The following is a list of Serbian basketball players that play or have played in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Center Vlade Divac and forward Žarko Paspalj were the first Serbian players to play in the NBA, in the 1989–90 season. In 2004, Darko Miličić became the first basketball player from Serbia to win an NBA championship. Since then, Predrag Stojaković, Ognjen Kuzmić, Nemanja Bjelica, and Nikola Jokić won the league in 2011, 2015, 2022, and 2023, respectively.
Nikola Jokić is the Serbian player with most NBA honours and is the first Serb, and only the third European, to win the NBA Most Valuable Player Award. In 2022, Jokić was named the NBA MVP for the second year in a row, becoming the 13th player to win the award in consecutive seasons, as well as the second European player to win the award more than once, joining Giannis Antetokounmpo. [1] In 2024, Jokić became the first non-American player to win the MVP award three times. In 2023, he became the first Serbian to be named Finals MVP. [2]
The following is a list of current NBA players.
The following is a list of former NBA players.
Players who are still active overseas
The following is a list of drafted players who have never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game.
The following is a list of undrafted players who have never appeared in an NBA regular season or playoff game, but have played in the NBA Summer League.
The following is a list of players, that play or have played in the NBA, who have citizenship of Serbia or Serbian parentage or who are Serbs of former Yugoslav republics (Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Slovenia).
* | Denotes player who is still active in the NBA |
The NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given since the 1955–56 season to the best performing player of the regular season. Since the 2022–23 season, winners receive the Michael Jordan Trophy, named for the five-time MVP often considered to be the greatest player in NBA history.
The Serbia men's national basketball team represents Serbia in international men's basketball competition, and is controlled by the Basketball Federation of Serbia. Serbia is currently ranked second in the FIBA World Ranking.
Nikola Peković is a Montenegrin businessman, basketball executive and former professional player who is the current president of the Basketball Federation of Montenegro. He began his playing career in Europe before spending seven years with the Minnesota Timberwolves of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at 6 ft 11 in (2.11 m), he played at the center position. A two-time All-EuroLeague selection, he represented the senior Montenegrin national basketball team.
Nikola Mirotić is a Montenegrin-Spanish professional basketball player for Olimpia Milano of the Italian Lega Basket Serie A (LBA) and the EuroLeague. The power forward is a four-time All-EuroLeague Team member, and previously played for Real Madrid of the Liga ACB. Mirotić was drafted with the 23rd pick in the 2011 NBA draft, and played in the NBA from 2014 for the Chicago Bulls, New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, before returning to Spain in the 2019 offseason.
Bogdan Bogdanović is a Serbian professional basketball player for the Atlanta Hawks of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He also represents the Serbian national team.
Nikola Milutinov is a Serbian professional basketball player for Olympiacos of the Greek Basket League and the EuroLeague. He also represents the Serbian national team in international competition. Standing at 2.13 m, Milutinov plays at the center position.
Joffrey Lauvergne is a French professional basketball player for LDLC ASVEL of the French LNB Élite and the EuroLeague. He was drafted 55th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2013 NBA draft, who then traded his rights to the Denver Nuggets.
Vasilije Micić is a Serbian professional basketball player for the Charlotte Hornets of the National Basketball Association. He also represents the Serbian national team in international competition. He was selected by the Philadelphia 76ers with the 52nd overall pick in the 2014 NBA draft.
Nikola Jokić is a Serbian professional basketball player who is a center for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Nicknamed "the Joker", he is widely regarded as one of the greatest players and centers of all time, and is often considered the greatest draft steal in NBA history. A six-time NBA All-Star, Jokić has been named to the All-NBA Team on six occasions, and won the NBA Most Valuable Player Award for the 2020–21, 2021–22, and 2023–24 seasons. He represents the Serbian national team, with which he won a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics, and a bronze medal at the 2024 Summer Olympics.
Vlatko Čančar is a Slovenian professional basketball player for the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). Standing at 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m), he plays as small forward.
Nikola Jovanović is a Serbian professional basketball player for Antwerp Giants of the BNXT League. He played college basketball for the USC Trojans.
Dušan Alimpijević is a Serbian basketball coach who is currently head coach of Beşiktaş Emlakjet of the Turkish Super League (BSL).
Filip Petrušev is a Serbian professional basketball player for Crvena zvezda of the Serbian KLS, the ABA League and the EuroLeague, on loan from Olympiacos. He played college basketball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs.
Duop Thomas Reath is an Australian professional basketball player for the Portland Trail Blazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Lee College Runnin' Rebels and the LSU Tigers and was part of the Australian national team that won bronze at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
Nemanja Popović is a Serbian professional basketball player for Crvena zvezda mts of the ABA League. Standing at 6 ft 9 in (2.06 m) and weighing 214 pounds (97 kg), he plays power forward position.
Aleksej Pokuševski is a Serbian professional basketball player for Partizan Mozzart Bet of the ABA League, Basketball League of Serbia (KLS) and the EuroLeague. Standing at 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m) and weighing 210 pounds (95 kg), he plays both the power forward and small forward positions.
Nikola Jović is a Serbian professional basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was selected 27th overall by the Heat in the 2022 NBA draft.
Nikola Đurišić is a Serbian professional basketball player for the College Park Skyhawks of the NBA G League.
The 2022 Serbia EuroBasket team represented Serbia at the EuroBasket 2022 in the Czech Republic, Georgia, Italy, and Germany. Serbia finished at the 9th place with a 5–1 record, following a lost to Italy in a Round of 16 game.
His father was a Serb and his mother a Croat, and he competed for Croatia
Petrovic, whose father is a Serb