NBA Rosters Feature 107 International Players From 41 Countries

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that 107 international players from 41 countries are on opening-night rosters for the 2020-21 season


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NBA Rosters Feature 107 International Players From 41 Countries


 

Opening-Night Rosters Feature Record 17 Canadian Players and Record-Tying 14 African Players; Seventh Consecutive Season League Has at Least 100 International Players.


The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that 107 international players from 41 countries are on opening-night rosters for the 2020-21 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 2020-21 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. 

The 2020-21 NBA season begins tonight with a doubleheader as part of Kia NBA Tip-Off 2020. The first game features the Brooklyn Nets hosting the Golden State Warriors at 2 a.m. CAT. In the second game, the defending NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers take on the LA Clippers at 5 a.m. CAT.

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.

In addition to the 107 international players on 2020-21 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. 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.

Below please find 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 Doncic (Mavericks; Slovenia; All-NBA First Team); Nikola Jokic (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, Doncic, Goran Dragic (Miami Heat; Slovenia), Embiid, Marc Gasol (Lakers; Spain), Gobert, Al Horford (Oklahoma City Thunder; Dominican Republic), Kyrie Irving (Nets; Australia), Jokic, Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks; Latvia), Domantas Sabonis (Pacers; Lithuania), Siakam, Simmons and Nikola Vucevic (Orlando Magic; Montenegro).
  • As part of the NBA.com 2020-2021 GM Survey (http://on.nba.com/3nKFFhY), Antetokounmpo and Doncic were voted the No. 1 and No. 2 players most likely to win 2020-21 Kia 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, Jokic 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 NBA Draft 2020 presented by State Farm®, is scheduled to make his regular-season debut when the Wizards visit the 76ers on Wednesday, Dec. 23 at 7 p.m. ET on NBA League Pass.
  • Killian Hayes, who became the highest-drafted French player ever when he was selected seventh overall by the Detroit Pistons, is scheduled to make his regular-season debut when the Pistons visit the Timberwolves on Dec. 23 at 8 p.m. ET on NBA League Pass.
  • 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).

Below please find the full list of international players on 2020-21 opening-night rosters (active and inactive):

Country

Name

Team

Ties to Other Countries**

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

Nigeria

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Jusuf Nurkic

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

Lithuania

Canada

Dillon Brooks

Memphis Grizzlies

 

Canada

Brandon Clarke

Memphis Grizzlies

 

Canada

Luguentz Dort*

Oklahoma City Thunder

 

Canada

Cory Joseph

Sacramento Kings

Trinidad and Tobago

Canada

Mfiondu Kabengele

LA Clippers

Democratic Republic of the Congo

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

Jamaica

Canada

Andrew Wiggins

Golden State Warriors

 

Canada

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander*

Oklahoma City Thunder

 

Croatia

Bojan Bogdanovic

Utah Jazz

 

Croatia

Luka Šamanic*

San Antonio Spurs

 

Croatia

Dario Šaric*

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

Cameroon

France

Sekou Doumbouya*

Detroit Pistons

Guinea

France

Evan Fournier

Orlando Magic

Algeria

France

Rudy Gobert

Utah Jazz

 

France

Killian Hayes*

Detroit Pistons

 

France

Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot

Brooklyn Nets

Democratic Republic of the Congo

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

The Gambia

Germany

Daniel Theis

Boston Celtics

 

Germany

Moritz Wagner

Washington Wizards

 

Greece

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks

Nigeria

Greece

Thanasis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks

Nigeria

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

Benin

Latvia

Davis Bertans

Washington Wizards

 

Latvia

Anžejs Pasecniks*

Washington Wizards

 

Latvia

Kristaps Porzingis

Dallas Mavericks

 

Latvia

Rodions Kurucs

Brooklyn Nets

 

Lithuania

Domantas Sabonis

Indiana Pacers

 

Lithuania

Deividas Sirvydis*

Detroit Pistons

 

Lithuania

Jonas Valanciunas*

Memphis Grizzlies

 

Montenegro

Nikola Vucevic

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

Spain

Senegal

Gorgui Dieng*

Memphis Grizzlies

 

Serbia

Nemanja Bjelica

Sacramento Kings

 

Serbia

Bogdan Bogdanovic

Atlanta Hawks

 

Serbia

Nikola Jokic

Denver Nuggets

 

Serbia

Boban Marjanovic

Dallas Mavericks

 

Serbia

Aleksej Pokuševski*

Oklahoma City Thunder

 

Serbia

Alen Smailagic

Golden State Warriors

 

Slovenia

Vlatko Cancar 

Denver Nuggets

 

Slovenia

Goran Dragic

Miami Heat

 

Slovenia

Luka Doncic

Dallas Mavericks

 

South Sudan

Thon Maker*

Cleveland Cavaliers

Australia and Uganda

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

Canada

Switzerland

Clint Capela

Atlanta Hawks

Angola and Republic of the Congo

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

Nigeria


Below please find the full list of international two-way players:

Country

Name

Team

Ties to Other Countries**

Australia

Will Magnay

New Orleans Pelicans

 

Canada

Nate Darling

Charlotte Hornets

 

France

Adam Mokoka

Chicago Bulls

Republic of the Congo

France

Killian Tillie

Memphis Grizzlies

 

Greece

Kostas Antetokounmpo*

Los Angeles Lakers

Nigeria

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

Canada

 


*Participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB)

**Not an exhaustive list of every player tie.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).

 


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