The NBA celebrates its 75th anniversary this season, hoping to have an exciting campaign once again. This year, the league arguably has the most talent among the teams, including veterans trying to win titles, young stars entering their prime, and rookie players starting their careers in the association.
There are several players hungry to prove their worth in the league and for another year, a lot of them are foreigners. 109 international players will compete in the NBA this season, marking the eighth consecutive season 100+ players are featured on opening-night rosters.
A press release revealed that players from 39 countries are competing this season, with some of them dominating the game for the past couple of years.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that
109 international players from 39 countries are on opening-night rosters
for its landmark 75th Anniversary Season, including a record number of
players from Canada (18), Germany (seven) and the Bahamas (three), and a
record-tying number of players from Nigeria (five). The Toronto Raptors lead the league with a record-tying 10 international players from a
record nine countries on opening-night rosters.
The 2021-22 season tipping off tonight marks the eighth consecutive
season that opening-night rosters feature at least 100 international players. The number of international players in the NBA has grown from
five in the league’s first season in 1946-47 to a record 113 at the start of the 2016-17 season. For the eighth consecutive year, Canada is the most-represented country
outside of the U.S., followed by Australia, France and Germany (seven
players each). Nigeria, Serbia, Spain and Turkey each have five
players.
Every year, the league tries to expand its reach to become an even more global show that can help people everywhere. Several countries have a big representation in the competition this season, demonstrating how big the NBA has grown since its inception.
For the eighth consecutive year, Canada is the most-represented country outside of the U.S., followed by Australia, France and Germany (seven players each). Nigeria, Serbia, Spain and Turkey each have five players.
The Raptors lead the league with 10 international players, followed by the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder with seven international players each. The Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets and New Orleans Pelicans each have five.
A record 35 players on opening-night rosters participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB) prior to their NBA careers, including Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011), Deandre Ayton (Phoenix Suns; Bahamas; BWB Global 2016), Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards; Japan; BWB Global 2016) 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 90 former campers drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents since 2001.
As stated before, some of these players have dominated the competition in recent years and last season’s awards are big proof of that. The game is evolving and every season, assets from different backgrounds demonstrate this game is global and you can leave a mark in the NBA regardless of where you come from.
A record-tying six international players were named to the 2020-21 All-NBA Team: 2021 Bill Russell NBA Finals MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria; All-NBA First Team); Luka Doncic (Mavericks; Slovenia; All-NBA First Team); 2020-21 Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokic (Nuggets; Serbia; All-NBA First Team); Embiid (All-NBA Second Team); Rudy Gobert (Jazz; France; All-NBA Third Team); and Kyrie Irving (Nets; Australia; All-NBA Third Team).
As part of the NBA.com 2021-22 GM Survey, Doncic and Antetokounmpo were voted the No. 1 and No. 2 players with whom general managers would most want to start a franchise (43% and 40%, respectively), and the No. 2 and No. 3 players most likely to win the 2021-22 Kia NBA MVP Award (33% and 13% of votes, respectively).
Josh Giddey (Thunder; Australia) is poised to become the first NBA Academy graduate to play in the NBA when Oklahoma City visits Utah tomorrow, Oct. 20 at 9 p.m. ET on NBA League Pass. Giddey became the first NBA Academy graduate to be drafted into the NBA when he was selected sixth overall by the Thunder in the 2021 NBA Draft.
There are 13 international players on opening-night rosters who have been NBA All-Stars: Antetokounmpo, Dončić, Goran Dragic (Raptors; Slovenia), Embiid, Al Horford (Boston Celtics; Dominican Republic), Gobert, Irving, Jokić, Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks; Latvia), Domantas Sabonis (Indiana Pacers; Lithuania), Siakam, Ben Simmons (76ers; Australia) and Nikola Vučević (Chicago Bulls; Montenegro).
Neemias Queta (two-way player for the Sacramento Kings) is poised to become the first player from Portugal to play in the NBA.
A record 10 former BWB campers were selected in the 2021 NBA Draft, surpassing the previous record of eight set in 2019.
Besides the 109 players that clocked in on the opening night, there are more ballers on two-way contracts, setting another record for the league. Teams are noticing that talent is everywhere and don’t want to lose track of players who could help them at some point.
