NBA Rosters Feature 107 International Players From 41 Countries

Opening-Night Rosters Feature Record 17 Canadian Players and Record-Tying 14 African Players; Seventh Consecutive Season League Has at Least 100 International Players.

The National Basketball Association (NBA) (http://www.NBA.com) today announced that 107 international players from 41 countries are on opening-night rosters for the 2020-21 season, including a record 17 Canadian players and a record-tying 14 African players. This marks the seventh consecutive season that opening-night rosters feature at least 100 international players. All 30 teams have at least one international player.

In addition to the 107 international players on 2020-21 opening-night rosters, there are 10 international players from a record-tying eight countries on "two-way" contracts, allowing them to play in up to 50 NBA games this season.

For the seventh consecutive year, Canada (17 players) is the most-represented country outside of the U.S., followed by France (nine players), Australia (eight players), Serbia and Germany (six players each).

The Washington Wizards have an NBA-high seven international players. The Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets each have six, while the New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors each have five.

The 2020-21 NBA season begins tonight with a doubleheader as part of Kia NBA Tip-Off 2020. The first game features the Brooklyn Nets hosting the Golden State Warriors at 2 a.m. CAT. In the second game, the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers take on the LA Clippers at 5 a.m. CAT.

A record 34 players on opening-night rosters participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB) prior to starting their NBA careers, surpassing the previous record of 30 set in 2019-20. Former BWB campers include Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011), Jamal Murray (Nuggets; Canada; BWB Global 2015) and Pascal Siakam (Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012). BWB is the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that has seen 76 former campers drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents since 2001.

In addition to the 107 international players on 2020-21 opening-night rosters, there are 10 international players from a record-tying eight countries on "two-way" contracts, allowing them to play in up to 50 NBA games this season. There are also a number of American players with ties to other countries, including more than 30 players with at least one parent from Africa. Among the American players with ties to other countries are Jordan Clarkson (Utah Jazz; ties to the Philippines), Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers; ties to Nigeria), Matisse Thybulle (76ers; ties to Australia and Haiti) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves; ties to the Dominican Republic).

The records for international players (113) and countries and territories represented (42) were set at the start of the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.

Below please find international player milestones and storylines for the upcoming season:

A record six international players were named to the 2019-20 All-NBA Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria; All-NBA First Team); Luka Dončić (Mavericks; Slovenia; All-NBA First Team); Nikola Jokić (Nuggets; Serbia; All-NBA Second Team); Siakam (All-NBA Second Team); Rudy Gobert (Jazz; France; All-NBA Third Team); and Ben Simmons (76ers; Australia; All-NBA Third Team).
There are 14 international players on opening-night rosters who have been NBA All-Stars: Antetokounmpo, Dončić, Goran Dragić (Miami Heat; Slovenia), Embiid, Marc Gasol (Lakers; Spain), Gobert, Al Horford (Oklahoma City Thunder; Dominican Republic), Kyrie Irving (Nets; Australia), Jokić, Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks; Latvia), Domantas Sabonis (Pacers; Lithuania), Siakam, Simmons and Nikola Vučević (Orlando Magic; Montenegro).
As part of the NBA.com 2020-2021 GM Survey (http://on.nba.com/3nKFFhY), Antetokounmpo and Dončić were voted the No. 1 and No. 2 players most likely to win 2020-21 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (32% and 21% of votes, respectively), and tied for the No. 1 player with whom general managers would most want to start a franchise (43% of votes each). For the second straight season, Jokić was voted the best center in the NBA (50% of votes).
Deni Avdija, who became the highest-drafted Israeli player ever when he was selected ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm®, is scheduled to make his regular-season debut when the Wizards visit the 76ers on Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. ET on NBA League Pass.
Killian Hayes, who became the highest-drafted French player ever when he was selected seventh overall by the Detroit Pistons, is scheduled to make his regular-season debut when the Pistons visit the Timberwolves on Dec. 23 at 8 p.m. ET on NBA League Pass.
Nine players from or with at least one parent from Nigeria were selected in NBA Draft 2020, including Precious Achiuwa (Heat; Nigeria) and Udoka Azubuike (Jazz; Nigeria).

Below please find the full list of international players on 2020-21 opening-night rosters (active and inactive):

Country
Name
Team
Ties to Other Countries**


Angola
Bruno Fernando
Atlanta Hawks



Argentina
Facundo Campazzo*
Denver Nuggets



Australia
Aron Baynes
Toronto Raptors



Australia
Matthew Dellavedova
Cleveland Cavaliers



Australia
Danté Exum
Cleveland Cavaliers



Australia
Josh Green
Dallas Mavericks



Australia
Joe Ingles
Utah Jazz



Australia
Kyrie Irving
Brooklyn Nets



Australia
Patty Mills
San Antonio Spurs



Australia
Ben Simmons
Philadelphia 76ers



Austria
Jakob Poeltl
San Antonio Spurs



Bahamas
Buddy Hield
Sacramento Kings



Bahamas
Deandre Ayton*
Phoenix Suns
Nigeria


Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jusuf Nurkić
Portland Trail Blazers



Brazil
Bruno Caboclo*
Houston Rockets



Brazil
Cristiano Felicio
Chicago Bulls



Brazil
Raul Neto
Washington Wizards



Cameroon
Joel Embiid*
Philadelphia 76ers



Cameroon
Pascal Siakam*
Toronto Raptors



Canada
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
New Orleans Pelicans



