The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that a record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories across six continents are on opening-night rosters for the 2023-24 season, including a record number of players from Canada (26) and France (14). This marks the third consecutive season that opening-night rosters feature at least 120 international players and the 10th straight season that opening-night rosters have at least 100 international players. All 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player.
The previous record for international players (121) and current record for countries and territories represented (42) were set at the start of the 2021-22 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.
For the 10th consecutive season, Canada is the most-represented country outside of the U.S., followed by France, Australia (nine players), Serbia (seven players) and Germany (six players). Nigeria and Turkey each have five players. There are 64 European players on opening-night rosters, including four members of the 2022-23 Kia All-NBA Team: 2021 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria), four-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team member Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia), 2023 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia) and three-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings; Lithuania). There are also 15 players from Africa, including 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon).
The Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder feature a league-high eight international players each, followed by the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs with seven international players each. The Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns each have six.
Below are additional international player milestones and storylines for the upcoming season:
- Three international players have won the last five Kia NBA MVP Awards: Embiid (2022-23), Jokić (2021-22 and 2020-21) and Antetokounmpo (2019-20 and 2018-19). Last season also marked the second consecutive season that Embiid, Jokić and Antetokounmpo finished top three in MVP voting. Embiid and the 76ers visit Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Thursday, Oct. 26 in the season opener for both teams.
- There are 15 international players on opening-night rosters who have been NBA All-Stars: Antetokounmpo, Dončić, Embiid, Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves; France), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder; Canada), Al Horford (Celtics; Dominican Republic), Kyrie Irving (Mavericks; Australia), Jokić, Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz; Finland), Kristaps Porzingis (Celtics; Latvia), Sabonis, Pascal Siakam (Raptors; Cameroon), Ben Simmons (Brooklyn Nets; Australia), Nikola Vučević (Chicago Bulls; Montenegro) and Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors; Canada).
- At least five international players have made the Kia All-NBA Team each season since 2018-19.
- As part of the 2023-24 NBA GM Survey, Jokić, Antetokounmpo and Dončić were voted the No. 1, 2 and 4 players most likely to win the 2023-24 Kia NBA MVP Award (43%, 20% and 10% of votes, respectively). Jokić, 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama (Spurs; France), Antetokounmpo and Dončić were voted the No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 players whom GMs would most want to sign if they were starting a franchise today (33%, 23%, 13% and 10%, respectively).
- Wembanyama is the 14th international player to be selected first overall in the NBA Draft and the highest-drafted French player ever. Wembanyama is poised to make his NBA debut when the Spurs host the Mavericks on Wednesday, Oct. 25 at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN.
- Forty-one international players on opening-night rosters participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB) prior to their NBA careers, including Deandre Ayton (Portland Trail Blazers; Bahamas; BWB Global 2016), Embiid (BWB Africa 2011), Gilgeous-Alexander (BWB Global 2016), Rui Hachimura (Los Angeles Lakers; Japan; BWB Global 2016), Jamal Murray (Nuggets; Canada; BWB Global 2015), Siakam (BWB Africa 2012) and Jonas Valančiūnas (New Orleans Pelicans; Lithuania; BWB Europe 2008). BWB, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program, has seen 112 former campers advance to the NBA or WNBA since 2001.
- There are a record four NBA Academy graduates on opening-night rosters: Dyson Daniels (Pelicans; Australia; NBA Global Academy), Josh Giddey (Thunder; Australia; NBA Global Academy), Bennedict Mathurin (Indiana Pacers; Canada; ties to Haiti; NBA Academy Latin America) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Mavericks; Canada; ties to Haiti; NBA Academy Latin America). NBA Academy is a year-round elite basketball development program that provides top high-school-age athletes from outside the U.S. with a holistic approach to player development and a predictable pathway to maximize their potential.
- A record 55 current NBA players were featured on national team rosters for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, including four on the gold medal-winning German Men’s National Team: tournament MVP Dennis Schröder (Raptors), Daniel Theis (Pacers) and brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic).
- There are also a number of American players with ties to other countries as well as more than 35 players with at least one parent from an African country. Among the American players with ties to other countries are Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat; ties to Nigeria), Jalen Green (Houston Rockets; ties to the Philippines), Matisse Thybulle (Trail Blazers; ties to Australia and Haiti), Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves; ties to the Dominican Republic) and Jaylin Williams (Thunder; ties to Vietnam).
