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NBA rosters feature 107 international players from 41 countries

NBA rosters feature 107 international players from 41 countries

The NBA announced that 107 international players from 41 countries are on opening-night rosters for the 2020-21 NBA season, including a record 17 Canadian players and a record-tying 14 African players.

This marks the seventh consecutive season that opening-night rosters feature at least 100 international players. All 30 teams have at least one international player.

In addition to the 107 international players on opening-night rosters, there are 10 international players from a record-tying eight countries on two-way contracts, allowing them to play in up to 50 NBA games this season.

For the seventh consecutive year, Canada (17 players) is the most-represented country outside of the U.S., followed by France (nine players), Australia (eight players), Serbia and Germany (six players each).

The Washington Wizards have an NBA-high seven international players. The Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets each have six, while the New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder and Toronto Raptors each have five. 

A record 34 players on opening-night rosters participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB) prior to starting their NBA careers, surpassing the previous record of 30 set in 2019-20. Former BWB campers include Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011), Jamal Murray (Nuggets; Canada; BWB Global 2015) 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 76 former campers drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents since 2001.

There are also a number of American players with ties to other countries, including more than 30 players with at least one parent from Africa. Among the American players with ties to other countries are Jordan Clarkson (Utah Jazz; ties to the Philippines), Victor Oladipo (Indiana Pacers; ties to Nigeria), Matisse Thybulle (76ers; ties to Australia and Haiti) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves; ties to the Dominican Republic).

The records for international players (113) and countries and territories represented (42) were set at the start of the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.

Here are some international player milestones and storylines for the upcoming season:

  • A record six international players were named to the 2019-20 All-NBA Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria; All-NBA First Team); Luka Dončić (Mavericks; Slovenia; All-NBA First Team); Nikola Jokić (Nuggets; Serbia; All-NBA Second Team); Siakam (All-NBA Second Team); Rudy Gobert (Jazz; France; All-NBA Third Team); and Ben Simmons (76ers; Australia; All-NBA Third Team).
  • There are 14 international players on opening-night rosters who have been NBA All-Stars: Antetokounmpo, Dončić, Goran Dragić (Miami Heat; Slovenia), Embiid, Marc Gasol (Lakers; Spain), Gobert, Al Horford (Oklahoma City Thunder; Dominican Republic), Kyrie Irving (Nets; Australia), Jokić, Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks; Latvia), Domantas Sabonis (Pacers; Lithuania), Siakam, Simmons and Nikola Vučević (Orlando Magic; Montenegro).
  • As part of the NBA.com 2020-2021 GM Survey, Antetokounmpo and Dončić were voted the No. 1 and No. 2 players most likely to win 2020-21 NBA Most Valuable Player (32% and 21% of votes, respectively), and tied for the No. 1 player with whom general managers would most want to start a franchise (43% of votes each). For the second straight season, Jokić was voted the best center in the NBA (50% of votes).
  • Deni Avdija, who became the highest-drafted Israeli player ever when he was selected ninth overall by the Washington Wizards in the 2020 NBA Draft.
  • Killian Hayes became the highest-drafted French player ever when he was selected seventh overall by the Detroit Pistons.
  • Nine players from or with at least one parent from Nigeria were selected in NBA Draft 2020, including Precious Achiuwa (Heat; Nigeria) and Udoka Azubuike (Jazz; Nigeria).

Here's the full list of international players on 2020-21 opening-night rosters (active and inactive):


Country

 

Name

 

Team

 

Angola

 

Bruno Fernando

 

Atlanta Hawks

 

Argentina

 

Facundo Campazzo*

 

Denver Nuggets

 

Australia

 

Aron Baynes

 

Toronto Raptors

 

Australia

 

Matthew Dellavedova

 

Cleveland Cavaliers

 

Australia

 

Danté Exum

 

Cleveland Cavaliers

 

Australia

 

Josh Green

 

Dallas Mavericks

 

Australia

 

Joe Ingles

 

Utah Jazz

 

Australia

 

Kyrie Irving

 

Brooklyn Nets

 

Australia

 

Patty Mills

 

San Antonio Spurs

 

