Not just Antetokounmpo and Jokic: 120 international players on Nba rosters

40 nations are represented in Nba

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that 120 international players from 40 countries and six continents are on the opening night rosters for the 2022-23 season, including a record number of players from Canada (22) and Australia (10) and a record five players from Nigeria. This marks the first time opening night rosters have included at least 120 international players in two consecutive seasons, as well as the ninth consecutive season in which opening night rosters have included at least 100 international players. All 30 NBA teams have at least one international player.

The 2022-23 season began with a doubleheader on TNT. In the first game, the Philadelphia 76ers will visit the defending Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET). In the second game, the defending NBA champions, the Golden State Warriors, will receive championship rings before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET).

For the ninth consecutive year, Canada is the most represented country outside the United States, followed by Australia, France (nine players) and Germany (six players). Nigeria, Serbia and Spain each have five players. There are a total of 58 European players on the opening night rosters, including three members of the Kia All-NBA First Team 2021-22: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties with Nigeria), Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia) and the Kia MVP of the 2021-22 season Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets; Serbia).

The Toronto Raptors field eight international players, marking the second consecutive season in which the franchise leads this special ranking, followed by the Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and Sacramento Kings with seven international players each. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz have six each.

Thirty-eight of the players on the opening night rosters participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB) prior to their NBA careers, including Deandre Ayton (Suns; Bahamas; BWB Global 2016), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder; Canada; BWB Global 2016), Joel Embiid (76ers; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2011), Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards; Japan; BWB Global 2016), Jamal Murray (Nuggets; Canada; BWB Global 2015), Pascal Siakam (Raptors; Cameroon; BWB Africa 2012) and Jonas Valanciunas (New Orleans Pelicans; Lithuania; BWB Europe 2008). Also participating on the opening night rosters are a record three NBA Academy graduates: Dyson Daniels (Pelicans; Australia; NBA Global Academy), Josh Giddey (Thunder; Australia; NBA Global Academy) and Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers; Canada; ties with Haiti ; NBA Academy Latin America). NBA Academies, the annual elite basketball development program dedicated to top school-age athletes outside the United States, were launched in Canberra, Australia in Noida, India; San Luis Potosí, Mexico; and Saly, Senegal, for top prospects from their respective countries and continents.

There are also a number of American players with ties to other countries, including more than 35 players with at least one parent from an African country. U.S. players with ties to other nations include Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat; ties to Nigeria), Jalen Green (Houston Rockets; ties to the Philippines), Matisse Thybulle (76ers; ties to Australia and Haiti), Juan Toscano-Anderson (Lakers; ties to Mexico), Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves; ties to the Dominican Republic), and Jaylin Williams (Thunder; ties to Vietnam).

Below is more information regarding international players for the upcoming NBA season:

Two international players have won the last four Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Awards: reigning MVP Jokic (2021-22 and 2020-21) and Antetokounmpo (2019-20 and 2018-19). Jokic and the Nuggets will face Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Wednesday, Jan. 25, in Milwaukee and Saturday, March 25, in Denver.

Last season was the first time the top three finishers in MVP voting were all international players-Jokic, Embiid and Antetokounmpo.

At least five international players have made the Kia All-NBA Team every season since 2018-19.

As part of the 2022-23 NBA App GM Survey, Doncic, Antetokounmpo and Embiid were voted the No. 1, 2 and 3 players most likely to win the 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP Award (48%, 34% and 13% votes, respectively). Antetokounmpo and Doncic were voted the No. 1 and No. 2 players with whom general managers would most like to start a franchise (55% and 45% of votes, respectively).

Daniels and Mathurin are set to become the second and third NBA Academy graduates to play in the NBA after Giddey became the first last season. Daniels and Giddey, former NBA Global Academy teammates in Australia, will meet on Monday, Nov. 28 in New Orleans, Friday, Dec. 23 and Monday, Feb. 13 in Oklahoma City and Saturday, March 11 in New Orleans.

The matches between Philadelphia and Toronto will feature three former BWB Africa campers from Cameroon: Embiid, Siakam and Christian Koloko (Raptors; BWB Africa 2017; BWB Global 2018). The teams will compete on Wednesday, Oct. 26 and Friday, Oct. 28 in Toronto and Monday, Dec. 19 and Friday, March 31 in Philadelphia.

There are three sets of international brothers in the NBA: Giannis, Thanasis and Kostas Antetokounmpo (Greece; ties to Nigeria; Bucks, Bucks and Chicago Bulls, respectively); Juancho and Willy Hernangómez (Spain; Raptors and Pelicans, respectively); and Franz and Moritz Wagner (Germany; Magic).

There are 14 international players on the primetime rosters who were NBA All-Stars: Antetokounmpo, Doncic, Goran DragiÄ (Bulls; Slovenia), Embiid, Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves; France), Al Horford (Celtics; Dominican Republic), Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets; Australia), Jokic, Kristaps Porzingis (Wizards; Latvia), Domantas Sabonis (Kings; Lithuania), Siakam, Ben Simmons (Nets; Australia), Nikola Vucevic (Bulls; Montenegro), and Andrew Wiggins (Warriors; Canada).