The 78th NBA regular season tips off tonight with a doubleheader on TNT and will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages through the league’s broadcast partners around the world and NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service available via the NBA App. In the first game, Jokić, Murray and the defending NBA champion Nuggets will receive their championship rings before hosting LeBron James and the Lakers in a rematch of the 2023 Western Conference Finals (7:30 p.m. ET). In the second game, four-time NBA champions Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the Warriors will host Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and the Suns (10 p.m. ET).
Below is the full list of international players on 2023-24 opening-night rosters (active and inactive):
| Country | Name | Team | Ties |
| Angola | Bruno Fernando | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Australia | Patty Mills | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Australia | Ben Simmons | Brooklyn Nets | |
| Australia | Josh Green** | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Australia | Kyrie Irving | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Australia | Danté Exum | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Australia | Jock Landale | Houston Rockets | |
| Australia | Dyson Daniels^ | New Orleans Pelicans | |
| Australia | Josh Giddey^** | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Australia | Joe Ingles | Orlando Magic | |
| Austria | Jakob Poeltl | Toronto Raptors | |
| Bahamas | Buddy Hield | Indiana Pacers | |
| Bahamas | Deandre Ayton** | Portland Trail Blazers | Ties to Nigeria |
| Belgium | Toumani Camara | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Jusuf Nurkić | Phoenix Suns | |
| British Virgin Islands | D’Moi Hodge* | Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Bulgaria | Sasha Vezenkov | Sacramento Kings | |
| Cameroon | Joel Embiid** | Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Cameroon | Christian Koloko** | Toronto Raptors | |
| Cameroon | Pascal Siakam** | Toronto Raptors | |
| Canada | Dalano Banton | Boston Celtics | |
| Canada | Oshae Brissett | Boston Celtics | |
| Canada | Tristan Thompson | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Canada | AJ Lawson*** | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Canada | Dwight Powell | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Canada | Olivier-Maxence Prosper^** | Dallas Mavericks | Ties to Haiti |
| Canada | Jamal Murray** | Denver Nuggets | |
| Canada | Cory Joseph | Golden State Warriors | Ties to Trinidad and Tobago |
| Canada | Andrew Wiggins | Golden State Warriors | |
| Canada | Dillon Brooks | Houston Rockets | |
| Canada | Andrew Nembhard** | Indiana Pacers | |
| Canada | Bennedict Mathurin^** | Indiana Pacers | Ties to Haiti |
| Canada | Joshua Primo*** | LA Clippers | |
| Canada | Brandon Clarke | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Canada | Lindell Wigginton*** | Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Canada | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| Canada | Leonard Miller | Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| Canada | RJ Barrett** | New York Knicks | |
| Canada | Luguentz Dort** | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Canada | Caleb Houstan | Orlando Magic | |
| Canada | Shaedon Sharpe | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Canada | Trey Lyles | Sacramento Kings | |
| Canada | Charles Bediako*** | San Antonio Spurs | Ties to Ghana |
| Canada | Kelly Olynyk** | Utah Jazz | |
| Canada | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander** | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Canada | Eugene Omoruyi* | Washington Wizards | Ties to Nigeria |
| Croatia | Bojan Bogdanović | Detroit Pistons | |
| Croatia | Dario Šarić** | Golden State Warriors | |
| Croatia | Ivica Zubac | LA Clippers | |
| Croatia | Luka Šamanić*** | Utah Jazz | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Jonathan Kuminga | Golden State Warriors | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Oscar Tshiebwe* | Indiana Pacers | |
| Dominican Republic | Al Horford | Boston Celtics | |
| Dominican Republic | Chris Duarte | Sacramento Kings | |
| Finland | Lauri Markkanen** | Utah Jazz | |
| France | Théo Maledon* | Charlotte Hornets | |
| France | Frank Ntilikina** | Charlotte Hornets | Ties to Belgium and Rwanda |
| France | Malcolm Cazalon* | Detroit Pistons | |
| France | Killian Hayes** | Detroit Pistons | |
| France | Moussa Diabate*** | LA Clippers | Ties to Guinea and Mali |
