The Language of Basketball: How International NBA Stars Process the Game

The NBA has never been more global.

From MVPs to rising stars, international players are not just participating in the league — they are defining it. But while the box scores are universal, the way these athletes think, communicate, and process the game often happens in multiple languages at once.

Basketball may look the same everywhere. The language behind it? That’s a different story.

Learning the Game in a Second Language

When Giannis Antetokounmpo first arrived in Milwaukee, he faced a challenge far bigger than defending NBA scorers. English — especially basketball slang — came at him fast.

Film sessions, play calls, locker-room talk. It was overwhelming.

Coaches worked with him directly, breaking down terminology and drilling concepts repeatedly until they became second nature. Over time, Giannis didn’t just learn English — he learned the “language of basketball” in English.

Today, the two-time MVP switches effortlessly between Greek and English depending on where he’s playing. For him, the internal voice adjusts to the environment.

“I think about the game in the place that I play,” he once explained.

Thinking in One Language, Playing in Another

For many international stars, thoughts and communication don’t always match.

Joel Embiid grew up speaking French and Basaa in Cameroon before learning English in high school. On the floor, his basketball thoughts are a mix — but communication with teammates pushes him toward English.

Victor Wembanyama describes it differently.

“My thoughts are in French, but the vocabulary is in English,” he said.

It’s a fascinating balance: the instinctive reaction happens in one language, but the basketball terms — screens, switches, drop coverage — come out in another.

Nikola Jokic had to translate in real time when he first arrived in Denver. Early in his career, he admits it wasn’t easy.

“I wanted to say something, and I couldn’t even say the coverage,” Jokic recalled.

That split-second translation matters. Especially for big men anchoring defenses, communication has to be instant.

Ivica Zubac once explained it simply: if you think in your native language and then translate before speaking, you’re already too late.

Basketball Has Its Own Dialect

Interestingly, many international players grow up already using English basketball terms — even when speaking their native language.

Kristaps Porzingis said that in Latvia, much of the basketball vocabulary is borrowed directly from English. The same goes for many European leagues.

As Nicolas Batum once put it:

“Basketball language is English.”

Even when national teams gather, English terminology often slips into conversations because that’s how the sport is structured globally.

The Real Adjustment Happens Off the Court

For some players, the basketball transition is easier than everyday life.

Opening a bank account. Ordering food. Navigating a new city.

Alperen Sengun arrived in the U.S. with almost no English. Early on, he relied heavily on an interpreter, even during team meetings. But he eventually realized that leaning too much on help was slowing his development.

He forced himself to communicate independently. His English improved quickly — and so did his confidence.

Interestingly, Sengun says when he returns to play for Turkey, he switches fully back to his native language.

Except when trash talking.

“Trash talk is better in English,” he joked.

A Truly Global League

This season alone, more than 130 players in the NBA were born outside the United States. The league’s All-Star format now even reflects that international dominance.

The NBA is no longer just American basketball. It’s global basketball.

Players dream in different languages. Think in different rhythms. Translate in real time.

But when the ball is tipped and the clock starts ticking, there’s one universal truth:

''Buckets sound the same everywhere''