the best white players in the NBA right now. Born on October 24 1990, in Switzerland, he was raised and educated in Belgium and Montenegro before moving to the United States.

Nikola's star began to shine while playing college basketball for the University of Southern California. He got drafted into the NBA in 2011 and started playing for the Philadelphia 76ers. He got his first All-Star selection in 2019 and entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent.

19. Steven Adams

The New Zealand-born plays for the Memphis Grizzlies. Steven Adams, 30 years old, was drafted in 2013 the first round in and named to the NBA All-Rookie Second Team in 2014. He stands at 6 feet and 11 inches.

Steven has previously played for Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans before joining the Grizzlies. Steven Adams is recognized for leading the league in offensive rebounds in 2022, his selection to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team in 2019.

20. Boban Marjanovic

Boban Marjanovic takes the Center position in Houston Rockets. In 2015, he earned an All-EuroLeague First Team selection. He is the second tallest NBA player in the league today, standing at 7 feet and 3.5 inches tall. He is one of the top 25 best European NBA players of all time.

White NBA players - Wrapping up

Each player has something remarkable about their playing style. Like any other sport, basketball is competitive, and players in the NBA team up with their coaches to bring out the best. Despite making just about 17% of the entire sport, the current batch of white NBA players gives fascinating stats with every season.

Tuko.co.ke published an interesting article about 20 NBA players with dreads, ranked by popularity. NBA is the second most popular sport in the United States, trailing only the NFL and baseball.

Players use this publicity to promote their personal or business brands. As a result, it is no surprise that most celebrities are seen sporting new hairstyles such as dreadlocks. So which NBA players have dreads? Find out here.