Record-Tying 17 Players from Africa among 125 International Players from 43 Countries on Opening-Night National Basketball Association (NBA) Rosters

 

Fourth Consecutive Season League Features at Least 120 International Players and 11th Consecutive Season with at Least 100 International Players 
All 30 Teams Feature at Least One International Player 
Opening-Night Rosters Feature Record Five Players from Cameroon 

The National Basketball Association (NBA) (www.NBA.com) today announced that a record-tying 17 players from Africa are among the 125 international players from 43 countries across six continents on opening-night rosters for the 2024-25 season, including a record five players from Cameroon headlined by 2022-23 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and seven-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers). 

There are also more than 35 players with at least one parent from an African country, including three-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat; ties to Nigeria), two-time Kia NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria) and 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs; France; ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo).

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 (125) and countries and territories represented (43) 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: Antetokounmpo, 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 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: Antetokounmpo (2019-20 and 2018-19), Embiid (2022-23) and Jokić (2023-24, 2021-22 and 2020-21).  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 Thursday, Oct. 24 at 1:30 a.m. CAT on ESPN in the season opener for both teams.  Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder visit Jokić and the Nuggets on Friday, Oct. 25 at 4 a.m. CAT on NBA League Pass 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 (http://apo-opa.co/4ePLTYv), 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: Wembanyama (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. 25 at 1:30 a.m. CAT on Canal+ in the season opener for both teams.

The 79th NBA regular season tips off tonight with a doubleheader on Canal+ 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 (1:30 a.m. CAT). In the second game, Gobert and the Timberwolves visit Rui Hachimura (Japan) and the Los Angeles Lakers (4 a.m. CAT).

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

Yongxi Cui*

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

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

Contact:
Pawel Weszka
NBA Africa PR&Communications
pweszka@nba.com
+27 10 0072666