Can Hungary produce elite basketball players?

Over the years, Hungary has produced some truly outstanding athletes that have dominated their particular field. Look no further than Ferenc Puskás in the world of soccer, widely regarded as the best striker ever to grace European football. Puskas is perhaps only matched by Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi from the modern era, highlighting his impact on the game.

Then you have Alfréd Hajós, who had success in the field of swimming, winning Hungary’s first Olympic gold medals. Also, swimmer Krisztina Egerszegi won her first Olympic gold medal at the age of 14 in Seoul 1988 before winning four further golds in her career. Their respective legacies will remain in Hungarian folklore for years to come.

However, Hungarians could be guilty of looking across the border to Slovenia and wondering when they will produce a global star in the field of basketball. Europeans are beginning to dominate the NBA with reigning MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo hailing from Greece, while the rising star of the league Luka Doncic was born less than 250 km from the Slovenian-Hungarian border.

Doncic is the second player from Slovenia to hit the heights as Goran Dragic continues to operate at a high level for the Miami Heat. He could well be competing in the NBA finals with Miami this season and the odds when betting on NBA suggest that the 34-year-old has a decent chance at securing his first title at 7/2. Beno Udrih previously won two crowns with the San Antonio Spurs so Dragic still has a little ways to go before he can match that achievement to become his country’s most decorated basketball player. Doncic will certainly be aiming to eclipse that feat and will have his sights set on the MVP award next season and beyond.

It’s curious that two nations that are so close together can have different fortunes in developing that standard of basketball player. Only one Hungarian has ever played in the NBA – Kornél Dávid. He went undrafted in 1993, but after impressive spells in Hungary for Albacomp among others, the forward was signed by the Chicago Bulls and then the Cleveland Cavaliers. David failed to make an appearance for the Cavaliers, but played 109 games between time with the Toronto Raptors and Detroit Pistons from 2000 to 2001, as well as his time with the Bulls.

Ádám Hanga became close to becoming the second Hungarian to have played in the NBA when he was drafted by the San Antonio Spurs in the second round of the 2011 Draft. However, he failed to make the roster and returned to Europe, where he has since earned a move to Barcelona. The door is not completely closed on a future in the NBA, but at the age of 31 it is unlikely.

There is hope for the future of Hungarian basketball that one day that they could produce that star of the ilk of Doncic or even a solid player like Dragic. The government launched the National Basketball Academy in Pécs in 2018. Results will not come overnight, but increasing the amount of youngsters involved in the sport will certainly deepen the talent pool in five to 10 years. Maybe then a rising upstart will fly the flag for Hungary in one of the world’s popular sports.