The league’s 30 opening night rosters boast 125 internationally-born players, which ties an NBA record, per a league press release. Those 125 players hail from 43 different nations, which also ties a league record. Canada leads the way with 21 NBA players, for the 11th straight year. France, Australia, Germany and Serbia round out the top-five most-represented international countries in the NBA, with 14, 13, eight and six players, respectively.
The Thunder and Pelicans have seven players from abroad apiece, the most such tally this year.
The last three league MVPs are all international stars: three-time MVP Nuggets center Nikola Jokic, 2023 MVP Sixers center Joel Embiid, and two-time MVP Bucks power forward Giannis Antetokounmpo. Last year’s runner-up to Jokic for MVP honors was Canadian Thunder point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Slovenian-born Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is a five-time All-NBA First Teamer, while three-time All-Star center Domantas Sabonis is Lithuanian.
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- The league boasts teams in a variety of salary situations. With the NBA’s 2024/25 season tipping off this week, Keith Smith of Spotrac takes a look at where all 30 NBA clubs stand relative to this year’s salary cap and luxury tax aprons.
- Former NBA center/power forward Filip Petrusev is returning to Serbian club KK Crvena Zvezda this year, on a loan out from current club Olympiacos BC, Crvena has announced (Twitter link). His agent Misko Raznatovic thanked Olympiacos and its owners for their flexibility with Petrusev in a statement (via Twitter). The 6’11” big man was selected with the No. 50 pick in 2021. He didn’t play in the NBA until 2023/24, which he split between Philadelphia and the Kings.
- Not every talented young player on a rookie-scale agreed to a contract extension with his incumbent team by the October 21 deadline. Accordingly, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report previews the 2025 restricted free agent class in a fresh piece. Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga tops Pincus’ list of the best players hitting the market.