NBA Stars Who Swapped the US for Real Madrid, according to Diario AS

Some professional basketball players have swapped NBA arenas for the white jersey of Real Madrid, according to reporting from Diario AS. This movement spans decades of roster construction, capturing how the club recruits talent away from North America.

The transatlantic pipeline between the United States and the Spanish capital bridges two distinct eras of professional basketball. While modern rosters feature multi-year contributors arriving directly from NBA rotations, early pioneers made the jump across the Atlantic when European basketball offered different competition and financial realities.

Fernando Martín Pioneers the NBA-to-Madrid Path

Fernando Martín joined the Portland Trail Blazers for the 1986–87 season. His time in Oregon proved brief, lasting just a single season before the number 10 returned to Madrid.

Alongside Martín, early American imports like Larry Spriggs and Linton Townes crossed the Atlantic in the mid-1980s. Spriggs arrived in 1986 following three seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, where he won an NBA championship ring in 1985. Townes joined Real Madrid in 1985 after stints with the Portland Trail Blazers, Milwaukee Bucks, San Diego Clippers, and San Antonio Spurs, capturing a Copa del Rey during his tenure in Madrid.

Zan Tabak and Marko Jarić Bring Championship Pedigree

Zan Tabak arrived in Madrid in 2001. After winning three European titles—two with Jugoplastika Split and one with Pop 84 Split—the Croatian center won an NBA championship ring with the Houston Rockets and earned an Olympic silver medal at the 1992 Barcelona Games.

Serbian guard Marko Jarić followed a similar trajectory when he signed with Real Madrid in 2009 from the Memphis Grizzlies. Jarić brought European and international success, having won the EuroLeague with Kinder Bologna in 2001, followed by gold medals with Yugoslavia at the 2001 EuroBasket and the 2002 FIBA World Championship.

Gustavo Ayón Secures a Period of Interior Dominance

Gustavo Ayón established a modern standard for international imports after joining Real Madrid. Before arriving in Spain, the Mexican center spent time in the NBA from 2011 to 2014 with the New Orleans Hornets, Orlando Magic, and Milwaukee Bucks.

Ayón dominated his debut campaign in Madrid, sweeping five titles in a single season: the Supercopa, Copa del Rey, Liga, EuroLeague, and Copa Intercontinental. He remained with the club until 2019, adding multiple domestic and continental trophies to his legacy.

Rudy Fernández and Sergio Rodríguez Return from American Stints

Rudy Fernández and Sergio Rodríguez both carved out multi-stage careers in Madrid after testing the NBA.

Sergio Rodríguez wore the white jersey for the first time in 2010 after four seasons in the NBA with the Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and New York Knicks. Following a one-year stint with the Philadelphia 76ers, Rodríguez returned to Europe in 2022 and played for Madrid until his retirement in 2024, collecting five Copas del Rey and three EuroLeagues across his two stints.

Real Madrid Adds NBA Talent to Its Roster

Walter Tavares anchored Real Madrid’s frontcourt after landing in Spain in 2017 following stints with NBA and NBA G-League franchises between 2015 and 2017. The Cape Verdean center remains a cornerstone of the squad, adding two EuroLeague titles and multiple domestic championships to his resume.

Recent transfer windows brought fresh American and European talent from North America to Madrid. Chuma Okeke arrived from the Cleveland Cavaliers after playing 198 NBA games across five seasons with Cleveland, Orlando, and Philadelphia. Trey Lyles spent ten seasons and 650 games in the NBA before signing with Real Madrid for the 2025–26 season, subsequently returning to the United States to play for the Minnesota Timberwolves. Olivier Sarr joined on a two-year deal running through 2028 after logging 50 NBA games between the Oklahoma City Thunder, Toronto Raptors, and Cleveland Cavaliers.

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