| France | Nicolas Batum** | LA Clippers | Ties to Cameroon |
| France | Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| France | Evan Fournier | New York Knicks | Ties to Algeria |
| France | Ousmane Dieng | Oklahoma City Thunder | Ties to Senegal |
| France | Olivier Sarr* | Oklahoma City Thunder | Ties to Senegal |
| France | Rayan Rupert | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| France | Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs | Ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| France | Sidy Cissoko | San Antonio Spurs | Ties to Senegal |
| France | Bilal Coulibaly | Washington Wizards | Ties to Mali |
| Georgia | Goga Bitadze** | Orlando Magic | |
| Georgia | Sandro Mamukelashvili** | San Antonio Spurs | |
| Germany | Maxi Kleber | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Germany | Daniel Theis | Indiana Pacers | |
| Germany | Isaiah Hartenstein** | New York Knicks | |
| Germany | Dennis Schröder | Toronto Raptors | Ties to The Gambia |
| Germany | Franz Wagner | Orlando Magic | |
| Germany | Moritz Wagner | Orlando Magic | |
| Greece | Thanasis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | Ties to Nigeria |
| Greece | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | Ties to Nigeria |
| Israel | Deni Avdija** | Washington Wizards | |
| Italy | Simone Fontecchio** | Utah Jazz | |
| Italy | Danilo Gallinari** | Washington Wizards | |
| Jamaica | Nick Richards | Charlotte Hornets | |
| Japan | Rui Hachimura** | Los Angeles Lakers | Ties to Benin |
| Japan | Yuta Watanabe | Phoenix Suns | |
| Latvia | Kristaps Porziņģis | Boston Celtics | |
| Latvia | Dāvis Bertāns | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Lithuania | Jonas Valančiūnas** | New Orleans Pelicans | |
| Lithuania | Azuolas Tubelis*** | Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Lithuania | Domantas Sabonis | Sacramento Kings | |
| Mali | Adama Sanogo*** | Chicago Bulls | |
| Montenegro | Nikola Vučević | Chicago Bulls | |
| New Zealand | Steven Adams | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Nigeria | Josh Okogie | Phoenix Suns | |
| Nigeria | Udoka Azubuike* | Phoenix Suns | |
| Nigeria | Charles Bassey** | San Antonio Spurs | |
| Nigeria | Precious Achiuwa | Toronto Raptors | |
| Nigeria | Chimezie Metu | Phoenix Suns | |
| Portugal | Neemias Queta* | Boston Celtics | |
| Senegal | Mouhamed Gueye | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Serbia | Bogdan Bogdanović | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Serbia | Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets | |
| Serbia | Boban Marjanović | Houston Rockets | |
| Serbia | Nikola Jović | Miami Heat | |
| Serbia | Aleksej Pokuševski** | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Serbia | Vasilije Micić | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Serbia | Filip Petrušev** | Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Slovenia | Vlatko Čančar | Denver Nuggets | |
| Slovenia | Luka Dončić | Dallas Mavericks | |
| South Sudan | Duop Reath* | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Spain | Ricky Rubio | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Spain | Usman Garuba* | Golden State Warriors | Ties to Nigeria |
| Spain | Santi Aldama** | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| St. Lucia | Chris Boucher | Toronto Raptors | Ties to Canada |
| Sudan | Bol Bol | Phoenix Suns | |
| Switzerland | Clint Capela | Atlanta Hawks | Ties to Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Turkey | Onuralp Bitim*** | Chicago Bulls | |
| Turkey | Alperen Şengün | Houston Rockets | |
| Turkey | Furkan Korkmaz | Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Turkey | Cedi Osman | San Antonio Spurs | |
| Turkey | Ömer Yurtseven** | Utah Jazz | |
| Ukraine | Svi Mykhailiuk | Boston Celtics | |
| Ukraine | Alex Len | Sacramento Kings | |
| United Kingdom | Jeremy Sochan | San Antonio Spurs | Ties to Poland |
| United Kingdom | OG Anunoby | Toronto Raptors | Ties to Nigeria |
* – Two-Way Player
** – Former Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Camper
*** – Both Two-Way Player and Former BWB Camper
^ – NBA Academy Graduate
The NBA today announced that a record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories across six continents are on opening-night rosters for the 2023-24 season, including a record number of players from Canada (26) and France (14).
More ➡️ https://t.co/7FcbpbnJxB pic.twitter.com/kJ4PcCOBKy
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) October 24, 2023
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