Rosters Feature 109 International Players From 39 Countries

Landmark 75th Anniversary Season Marks Eighth Consecutive Year With at Least 100 International Players; Toronto Raptors Feature Record-Tying 10 International Players, Followed by the Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder with Seven Each; 13 African Players on Opening-Night Rosters.

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. 

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.

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).

The 2021-22 NBA season tips off tonight with the defending NBA champion Milwaukee Bucks hosting the Brooklyn Nets at 1:30 a.m. CAT on ESPN and Canal+. In the second game, the Los Angeles Lakers take on the Warriors at 4 a.m. CAT on Canal+. 

Below please find international player milestones and storylines for the upcoming season:

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 (https://on.nba.com/3lXfdTM), 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, Doncic, Goran Dragic (Raptors; Slovenia), Embiid, Al Horford (Boston Celtics; Dominican Republic), Gobert, Irving, Jokic, Kristaps Porzingis (Mavericks; Latvia), Domantas Sabonis (Indiana Pacers; Lithuania), Siakam, Ben Simmons (76ers; Australia) and Nikola Vucevic (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. 

Below please find the full list of international players on 2021-22 opening-night rosters (active and inactive):

Country

  Name

  NBA Team

  Ties

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

  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*

  Phoenix Suns

  Ties to Nigeria

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

  Detroit Pistons

  Ties to Trinidad and Tobago

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

  Sacramento Kings

  Ties to Jamaica

Canada

  Shai Gilgeous-Alexander*

  Oklahoma City Thunder

Croatia

  Bojan Bogdanovic

  Utah Jazz

Croatia

  Dario Šaric*

  Phoenix Suns

Croatia

  Ivica Zubac

  LA Clippers

Czech Republic

  Tomáš Satoranský*

  New Orleans Pelicans

Czech Republic

  Vít Krejcí*

  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

  New York Knicks

  Ties to Algeria

France

  Frank Ntilikina*

  Dallas Mavericks

  Ties to Belgium and Rwanda

France

  Killian Hayes*

  Detroit Pistons

France

  Nicolas Batum*

  LA Clippers

  Ties to Cameroon

France

  Rudy Gobert

  Utah Jazz

France

  Théo Maledon

  Oklahoma City Thunder

France

  Timothé Luwawu-Cabarrot

  Atlanta Hawks

  Ties to Democratic Republic of the Congo

Georgia

  Goga Bitadze*

  Indiana Pacers

Germany

  Daniel Theis

  Houston Rockets

Germany

  Dennis Schröder

  Boston Celtics

  Ties to The Gambia

Germany

  Isaac Bonga*

  Toronto Raptors

Germany

  Isaiah Hartenstein*

  LA Clippers

Germany

  Maxi Kleber

  Dallas Mavericks

Germany

  Franz Wagner

  Orlando Magic

Germany

  Moritz Wagner

  Orlando Magic

Greece

  Georgios Kalaitzakis

  Milwaukee Bucks

Greece

  Giannis Antetokounmpo

  Milwaukee Bucks

  Ties to Nigeria

Greece

  Thanasis Antetokounmpo

  Milwaukee Bucks

  Ties to Nigeria

Israel

  Deni Avdija*

  Washington Wizards

Italy

  Danilo Gallinari*

  Atlanta Hawks

Jamaica

  Nick Richards

  Charlotte Hornets

Japan

  Rui Hachimura*

  Washington Wizards

   Ties to Benin

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

  LA Clippers

  Ties to Spain

Senegal

  Gorgui Dieng*

  Atlanta Hawks

Serbia

  Aleksej Pokuševski*

  Oklahoma City Thunder

Serbia

  Boban Marjanovic

  Dallas Mavericks

Serbia

  Bogdan Bogdanovic

  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

  Houston Rockets

  Ties to Nigeria

Spain

  Willy Hernangómez*

  New Orleans Pelicans

St. Lucia

  Chris Boucher

  Toronto Raptors

  Ties to Canada

Sudan

  Bol Bol

  Denver Nuggets

Switzerland

  Clint Capela

  Atlanta Hawks

  Ties to Angola and Democratic Republic of the Congo

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

  Toronto Raptors

  Ties to Nigeria

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

Country

  First Name

  NBA Team

  Ties

Canada

  Eugene Omoruyi

  Dallas Mavericks

  Ties to Nigeria

Canada

  Ignas Brazdeikis*

  Orlando Magic

  Ties to Lithuania

Croatia

  Luka Šamanic*

  New York Knicks

France

  Petr Cornelie

  Denver Nuggets

France

  Sekou Doumbouya*

  Los Angeles Lakers

  Ties to Guinea

France

  Killian Tillie

  Memphis Grizzlies

France

  Yves Pons

  Memphis Grizzlies

  Ties to Haiti

France

  Joel Ayayi*

  Washington Wizards

  Ties to Benin

Georgia

  Sandro Mamukelashvili*

  Milwaukee Bucks

Lithuania

  Arnoldas Kulboka*

  Charlotte Hornets

Portugal

  Neemias Queta

  Sacramento Kings

  Ties to Guinea-Bissau

Senegal

  Tacko Fall

  Cleveland Cavaliers

*Participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB), the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach programme

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

×