NEW YORK – The start of the 2009-10 NBA season will mark 83 international players from 36 countries and territories on official rosters (active and inactive), matching the record of international players on opening night rosters (2006-07).  Twenty-seven of the 30 teams have at least one international player.

The Milwaukee Bucks roster features the most international players with seven. The Charlotte Bobcats, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors each feature five international players.  Omri Casspi (Israel) of the Sacramento Kings, Jonas Jerebko (Sweden) of the Detroit Pistons, and Hasheem Thabeet (Tanzania) of the Memphis Grizzlies are representing their countries for the first time on an NBA roster. France has the strongest representation with a record ten players.

At the end of the 2008-09 regular season, the NBA featured 77 international players from 33 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and inactive). In comparison, the NBA had 36 international players from 24 countries and territories in 1999-2000.

The following is a complete list of international players on 2009-10 NBA opening night rosters (both active and inactive):

 

NATIONALITY             BIRTHPLACE         FIRST NAME           LAST NAME   NBA TEAM

Argentina                                                              Carlos                          Delfino               Milwaukee Bucks

Emanuel “Manu”         Ginobili              San Antonio Spurs

Andres                        Nocioni              Sacramento Kings

Fabricio                       Oberto                Washington Wizards

Luis                              Scola                  Houston Rockets

 

Australia                                                                David                          Andersen            Houston Rockets

Andrew                       Bogut                 Milwaukee Bucks

Nathan                        Jawai                  Minnesota Timberwolves

Patrick                         Mills                   Portland Trail Blazers

 

Brazil                                                                     Anderson                    Varejao               Cleveland Cavaliers

Leandro                       Barbosa              Phoenix Suns

Nene                                                                   Denver Nuggets

 

Cameroon                                                              Luc                              Mbah A Moute  Milwaukee Bucks

 

Canada                            Joel                              Anthony             Miami Heat

Haiti                               Samuel                        Dalembert          Philadelphia 76ers

Jamaal                         Magloire             Miami Heat

South Africa               Steve                            Nash                   Phoenix Suns

 

China                                                                     Yao Ming                                               Houston Rockets

Yi Jianlian                                              New Jersey Nets

 

Congo                                                                   Serge                            Ibaka                  Oklahoma City Thunder

 

 

Croatia                                                                  Roko                            Ukic                               Milwaukee Bucks

 

Democratic Republic of                                        Didier “DJ”                 Ilunga-Mbenga   Los Angeles Lakers

the Congo

 

Dominican Republic                                             Francisco                     Garcia                 Sacramento Kings

Al                                 Horford              Atlanta Hawks

 

France                                                                   Alexis                          Ajinca                 Charlotte Bobcats

Nicolas                        Batum                Portland TrailBlazers

Guadeloupe                 Rodrigue                     Beaubois            Dallas Mavericks

Boris                            Diaw                  Charlotte Bobcats

Yakhouba                    Diawara              Miami Heat

Ian                               Mahinmi             San Antonio Spurs

Belgium                       Tony                            Parker³                San Antonio Spurs

Johan                                   Petro           Denver Nuggets

Guadeloupe                 Mickael                       Pietrus                Orlando Magic

                                          Martinique                   Ronny                         Turiaf                 Golden State Warriors

 

Georgia                                                                 Zaza                             Pachulia              Atlanta Hawks

 

Germany                                                               Dirk                             Nowitzki            Dallas Mavericks

 

Great Britain                                                         Kelenna                       Azubuike            Golden State Warriors

Sudan                                   Luol                           Deng          Chicago Bulls

Pops                             Mensah-Bonsu   Houston Rockets

 

Iran                                                                        Hamed                        Haddadi             Memphis Grizzlies

 

Israel                                                                     Omri                            Casspi                 Sacramento Kings

 

Italy                                                                       Andrea                        Bargnani             Toronto Raptors

Marco                          Belinelli              Toronto Raptors

Danilo                         Gallinari             New York Knicks

 

Latvia                                                                    Andris                         Biedrins              Golden State Warriors

 

Lithuania                                                               Zydrunas                     Ilgauskas            Cleveland Cavaliers

Darius                          Songaila             New Orleans Hornets

 

Mexico                                                                  Eduardo                      Najera                 New Jersey Nets

 

Netherlands                                                           Francisco                     Elson                  Milwaukee Bucks

Dan                              Gadzuric            Milwaukee Bucks

 

New Zealand                                                        Sean  Marks                 New Orleans Hornets

 

Poland                                                                   Marcin                         Gortat                 Orlando Magic

 

Puerto Rico                                                           Carlos                          Arroyo                Miami Heat

Jose Juan                     Barea                  Dallas Mavericks

 

Russia                                                                    Andrei                         Kirilenko            Utah Jazz

 

Senegal                                                                  DeSagana                    Diop                   Charlotte Bobcats

 

Serbia                                                                    Marko                          Jaric                    Memphis Grizzlies

Nenad                         Krstic                 Oklahoma City Thunder

Darko                          Milicic                New York Knicks

Montenegro                 Aleksandar                  Pavlovic             Minnesota Timberwolves

Bosnia-Herzegovina     Vladimir                      Radmanovic       Charlotte Bobcats

Croatia                        Predrag “Peja”            Stojakovic          New Orleans Hornets

 

Slovenia                                                                Primoz                         Brezec                Philadelphia 76ers

Goran                          Dragic                Phoenix Suns

Radoslav “Rasho”       Nesterovic          Toronto Raptors

Beno                                                       Udrih   Sacramento Kings

Sasha                                   Vujacic       Los Angeles Lakers

 

Spain                                                                     Jose Manuel                Calderon            Toronto Raptors

Rudy                            Fernandez          Portland Trail Blazers

Marc                            Gasol                  Memphis Grizzlies

Pau                               Gasol                  Los Angeles Lakers

Sergio                          Rodriguez          Sacramento Kings

 

St. Vincent and Grenadines                                  Adonal                        Foyle                  Orlando Magic

 

Sweden                                  Jonas                           Jerebko               Detroit Pistons

 

Switzerland                          Thabo                          Sefolosha           Oklahoma City Thunder

 

Tanzania                               Hasheem                     Thabeet              Memphis Grizzlies

Turkey                                   Ersan                            Ilyasova              Milwaukee Bucks

Mehmet                       Okur                   Utah Jazz

Hidayet “Hedo”          Turkoglu             Toronto Raptors

 

Ukraine                                  Kyrylo                         Fesenko              Utah Jazz

Oleksiy                        Pecherov            Minnesota Timberwolves

 

U.S Virgin Islands               Tim                              Duncan               San Antonio Spurs

Raja                            Bell                     Charlotte Bobcats