NBA rosters feature record-tying 125 international players from record-tying 43 countries across six continents

NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that a record-tying 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries across six continents are on opening-night rosters for the 2024-25 season, including a record number of players from Australia (13), Germany (8) and Cameroon (5), and a record-tying 14 players from France and 17 from the continent of Africa.  Opening-night rosters feature at least 120 international players for the fourth consecutive season and at least 100 international players for the 11th straight season.  All 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player.

The records for international players and countries and territories represented were set at the start of the 2023-24 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.

For the 11th consecutive season, Canada is the most-represented country outside of the U.S. with 21 players, followed by France, Australia, Germany and Serbia (6).  There are 61 European players on opening-night rosters, including four members of the 2023-24 Kia All-NBA Team: 2021 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria), five-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team member Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia), 2023 NBA champion and three-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia), and three-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings; Lithuania).  The record-tying 17 players from Africa, including a record five players from Cameroon, are headlined by 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP and seven-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers).

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Portland Trail Blazers feature a league-high seven international players each, followed by the Atlanta Hawks, Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors with six each.

Below are additional international player milestones and storylines for the upcoming season:

• Three international players have won the last six Kia NBA MVP Awards: Embiid (2022-23), Jokić (2023-24, 2021-22 and 2020-21) and Antetokounmpo (2019-20 and 2018-19).  Last season also marked the third consecutive season that three international players finished top three in MVP voting: Jokić, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder; Canada) and Dončić.  Antetokounmpo and the Bucks visit Embiid and the 76ers on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN in the season opener for both teams.  Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder visit Jokić and the Nuggets on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 10 p.m. ET on TNT 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, Gilgeous-Alexander, Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves; France), Al Horford (Boston Celtics; Dominican Republic), Kyrie Irving (Mavericks; Australia), Jokić, Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz; Finland), Kristaps Porziņģis (Celtics; Latvia), Sabonis, Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers; 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 2024-25 NBA GM Survey, Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 1), Dončić (No. 2), and Embiid and Jokić (T- No. 3 with the Celtics’ Jayson Tatum) were voted as the players most likely to win the 2024-25 Kia NBA MVP Award (40%, 30% and 7% of votes, respectively).

• Four international players were voted as the players GMs would most want to sign if they were starting a franchise today: 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs; France; ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo; 77% of votes), Gilgeous-Alexander (10% of votes), Jokić (10% of votes) and Dončić (3% of votes).  Wembanyama and the Spurs visit Dončić and the Mavericks on Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT in the season opener for both teams.

• 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 (Rockets; ties to the Philippines), Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks; ties to the Dominican Republic) and Jaylin Williams (Thunder; ties to Vietnam).

The 79th NBA regular season tips off tonight with a doubleheader on TNT and will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in 60 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, Horford and the defending NBA champion Celtics will receive their championship rings before hosting OG Anunoby (United Kingdom; ties to Nigeria), Towns and the Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET).  In the second game, Gobert and the Timberwolves visit Rui Hachimura (Japan) and the Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET).

Below is the full list of international players on 2024-25 opening-night rosters (active and inactive):