Australia

 

Ben Simmons

 

Philadelphia 76ers

 

Austria

 

Jakob Poeltl

 

San Antonio Spurs

 

Bahamas

 

Buddy Hield

 

Sacramento Kings

 

Bahamas

 

Deandre Ayton*

 

Phoenix Suns

 

Bosnia and Herzegovina

 

Jusuf Nurkić

 

Portland Trail Blazers

 

Brazil

 

Bruno Caboclo*

 

Houston Rockets

 

Brazil

 

Cristiano Felicio

 

Chicago Bulls

 

Brazil

 

Raul Neto

 

Washington Wizards

 

Cameroon

 

Joel Embiid*

 

Philadelphia 76ers

 

Cameroon

 

Pascal Siakam*

 

Toronto Raptors

 

Canada

 

Nickeil Alexander-Walker

 

New Orleans Pelicans

 

Canada

 

RJ Barrett*

 

New York Knicks

 

Canada

 

Khem Birch

 

Orlando Magic

 

Canada

 

Ignas Brazdeikis*

 

New York Knicks

 

Canada

 

Dillon Brooks

 

Memphis Grizzlies

 

Canada

 

Brandon Clarke

 

Memphis Grizzlies

 

Canada

 

Luguentz Dort*

 

Oklahoma City Thunder

 

Canada

 

Cory Joseph

 

Sacramento Kings

 

Canada

 

Mfiondu Kabengele

 

LA Clippers

 

Canada

 

Trey Lyles

 

San Antonio Spurs

 

Canada

 

Mychal Mulder

 

Golden State Warriors

 

Canada

 

Jamal Murray*

 

Denver Nuggets

 

Canada

 

Kelly Olynyk*

 

Miami Heat

 

Canada

 

Dwight Powell

 

Dallas Mavericks

 

Canada

 

Tristan Thompson

 

Boston Celtics

 

Canada

 

Andrew Wiggins

 

Golden State Warriors

 

Canada

 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander*

 

Oklahoma City Thunder

 

Croatia

 

Bojan Bogdanović

 

Utah Jazz

 

Croatia

 

Luka Šamanić*

 

San Antonio Spurs

 

Croatia

 

Dario Šarić*

 

Phoenix Suns

 

Croatia

 

Ivica Zubac

 

LA Clippers

 

Czech Republic

 

Tomáš Satoranský*

 

Chicago Bulls

 

Democratic Republic of the Congo

 

Bismack Biyombo

 

Charlotte Hornets

 

Dominican Republic

 

Al Horford

 

Oklahoma City Thunder

 

Egypt

 

Abdel Nader

 

Phoenix Suns

 

Finland

 

Lauri Markkanen*

 

Chicago Bulls

 

France

 

Nicolas Batum*

 

LA Clippers

 

France

 

Sekou Doumbouya*

 

Detroit Pistons

 

France

 

Evan Fournier

 

Orlando Magic

 

France

 

Rudy Gobert

 

Utah Jazz

 

France

 

Killian Hayes*

 

Detroit Pistons

 

France

 

Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot

 

Brooklyn Nets

 

France

 

Théo Maledon

 

Oklahoma City Thunder

 

France

 

Frank Ntilikina*

 

New York Knicks

 

France

 

Vincent Poirier

 

Philadelphia 76ers

 

Gabon

 

Chris Silva

 

Miami Heat

 

Georgia

 

Goga Bitadze*

 

Indiana Pacers

 

Germany

 

Isaac Bonga*

 

Washington Wizards

 

Germany

 

Isaiah Hartenstein*

 

Denver Nuggets

 

Germany

 

Maxi Kleber

 

Dallas Mavericks

 

Germany

 

Dennis Schröder

 

Los Angeles Lakers

 

Germany

 

Daniel Theis

 

Boston Celtics

 

Germany

 

Moritz Wagner

 

Washington Wizards

 

Greece

 

Giannis Antetokounmpo

 

Milwaukee Bucks

 

Greece

 

Thanasis Antetokounmpo

 

Milwaukee Bucks

 

Israel

 

Deni Avdija*

 

Washington Wizards

 

Italy

 