In addition to the 109 international players on 2021-22 opening-night rosters, there are a record 12 international players from seven countries on “two-way” contracts, including six players who participated in BWB. There are also a number of American players with ties to other countries, including more than 30 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), Jordan Clarkson (Utah Jazz; ties to the Philippines), Matisse Thybulle (76ers; ties to Australia and Haiti), Juan Toscano-Anderson (Golden State Warriors; Mexico), Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves; ties to the Dominican Republic) and Kemba Walker (New York Knicks; Antigua).
Check the full list of international players on 2021-22 opening-night rosters (active and inactive):
Angola
Bruno Fernando
Boston Celtics
Argentina
Facundo Campazzo*
Denver Nuggets
Argentina
Gabriel Deck*
Oklahoma City Thunder
Argentina
Leandro Bolmaro*
Minnesota Timberwolves
Australia
Ben Simmons
Philadelphia 76ers
Australia
Jock Landale
San Antonio Spurs
Australia
Joe Ingles
Utah Jazz
Australia
Josh Giddey*
Oklahoma City Thunder
Australia
Josh Green*
Dallas Mavericks
Australia
Kyrie Irving (played for Team USA)
Brooklyn Nets
Australia
Patty Mills
Brooklyn Nets
Austria
Jakob Poeltl
San Antonio Spurs
Bahamas
Buddy Hield
Sacramento Kings
Bahamas
Kai Jones*
Charlotte Hornets
Bahamas
Deandre Ayton* (ties to Nigeria)
Phoenix Suns
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Jusuf Nurkic
Portland Trail Blazers
Brazil
Didi Louzada
New Orleans Pelicans
Brazil
Raul Neto
Washington Wizards
Cameroon
Joel Embiid*
Philadelphia 76ers
Cameroon
Pascal Siakam*
Toronto Raptors
Canada
Andrew Wiggins
Golden State Warriors
Canada
Brandon Clarke
Memphis Grizzlies
Canada
Cory Joseph (Ties to Trinidad and Tobago)
Detroit Pistons
Canada
Dalano Banton
Toronto Raptors
Canada
Dillon Brooks
Memphis Grizzlies
Canada
Dwight Powell
Dallas Mavericks
Canada
Jamal Murray*
Denver Nuggets
Canada
Josh Primo*
San Antonio Spurs
Canada
Kelly Olynyk*
Detroit Pistons
Canada
Kevin Pangos
Cleveland Cavaliers
Canada
Khem Birch
Toronto Raptors
Canada
Luguentz Dort*
Oklahoma City Thunder
Canada
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
New Orleans Pelicans
Canada
Oshae Brissett
Indiana Pacers
Canada
RJ Barrett*
New York Knicks
Canada
Trey Lyles
Detroit Pistons
Canada
Tristan Thompson (Ties to Jamaica)
Sacramento Kings
Canada
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander*
Oklahoma City Thunder
Croatia
Bojan Bogdanovic
Utah Jazz
Croatia
Dario Saric*
Phoenix Suns
Croatia
Ivica Zubac
Los Angeles Clippers
Czech Republic
Tomas Satoransky*
New Orleans Pelicans
Czech Republic
Vít Krejci*
Oklahoma City Thunder
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Jonathan Kuminga
Golden State Warriors
Dominican Republic
Al Horford
Boston Celtics
Dominican Republic
Chris Duarte
Indiana Pacers
Egypt
Abdel Nader
Phoenix Suns
Finland
Lauri Markkanen*
Cleveland Cavaliers
France
Evan Fournier (Ties to Algeria)
New York Knicks
France
Frank Ntilikina* (Ties to Belgium and Rwanda)
Dallas Mavericks
France
Killian Hayes*
Detroit Pistons
France
Nicolas Batum* (Ties to Cameroon)
Los Angeles Clippers
France
Rudy Gobert
Utah Jazz
France
Theo Maledon
Oklahoma City Thunder
France
Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot (Ties to Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Atlanta Hawks
Georgia
Goga Bitadze*
Indiana Pacers
Germany
Daniel Theis
Houston Rockets
Germany
Dennis Schröder (Ties to The Gambia)
Boston Celtics
Germany
Isaac Bonga*
Toronto Raptors
Germany
Isaiah Hartenstein*
Los Angeles Clippers
Germany
Maxi Kleber
Dallas Mavericks
Germany
Franz Wagner
Orlando Magic
Germany
Moritz Wagner
Orlando Magic
Greece
Georgios Kalaitzakis
Milwaukee Bucks
Greece
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Ties to Nigeria)
Milwaukee Bucks
Greece
Thanasis Antetokounmpo (Ties to Nigeria)
Milwaukee Bucks
Israel
Deni Avdija*
Washington Wizards
Italy
Danilo Gallinari*
Atlanta Hawks
Jamaica
Nick Richards
Charlotte Hornets
Japan
Rui Hachimura* (Ties to Benin)
Washington Wizards
Japan
Yuta Watanabe
Toronto Raptors
Latvia
Davis Bertans
Washington Wizards
Latvia
Kristaps Porzingis
Dallas Mavericks
Lithuania
Domantas Sabonis
Indiana Pacers
Lithuania
Jonas Valanciunas*
New Orleans Pelicans
Montenegro
Marko Simonovic
Chicago Bulls
Montenegro
Nikola Vucevic
Chicago Bulls
New Zealand
Steven Adams
Memphis Grizzlies
Nigeria
Charles Bassey*
Philadelphia 76ers
Nigeria
Josh Okogie
Minnesota Timberwolves
Nigeria
Precious Achiuwa
Toronto Raptors
Nigeria
Udoka Azubuike
Utah Jazz
Nigeria
Chimezie Metu
Sacramento Kings
Republic of the Congo
Serge Ibaka (Ties to Spain)
Lo Angeles Clippers
Senegal
Gorgui Dieng*
Atlanta Hawks
Serbia
Aleksej Pokusevski*
Oklahoma City Thunder
Serbia
Boban Marjanovic
Dallas Mavericks
Serbia
Bogdan Bogdanović
Atlanta Hawks
Serbia
Nemanja Bjelica
Golden State Warriors
Serbia
Nikola Jokic
Denver Nuggets
Slovenia
Goran Dragic
Toronto Raptors
Slovenia
Vlatko Cancar
Denver Nuggets
Slovenia
Luka Doncic
Dallas Mavericks
Spain
Juancho Hernangómez
Boston Celtics
Spain
Ricky Rubio
Cleveland Cavaliers
Spain
Santi Aldama*
Memphis Grizzlies
Spain
Usman Garuba (Ties to Nigeria)
Houston Rockets
Spain
Willy Hernangómez*
New Orleans Pelicans
St. Lucia
Chris Boucher (Ties to Canada)
Toronto Raptors
Sudan
Bol Bol
Denver Nuggets
Switzerland
Clint Capela (Ties to Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo)
Atlanta Hawks
Turkey
Alperen Sengun
Houston Rockets
Turkey
Cedi Osman
Cleveland Cavaliers
Turkey
Enes Kanter*
Boston Celtics
Turkey
Furkan Korkmaz
Philadelphia 76ers
Turkey
Omer Yurtseven
Miami Heat
Ukraine
Alex Len
Sacramento Kings
Ukraine
Svi Mykhailiuk
Toronto Raptors
United Kingdom
OG Anunoby (Ties to Nigeria)
Toronto Raptors
Full list of international two-way players:
Canada
Eugene Omoruyi (Ties to Nigeria)
Dallas Mavericks
Canada
Ignas Brazdeikis* (Ties to Lithuania)
Orlando Magic
Croatia
Luka Samanic*
New York Knicks
France
Petr Cornelie
Denver Nuggets
France
Sekou Doumbouya* (Ties to Guinea)
Los Angeles Lakers
France
Killian Tillie
Memphis Grizzlies
France
Yves Pons (Ties to Haiti)
Memphis Grizzlies
France
Joel Ayayi* (Ties to Benin)
Washington Wizards
Georgia
Sandro Mamukelashvili*
Milwaukee Bucks
Lithuania
Arnoldas Kulboka*
Charlotte Hornets
Portugal
Neemias Queta (Ties to Guinea-Bissau)
Sacramento Kings
Senegal
Tacko Fall
Cleveland Cavaliers
*Participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB), the NBA and
FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program.
