NBA Players from Romania: Full List (2026)
2 NBA players have come from Romania, counting players born there and players listed with its nationality. As of October 2026, none is on an NBA roster. The most recent was Gheorghe Mureșan (1999-2000).
NBA players from Romania at a glance
| NBA players, all time | 2 |
|---|---|
| On NBA rosters, October 2026 | None |
| First to play in the NBA | Ernie Grunfeld (1977) |
| Longest NBA career | Ernie Grunfeld (9 seasons) |
| Centers | 1: Gheorghe Mureșan |
| 7-foot prospects in our database | None right now |
| Last checked | 9 October 2026 |
Every NBA player from Romania
Sorted by NBA debut, earliest first. Status is as of October 2026, before the 2026-27 regular season, so it includes players on training camp deals.
| Player | Position | NBA seasons | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ernie Grunfeld | Guard/forward | 1977-1986 | Former player | Born in Romania; listed under the United States |
| Gheorghe Mureșan | Center | 1993-2000 | Former player |
Every NBA career from Romania, year by year
First to last NBA season for each player. Orange means on an NBA roster in 2026-27.
First seasonLast season
Show the data behind this chart
Player
Position
NBA seasons
Status
Ernie Grunfeld
Guard/forward
1977-1986
Former player
Gheorghe Mureșan
Center
1993-2000
Former player
Players from Romania in the NBA in 2026-27
No player from Romania is on an NBA roster as of October 2026.
NBA centers from Romania
1 of the 2 players in the table played center or forward/center: Gheorghe Mureșan (1999-2000).
7-Foot Prospects from Romania
No active player from Romania listed at 7 feet or taller and born in 2001 or later is in our 7-Foot Prospect Database right now (last checked on 9 October 2026). The database tracks nearly 400 young 7-footers from 61 countries, and we add new names as they appear.
Player profiles from our archive
This section was first published in 2018. Teams and career details in it are as of that time; the tables above show where things stand in October 2026.
Romania may not be an NBA basketball powerhouse, but everyone knows their all-time best player Gheorghe Mureșan. The Romanian National Basketball Federation is one of the few founding members of the FIBA and has a longstanding basketball tradition. However, their national team hasn’t won any major tournament. So far they have 17 appearances at the Eurobasket championships. Their best results are two 5th places at the Eurobasket and played once on the Basketball Olympic Tournament in 1952. They have never qualified for a Basketball World Cup Tournament.
Romania NBA Players:
Gheorghe Mureșan
Gheorghe was born February 17, 1971, in Romania. Standing at 7 feet 7 inches he is the tallest NBA player ever. Before going to NBA, he played for Pau-Orthez in the French league where his performances caught the attention of NBA scouts. As a result, through the 1993 NBA draft, he was chosen to play for the Washington Bullets. He stayed for seven years in the NBA before returning to Pau-Orthez in 2000.
He played his best season in the 1995-‘96 campaign when he averaged 14.5 points, 2.26 blocks, and 9.6 rebounds per game. Aside from the Washington Bullets, he also played for New Jersey Nets before ending his NBA adventure. If given the opportunity he always chose to wear number 77, which in fact was a reference to his height. It’s a long-standing opinion that he would have a much better career if it weren’t for his many injuries that followed him while playing as a professional basketball player.
Right now there are no immediate, additional NBA players expected to come from Romania, but hopefully in the future we will see some blue chip NCAA or NBA prospects coming from Romania.
In recent years, we saw the emergence of 7-foot-7 Romanian teenager Robert Bobroczky who plays plays high school basketball for Ohio’s SPIRE Institute. However, he is too thin and frail to play in the NBA, and we haven’t heard much about him since he arrived in 2016 which means that this Romanian teenager probably won’t make the NBA.
How Romania compares with other small basketball countries
NBA players all time: the eight leaders among the 46 countries we compared, and Romania.
Show the data behind this chart
Country
NBA players, all time
Nigeria
30
Lithuania
17
Italy
14
Montenegro
10
Bahamas
9
Cameroon
8
Congo
8
Israel
8
Romania
2
Frequently asked questions
How many NBA players are from Romania?
We count 2, including players born there and players listed with its nationality.
Which players from Romania are in the NBA in 2026-27?
None as of October 2026. The most recent was Gheorghe Mureșan (1999-2000).
Who was the first NBA player from Romania?
Ernie Grunfeld, who debuted in 1977 (born in Romania; listed under the United States).
Which centers from Romania have played in the NBA?
Gheorghe Mureșan.
Are there 7-foot prospects from Romania?
Not right now. Our 7-Foot Prospect Database has no active player from Romania listed at 7 feet or taller and born in 2001 or later.
More guides: NBA players by country. Scouting reports: NBA center prospects.
Sources: Wikipedia, List of NBA players born outside the United States (revision of 3 October 2026); RealGM NBA player list (9 October 2026); Low Key NBA 7-Foot Prospect Database. U.S.-born players with family ties to Romania may be missing from the table. Last checked 9 October 2026.