Country Name Team Ties
Angola Bruno Fernando Toronto Raptors
Australia Dyson Daniels Atlanta Hawks
Australia Ben Simmons Brooklyn Nets
Australia Josh Green Charlotte Hornets
Australia Josh Giddey Chicago Bulls
Australia Luke Travers* Cleveland Cavaliers
Australia Danté Exum Dallas Mavericks
Australia Kyrie Irving Dallas Mavericks
Australia Jack McVeigh* Houston Rockets
Australia Jock Landale Houston Rockets
Australia Johnny Furphy Indiana Pacers Ties to Papua New Guinea
Australia Joe Ingles Minnesota Timberwolves
Australia Alex Ducas* Oklahoma City Thunder
Australia Patty Mills Utah Jazz
Austria Jakob Poeltl Toronto Raptors
Bahamas Buddy Hield Golden State Warriors
Bahamas Kai Jones* LA Clippers
Bahamas Deandre Ayton Portland Trail Blazers Ties to Nigeria
Belgium Ajay Mitchell* Oklahoma City Thunder
Belgium Toumani Camara Portland Trail Blazers Ties to Mali
Bosnia and Herzegovina Karlo Matković New Orleans Pelicans Ties to Croatia
Bosnia and Herzegovina Jusuf Nurkić Phoenix Suns
Brazil Gui Santos Golden State Warriors
Cameroon Pascal Siakam Indiana Pacers
Cameroon Christian Koloko* Los Angeles Lakers
Cameroon Yves Missi New Orleans Pelicans
Cameroon Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers
Cameroon Ulrich Chomche* Toronto Raptors
Canada Tristan Thompson Cleveland Cavaliers
Canada Dwight Powell Dallas Mavericks
Canada Olivier-Maxence Prosper Dallas Mavericks Ties to Haiti
Canada Jamal Murray Denver Nuggets
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 Brandon Clarke Memphis Grizzlies
Canada Zach Edey Memphis Grizzlies
Canada Leonard Miller Minnesota Timberwolves
Canada Nickeil Alexander-Walker Minnesota Timberwolves
Canada Luguentz Dort Oklahoma City Thunder
Canada Caleb Houstan Orlando Magic
Canada Cory Joseph Orlando Magic Ties to Trinidad and Tobago
Canada Dalano Banton Portland Trail Blazers
Canada Shaedon Sharpe Portland Trail Blazers
Canada Trey Lyles Sacramento Kings
Canada Kelly Olynyk Toronto Raptors
Canada RJ Barrett Toronto Raptors
Canada Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Oklahoma City Thunder
China Cui Yongxi* Brooklyn Nets
Croatia Bojan Bogdanović Brooklyn Nets
Croatia Dario Šarić Denver Nuggets
Croatia Ivica Zubac LA Clippers
Czech Republic Vít Krejčí Atlanta Hawks
Democratic Republic of the Congo Jonathan Kuminga Golden State Warriors
Democratic Republic of the Congo Oscar Tshiebwe* Utah Jazz
Dominican Republic Al Horford Boston Celtics
Dominican Republic Chris Duarte Chicago Bulls
Finland Lauri Markkanen Utah Jazz
France Zaccharie Risacher Atlanta Hawks
France Moussa Diabaté* Charlotte Hornets Ties to Guinea and Mali
France Tidjane Salaün Charlotte Hornets
France Nicolas Batum LA Clippers Ties to Cameroon
France Armel Traoré* Los Angeles Lakers Ties to Mali
France Rudy Gobert Minnesota Timberwolves
France Pacôme Dadiet New York Knicks Ties to Côte d’Ivoire
France Ousmane Dieng Oklahoma City Thunder Ties to Senegal
France Guerschon Yabusele Philadelphia 76ers Ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
France Rayan Rupert Portland Trail Blazers Ties to Morocco
France Sidy Cissoko San Antonio Spurs Ties to Senegal
France Victor Wembanyama San Antonio Spurs Ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
France Alex Sarr Washington Wizards Ties to Senegal
France Bilal Coulibaly Washington Wizards Ties to Mali
Georgia Goga Bitadze Orlando Magic
Georgia Sandro Mamukelashvili San Antonio Spurs
Germany Dennis Schröder Brooklyn Nets Ties to The Gambia
Germany Maxi Kleber Dallas Mavericks
Germany Daniel Theis New Orleans Pelicans
Germany Ariel Hukporti* New York Knicks Ties to Togo
Germany Isaiah Hartenstein Oklahoma City Thunder
Germany Tristan da Silva Orlando Magic
Germany Franz Wagner Orlando Magic
Germany Moritz Wagner Orlando Magic
Greece Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks Ties to Nigeria
Israel Deni Avdija Portland Trail Blazers
Italy Simone Fontecchio Detroit Pistons
Jamaica Nick Richards Charlotte Hornets
Japan Rui Hachimura Los Angeles Lakers Ties to Benin
Japan Yuki Kawamura* Memphis Grizzlies
Latvia Kristaps Porziņģis Boston Celtics
Lithuania Domantas Sabonis Sacramento Kings
Lithuania Jonas Valančiūnas Washington Wizards
Mali Adama Sanogo* Chicago Bulls
Mali N’Faly Dante* Houston Rockets
Montenegro Nikola Vučević Chicago Bulls
Netherlands Quinten Post* Golden State Warriors
Netherlands Jesse Edwards* Minnesota Timberwolves
New Zealand Steven Adams Houston Rockets
Nigeria Precious Achiuwa New York Knicks
Nigeria Adem Bona Philadelphia 76ers Ties to Turkey
Nigeria Josh Okogie Phoenix Suns
Nigeria Charles Bassey San Antonio Spurs
Portugal Neemias Queta Boston Celtics Ties to Guinea-Bissau
Senegal Mouhamed Gueye Atlanta Hawks
Serbia Bogdan Bogdanović Atlanta Hawks
Serbia Vasilije Micić Charlotte Hornets
Serbia Nikola Jokić Denver Nuggets
Serbia Nikola Jović Miami Heat
Serbia Nikola Topić Oklahoma City Thunder
Serbia Tristan Vukčević Washington Wizards Ties to Sweden
Slovenia Vlatko Čančar Denver Nuggets
Slovenia Luka Dončić Dallas Mavericks
South Sudan Duop Reath Portland Trail Blazers Ties to Australia
Spain Santi Aldama Memphis Grizzlies
St. Lucia Chris Boucher Toronto Raptors Ties to Canada
Sudan Bol Bol Phoenix Suns
Sweden Bobi Klintman Detroit Pistons
Sweden Pelle Larsson Miami Heat
Switzerland Clint Capela Atlanta Hawks Ties to Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Switzerland Kyshawn George Washington Wizards Ties to Canada and France
Turkey Alperen Sengun Houston Rockets
Ukraine Alex Len Sacramento Kings
Ukraine Svi Mykhailiuk Utah Jazz
United Kingdom OG Anunoby New York Knicks Ties to Nigeria
United Kingdom Jeremy Sochan San Antonio Spurs Ties to Poland

 

* – Two-Way Player