The Biggest EuroLeague Stars Who Played in the UK

The EuroLeague has never fed talent directly into British basketball. For most players at that level, the UK was either out of sight or far down the list. Still, a few turned up. Some were coming home, others passing through, and a few trying to stretch the last stage of their career.

What they brought was always clear straight away. The speed, the decisions, the balance, those things aren’t easy to miss. Some were done in a few weeks. Some stayed for a bit. None of them blended in.

Pops Was a Game Changer

When Pops Mensah-Bonsu signed for the London Lions in 2018, the odds moved fast. They’d been 6/1 to win the title at various oddsmakers like offshore licensed bookmakers that offer unrestricted UK sports wagers alongside larger bonuses and fast withdrawals. Within days, they were at 7/2. He didn’t have to play a full season to shift things. He’d been at Fenerbahçe, guarded players like Kyle Hines and Milos Teodosic, and faced Real Madrid in loud gyms. He wasn’t guessing out there.

On court, he beat opponents to rebounds before they’d jumped. He cut off drives without needing to reach. It wasn’t flashy, just hard to get around. Players around him moved quickly. You could tell he’d seen better basketball than what he was standing in.

Adegboye Brought Control

Ogo Adegboye played at Aris in Greece. Not for long, but long enough. Greek guards don’t get far if they can’t think quickly, and he brought that same sense of control to London City Royals.

He didn’t score heavily. He didn’t need to. He got the ball to the right spots. The Royals stopped playing rushed, half-made possessions and started running actual sets. He didn’t shout about it, but once he was in court, you could tell they weren’t in a hurry anymore.

Hesson Moved Different

Myles Hesson didn’t step into the BBL needing to prove much. He’d played at Nanterre, matched up against guards who’d spent years in European systems. When he joined the Lions, his reads were faster than most.

He cut early. He moved when others stood still. He didn’t take shots just to beat the clock. It’s easy to miss the quiet players if you’re watching for dunks or stepbacks. Hesson didn’t care about any of that. His game made more sense when you saw what happened after he moved, the way the defence shifted, the way passing lanes opened.

Sullivan Did the Quiet Work

Andrew Sullivan had a few years in Germany. Not EuroLeague, but close. When he joined Leicester, he did the things most players overlook. He spaced the floor without needing the ball.

He was always in the right place on switches. He’d shout over a screen before it arrived. Leicester’s defence tightened up because of him. Most teams in the BBL weren’t built to deal with someone who rotated early and stayed alert for forty minutes. He gave them stability.

Taylor Kept His Nerve

Zaire Taylor was never a EuroLeague player, but he’d seen enough of Europe to carry that same calm. He came to Leicester and didn’t rush anything. The team let him run the offence late in games, and he rarely gave the ball away. He played like someone who’d seen every option before the screen even came.

It made the Riders feel safer when the score was close. Taylor didn’t force it. He kept the tempo low, found the gaps, and took whatever was there. The team started trusting him with the ball when it counted.

Clark Knew the Angles

Daniel Clark spent years in the ACB. Estudiantes, Andorra, teams that go up against EuroLeague opponents regularly. That experience followed him back when he signed for Manchester Giants. He knew where the help defence would come from. He made entry passes that never floated.

He could shoot from range, sure, but it was the passing from the high post that changed how the team played. Younger guys started cutting at the right time. The guards stopped ball-watching. Clark didn’t coach them. He just made decisions fast enough that they had to adjust or get left out.

Robinson Kept It Simple

Justin Robinson played in Greece and Cyprus before the Lions brought him home. When he got the ball, it didn’t stick. He moved through options quickly. If the first wasn’t there, he swung it. If the defence overplayed, he got to the rim. He didn’t need to put up thirty to control the game.

The MVP awards came later. First came the spacing. Then the timing. Then the trust. London played better with him on the floor because he didn’t get in the way of the game. He just kept it moving.

Deng Set the Standard

Luol Deng never played in the BBL, but once he retired from the NBA, he didn’t just disappear. He got involved. Helped behind the scenes. Advised teams trying to be more than just domestic names. He worked with the Lions in particular. The players listened.

He didn’t come with noise. He just raised expectations. Coaches started asking for more. Players started carrying themselves differently. Deng had seen what the top looked like.