Danilo Gallinari*

 

Atlanta Hawks

 

Italy

 

Nicolò Melli

 

New Orleans Pelicans

 

Jamaica

 

Nick Richards

 

Charlotte Hornets

 

Japan

 

Rui Hachimura*

 

Washington Wizards

 

Latvia

 

Davis Bertans

 

Washington Wizards

 

Latvia

 

Anžejs Pasečņiks*

 

Washington Wizards

 

Latvia

 

Kristaps Porziņģis

 

Dallas Mavericks

 

Latvia

 

Rodions Kurucs

 

Brooklyn Nets

 

Lithuania

 

Domantas Sabonis

 

Indiana Pacers

 

Lithuania

 

Deividas Sirvydis*

 

Detroit Pistons

 

Lithuania

 

Jonas Valančiūnas*

 

Memphis Grizzlies

 

Montenegro

 

Nikola Vučević

 

Orlando Magic

 

New Zealand

 

Steven Adams

 

New Orleans Pelicans

 

Nigeria

 

Precious Achiuwa

 

Miami Heat

 

Nigeria

 

Udoka Azubuike

 

Utah Jazz

 

Nigeria

 

Josh Okogie

 

Minnesota Timberwolves

 

Republic of the Congo

 

Serge Ibaka

 

LA Clippers

 

Senegal

 

Gorgui Dieng*

 

Memphis Grizzlies

 

Serbia

 

Nemanja Bjelica

 

Sacramento Kings

 

Serbia

 

Bogdan Bogdanović

 

Atlanta Hawks

 

Serbia

 

Nikola Jokić

 

Denver Nuggets

 

Serbia

 

Boban Marjanović

 

Dallas Mavericks

 

Serbia

 

Aleksej Pokuševski*

 

Oklahoma City Thunder

 

Serbia

 

Alen Smailagić

 

Golden State Warriors

 

Slovenia

 

Vlatko Čančar 

 

Denver Nuggets

 

Slovenia

 

Goran Dragić

 

Miami Heat

 

Slovenia

 

Luka Dončić

 

Dallas Mavericks

 

South Sudan

 

Thon Maker*

 

Cleveland Cavaliers

 

South Sudan

 

Wenyen Gabriel

 

New Orleans Pelicans

 

Sudan

 

Bol Bol

 

Denver Nuggets

 

Spain

 

Marc Gasol*

 

Los Angeles Lakers

 

Spain

 

Juancho Hernangómez

 

Minnesota Timberwolves

 

Spain

 

Willy Hernangómez*

 

New Orleans Pelicans

 

Spain

 

Ricky Rubio

 

Minnesota Timberwolves

 

St. Lucia

 

Chris Boucher

 

Toronto Raptors

 

Switzerland

 

Clint Capela

 

Atlanta Hawks

 

Turkey

 

Enes Kanter*

 

Portland Trail Blazers

 

Turkey

 

Furkan Korkmaz

 

Philadelphia 76ers

 

Turkey

 

Cedi Osman

 

Cleveland Cavaliers

 

Ukraine

 

Alex Len

 

Toronto Raptors

 

Ukraine

 

Svi Mykhailiuk

 

Detroit Pistons

 

United Kingdom

 

OG Anunoby

 

Toronto Raptors

 

 

Here's the full list of international two-way players:

 

Country

 

Name

 

Team

   

Australia

 

Will Magnay

 

New Orleans Pelicans

   

Canada

 

Nate Darling

 

Charlotte Hornets

   

France

 

Adam Mokoka

 

Chicago Bulls

   

France

 

Killian Tillie

 

Memphis Grizzlies

   

Greece

 

Kostas Antetokounmpo*

 

Los Angeles Lakers

   

Guinea

 

Mamadi Diakite

 

Milwaukee Bucks

   

Italy

 

Nico Mannion

 

Golden State Warriors

   

Japan

 

Yuta Watanabe

 

Toronto Raptors

   

Senegal

 

Tacko Fall

 

Boston Celtics

   

Senegal

 

Karim Mané

 

Orlando Magic

   

                                

*Participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB)

**Not an exhaustive list of every player tie

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