There's a sizable number of imports with NBA pedigree will see action in the PBA Season 49 Commissioner’s Cup.
There’s Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the former Brooklyn Net who led TNT to two PBA championship. There’s also San Antonio Spurs draftee Ryan Richards and former Pelican Cheick Diallo.
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But this is no longer surprising, since the PBA has become a viable option for high-profile players seeking cutthroat competition and handsome pay.
Over the years, PBA has seen a handful of NBA players suiting up in the oldest play-for-pay league in Asia.
Here are some who suited up for a PBA team in recent memory, or at least beginning in 2018:
Johnathan Williams
After going undrafted in 2018, Johnathan Williams signed a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers that saw him score career-high 18 points and grab 10 rebounds in a 120-107 loss to Boston.
After things did not pan out in the NBA, he took his talents overseas and found his way to the Philippines by way of Phoenix.
He won a PBA Best Import award while bringing the Fuel Masters to the semifinals of the Commissioner’s Cup last season.
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Quincy Miller
Quincy Miller is the 38th overall pick by the Denver Nuggets in the 2012 NBA Draft. He played 69 games in the NBA, then went on a journey abroad. Converge signed him in the PBA Season 47 Commissioner’s Cup before playing for TNT. He also suited up for both TNT and the San Miguel Beermen in the East Asia Super League.
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Rondae Hollis-Jefferson
The Portland Trail Blazers tabbed Rondae Hollis-Jefferson with the 23rd overall pick in 2015 but was traded right away to the Brooklyn Nets.
Hollis-Jefferson, who also donned the Toronto and Trail Blazers’ colors, went on to play a total of 305 games in the NBA, including 15 playoff games.
He is now a two-time PBA champion and Best import with TNT.
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Andrew Nicholson
Andrew Nicholson became a prominent name among PBA fans when he represented guest team Bay Area Dragons in the 2022 Commissioner’s Cup.
The 19th pick overall by the Orlando Magic in 2012 led the Dragons to the Finals but fell short against Ginebra.
Nicholson played a total of 285 games.
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KJ McDaniels
After being selected 32nd overall in 2014, KJ McDaniels went on to play for the Philadelphia 76ers, Houston Rockets, and the Brooklyn Nets.
In 2019, McDaniels became a household name in the Philippines as TNT import in the Governors’ Cup. He dropped a career-high 41 points to go with 22 rebounds, seven assists, and five blocks in a one-sided 135-107 win over Blackwater.
Johnny O’Bryant
Johnny O’Bryant spent most of his NBA days with the Milwaukee Bucks, who took him in the second round of the 2014 Draft.
Eight years later, he found himself on the other side of the world playing for Meralco in the Commissioner’s Cup but was eventually replaced by McDaniels.
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Earl Clark
In this list, Earl Clark is among the players with the most NBA experience.
Clark played a total of 261 games across six teams, including the Phoenix Suns and the Los Angeles Lakers.
The 6-foot-9 cager reinforced NLEX in the Season 47 Commissioner’s Cup.
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Terrence Jones
Terrence Jones is one of the most colorful reinforcements the PBA has seen.
But he is also among the most decorated, playing with NBA star James Harden with the Houston Rockets from 2012 to 2016.
With Jones as import in the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup, the Tropang Giga were virtually unstoppable until Chris McCullough and San Miguel toppled them in the Finals.
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Greg Smith
Though undrafted in 2011, Greg Smith still managed to play 149 games in the NBA.
He also played alongside Jones with the Rockets. He saw action in six playoff games.
Smith played for Blackwater twice, the last being in the 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Blackwater made the playoffs then as the no. 3 seed, but Rain or Shine disposed of the then-Elite in the best-of-three quarterfinals.
Chris McCullough
When things were not going San Miguel’s way with Charles Rhodes in the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup, the Beermen decided to go with Chris McCullough.
Turned out to be a right decision as McCullough went on to beat TNT’s Jones in the Finals.
McCullough is the 29th overall pick by Brooklyn in 2015. He also suited up for the Washington Wizards before becoming a journeyman overseas.
Renaldo Balkman
Filipino fans will probably remember Renaldo Balkman as the Petron import who choked teammate Arwind Santos in 2013. He was banned from the PBA after that.
Implosion aside, Balkman was a great player who was tabbed by the New York Knicks with the 20th overall pick in 2016. He went on to play 221 games including eight in the playoffs.
After his lifetime ba was lifted, Balkman returned to the Beermen in the PBA in 2018, led the team to the Finals, but fell short against Justin Brownlee’s Ginebra.
[NEXT: PBA Season 49 Commissioner's Cup guide: Schedule, standings, results, where to watch]