Orlando Magic Daily
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Top 5 international players in Orlando Magic history

By Luka Jelcic

ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 19: Hedo Turkoglu #15 of the Orlando Magic controls the ball against the Indiana Pacers during a pre-season game on October 19, 2012 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images)
ORLANDO, FL - OCTOBER 19: Hedo Turkoglu #15 of the Orlando Magic controls the ball against the Indiana Pacers during a pre-season game on October 19, 2012 at Amway Center in Orlando, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2012 NBAE (Photo by Fernando Medina/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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Hedo Turkoglu, Orlando Magic, Raymond Felton, new York Knicks
January 30, 2013; New York, NY, USA; Orlando Magic forward Hedo Turkoglu (15) is defended by New York Knicks guard Raymond Felton (2) during the third quarter of an NBA game at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /

The NBA and is becoming increasingly international, with an influx of foreign players. Let’s see who are the best foreign Magic players of all time.

The NBA is becoming increasingly international, with an influx of players from all over the world. The Orlando Magic have certainly embraced this trend. They currently have six foreign-born players on the roster.

The NBA was once a league reluctant to draft and sign foreign players. But with the emergence of quality foreign players such as Dirk Nowitzki, Drazen Petrovic, Toni Kukoc, Vlade Divac and other 1990s players, franchises began to trust newcomers from overseas.

The NBA announced that, in the 2017 season, the league will feature 113 international players from 41 countries.

This a new record and a sure indicator of tendencies. International scouting is definitely on the rise and teams are tracking the best foreign leagues in search for talent to give them an edge over other teams.

This means that each team has almost four foreign players on average. The Magic are not the exception.

On the contrary, the Magic are one the leaders in the whole league with six international players.

There are two Croatians (Damjan Rudez and Mario Hezonja), Serge Ibaka from Republic of the Congo (but playing for Spain), Nikola Vucevic from Montenegro (born in Switzerland) and Bismack Biyombo from Democratic Republic of the Congo.

The Magic had a number of foreign players throughout the history of the franchise. Only few of those made a lasting impression. But their presence were integral to Magic history.

Let’s see which foreign players have contributed the most for the Magic in franchise history.

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