Canada
RJ Barrett*
New York Knicks



Canada
Khem Birch
Orlando Magic



Canada
Ignas Brazdeikis*
New York Knicks
Lithuania


Canada
Dillon Brooks
Memphis Grizzlies



Canada
Brandon Clarke
Memphis Grizzlies



Canada
Luguentz Dort*
Oklahoma City Thunder



Canada
Cory Joseph
Sacramento Kings
Trinidad and Tobago


Canada
Mfiondu Kabengele
LA Clippers
Democratic Republic of the Congo


Canada
Trey Lyles
San Antonio Spurs



Canada
Mychal Mulder
Golden State Warriors



Canada
Jamal Murray*
Denver Nuggets



Canada
Kelly Olynyk*
Miami Heat



Canada
Dwight Powell
Dallas Mavericks



Canada
Tristan Thompson
Boston Celtics
Jamaica


Canada
Andrew Wiggins
Golden State Warriors



Canada
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander*
Oklahoma City Thunder



Croatia
Bojan Bogdanović
Utah Jazz



Croatia
Luka Šamanić*
San Antonio Spurs



Croatia
Dario Šarić*
Phoenix Suns



Croatia
Ivica Zubac
LA Clippers



Czech Republic
Tomáš Satoranský*
Chicago Bulls



Democratic Republic of the Congo
Bismack Biyombo
Charlotte Hornets



Dominican Republic
Al Horford
Oklahoma City Thunder



Egypt
Abdel Nader
Phoenix Suns



Finland
Lauri Markkanen*
Chicago Bulls



France
Nicolas Batum*
LA Clippers
Cameroon


France
Sekou Doumbouya*
Detroit Pistons
Guinea


France
Evan Fournier
Orlando Magic
Algeria


France
Rudy Gobert
Utah Jazz



France
Killian Hayes*
Detroit Pistons



France
Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot
Brooklyn Nets
Democratic Republic of the Congo


France
Théo Maledon
Oklahoma City Thunder



France
Frank Ntilikina*
New York Knicks



France
Vincent Poirier
Philadelphia 76ers



Gabon
Chris Silva
Miami Heat



Georgia
Goga Bitadze*
Indiana Pacers



Germany
Isaac Bonga*
Washington Wizards



Germany
Isaiah Hartenstein*
Denver Nuggets



Germany
Maxi Kleber
Dallas Mavericks



Germany
Dennis Schröder
Los Angeles Lakers
The Gambia


Germany
Daniel Theis
Boston Celtics



Germany
Moritz Wagner
Washington Wizards



Greece
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks
Nigeria


Greece
Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks
Nigeria


Israel
Deni Avdija*
Washington Wizards



Italy
Danilo Gallinari*
Atlanta Hawks



Italy
Nicolò Melli
New Orleans Pelicans



Jamaica
Nick Richards
Charlotte Hornets



Japan
Rui Hachimura*
Washington Wizards
Benin


Latvia
Davis Bertans
Washington Wizards



Latvia
Anžejs Pasečņiks*
Washington Wizards



Latvia
Kristaps Porziņģis
Dallas Mavericks



Latvia
Rodions Kurucs
Brooklyn Nets



Lithuania
Domantas Sabonis
Indiana Pacers



Lithuania
Deividas Sirvydis*
Detroit Pistons



Lithuania
Jonas Valančiūnas*
Memphis Grizzlies



Montenegro
Nikola Vučević
Orlando Magic



New Zealand
Steven Adams
New Orleans Pelicans



Nigeria
Precious Achiuwa
Miami Heat



Nigeria
Udoka Azubuike
Utah Jazz



Nigeria
Josh Okogie
Minnesota Timberwolves



Republic of the Congo
Serge Ibaka
LA Clippers
Spain


Senegal
Gorgui Dieng*
Memphis Grizzlies



Serbia
Nemanja Bjelica
Sacramento Kings



Serbia
Bogdan Bogdanović
Atlanta Hawks



Serbia
Nikola Jokić
Denver Nuggets



Serbia
Boban Marjanović
Dallas Mavericks



Serbia
Aleksej Pokuševski*
Oklahoma City Thunder



Serbia
Alen Smailagić
Golden State Warriors



Slovenia
Vlatko Čančar
Denver Nuggets



Slovenia
Goran Dragić
Miami Heat



Slovenia
Luka Dončić
Dallas Mavericks



South Sudan
Thon Maker*
Cleveland Cavaliers
Australia and Uganda


South Sudan
Wenyen Gabriel
New Orleans Pelicans



Sudan
Bol Bol
Denver Nuggets



Spain
Marc Gasol*
Los Angeles Lakers



Spain
Juancho Hernangómez
Minnesota Timberwolves



Spain
Willy Hernangómez*
New Orleans Pelicans



Spain
Ricky Rubio
Minnesota Timberwolves



St. Lucia
Chris Boucher
Toronto Raptors
Canada


Switzerland
Clint Capela
Atlanta Hawks
Angola and Republic of the Congo


Turkey
Enes Kanter*
Portland Trail Blazers



Turkey
Furkan Korkmaz
Philadelphia 76ers



Turkey
Cedi Osman
Cleveland Cavaliers



Ukraine
Alex Len
Toronto Raptors



Ukraine
Svi Mykhailiuk
Detroit Pistons



United Kingdom
OG Anunoby
Toronto Raptors
Nigeria

Below please find the full list of international two-way players:

Country
Name
Team
Ties to Other Countries**


Australia
Will Magnay
New Orleans Pelicans



Canada
Nate Darling
Charlotte Hornets



France
Adam Mokoka
Chicago Bulls
Republic of the Congo


France
Killian Tillie
Memphis Grizzlies



Greece
Kostas Antetokounmpo*
Los Angeles Lakers
Nigeria


Guinea
Mamadi Diakite
Milwaukee Bucks



Italy
Nico Mannion
Golden State Warriors



Japan
Yuta Watanabe
Toronto Raptors



Senegal
Tacko Fall
Boston Celtics



Senegal
Karim Mané
Orlando Magic
Canada

*Participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB)

**Not an exhaustive list of every player tie