The NBA’s 30 opening night rosters boast 125 internationally-born players, which ties a league record, per an NBA press release. Those 125 players hail from 43 different nations, which also ties a league record. Canada leads the way among those 43 nations for the 11th straight year, with 21 NBA players. 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 international players apiece, the most such tally this year.
The three most recent league Most Valuable Players are all international stars: three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, 2023 winner Joel Embiid, and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo. Last year’s runner-up to Jokic for MVP honors was Canadian point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Slovenian-born 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:
- 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, ranging from the Suns ($31.5MM over the second apron) to the Pistons ($10.2MM under the cap).
- While it didn’t happen when originally reported in September, NBA center/forward Filip Petrusev is now returning to Serbian club KK Crvena Zvezda, on a loan out from current club Olympiacos BC, Crvena Zvezda has announced (Twitter link). In a statement, agent Misko Raznatovic thanked Olympiacos and its owners for their flexibility with Petrusev, who sought a more significant role (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 before being waived and returning to Europe.
- Not every talented young player entering the final year of a rookie scale contract agreed to an extension with his team by the October 21 deadline. Accordingly, Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report previews the 2025 restricted free agent class, with Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga topping Pincus’ list of the best RFAs hitting the market next summer.