Opening-Night-Rosters Feature 16 African Players and More than 35 Players With at Least One Parent from Africa; Back-to-Back Seasons with at Least 120 International Players for First Time in League History; Ninth Consecutive Season League Has at Least 100 International Players; All 30 Teams Feature at Least One International Player; Toronto Raptors Have League-High Eight International Players, Lead League for Second Consecutive Season.
The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that 120 international players from 40 countries and six continents are on opening-night rosters for the 2022-23 season, including a record number of players from Canada (22) and Australia (10). A record-tying five players from Nigeria are among the 16 African players on opening-night rosters. There are also more than 35 players with at least one parent from Africa.
This marks the first time that opening-night rosters have at least 120 international players in consecutive seasons and the ninth straight season that opening-night rosters feature at least 100 international players. All 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player.
The 2022-23 season tips off tonight with a doubleheader on TNT. In the first game, the Philadelphia 76ers will visit the reigning Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET). In the second game, the defending NBA champion Golden State Warriors will receive their championship rings before hosting the Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET).
For the ninth consecutive year, Canada is the most-represented country outside of the U.S., followed by Australia, France (nine players) and Germany (six players). Nigeria, Serbia and Spain each have five players. There is a total of 58 European players on opening-night rosters, including three members of the 2021-22 Kia All-NBA First Team: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria), Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia) and 2021-22 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia).
The Toronto Raptors feature eight international players, marking the second consecutive season the Raptors lead the league, followed by the Mavericks, Indiana Pacers and the Sacramento Kings with seven international players each. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Utah Jazz each have six.
Thirty-eight players on 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 Valančiūnas (New Orleans Pelicans; Lithuania; BWB Europe 2008). Additionally, there are a record three NBA Academy graduates on opening-night rosters: Dyson Daniels (Pelicans; Australia; NBA Global Academy), Josh Giddey (Thunder; Australia; NBA Global Academy) and Bennedict Mathurin (Pacers; Canada; ties to Haiti; NBA Academy Latin America). NBA Academies, a year-round elite basketball development program for top high school-age athletes from outside the U.S., have been launched in Canberra, Australia; Greater 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. Among the American players with ties to other countries are 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 please find international player milestones and storylines for the upcoming season:
- Two international players have won the last four Kia NBA Most Valuable Player Awards: reigning back-to-back MVP Jokić (2021-22 and 2020-21) and Antetokounmpo (2019-20 and 2018-19). Jokić and the Nuggets will face Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Wednesday, Jan. 25 in Milwaukee and on Saturday, March 25 in Denver.
- Last season was the first time the top three finishers in MVP voting were all international players: Jokić, Embiid and Antetokounmpo.
- At least five international players have made the Kia All-NBA Team each season since 2018-19.
- As part of the 2022-23 NBA App GM Survey (https://on.NBA.com/3eIeTYd), Dončić, 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% of votes, respectively). Antetokounmpo and Dončić were voted the No. 1 and No. 2 players with whom general managers would most want to start a franchise (55% and 45% of votes, respectively).
- Daniels and Mathurin are poised 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 teammates at NBA Global Academy 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.
- Matchups 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 play each other on Wednesday, Oct. 26 and Friday, Oct. 28 in Toronto, and on 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 opening-night rosters who have been NBA All-Stars: Antetokounmpo, Dončić, Goran Dragić (Bulls; Slovenia), Embiid, Rudy Gobert (Timberwolves; France), Al Horford (Celtics; Dominican Republic), Kyrie Irving (Brooklyn Nets; Australia), Jokić, Kristaps Porzingis (Wizards; Latvia), Domantas Sabonis (Kings; Lithuania), Siakam, Ben Simmons (Nets; Australia), Nikola Vučević (Bulls; Montenegro) and Andrew Wiggins (Warriors; Canada).
Below please find the full list of international players on 2022-23 opening-night rosters (active and inactive):
|
Country |
Name |
Team |
Ties |
| Angola | Bruno Fernando | Houston Rockets | |
| Argentina | Facundo Campazzo** | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Argentina | Leandro Bolmaro** | Utah Jazz | |
| Australia | Ben Simmons | Brooklyn Nets | |
| Australia | Kyrie Irving | Brooklyn Nets | |
| Australia | Patty Mills | Brooklyn Nets | |
| Australia | Josh Green** | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Australia | Jack White* | Denver Nuggets | |
| Australia | Joe Ingles | Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Australia | Dyson Daniels^ | New Orleans Pelicans | |
| Australia | Josh Giddey^** | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Australia | Jock Landale | Phoenix Suns | |
| Australia | Matthew Dellavedova | Sacramento Kings | |
| Austria | Jakob Poeltl | San Antonio Spurs | |
| Bahamas | Kai Jones** | Charlotte Hornets | |
| Bahamas | Buddy Hield | Indiana Pacers | |
| Bahamas | Deandre Ayton** | Phoenix Suns | Ties to Nigeria |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | Jusuf Nurkić | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Brazil | Raul Neto | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Cameroon | Joel Embiid** | Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Cameroon | Christian Koloko** | Toronto Raptors | |
| Cameroon | Pascal Siakam** | Toronto Raptors | |
| Canada | Mfiondu Kabengele* | Boston Celtics | Ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Canada | Dwight Powell | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Canada | Jamal Murray** | Denver Nuggets | |
| Canada | Cory Joseph | Detroit Pistons | Ties to Trinidad and Tobago |
| Canada | Andrew Wiggins | Golden State Warriors | |
| Canada | Andrew Nembhard** | Indiana Pacers | |
| Canada | Bennedict Mathurin^** | Indiana Pacers | Ties to Haiti |
| Canada | Oshae Brissett | Indiana Pacers | |
| Canada | Brandon Clarke | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Canada | Dillon Brooks | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Canada | RJ Barrett** | New York Knicks | |
| Canada | Luguentz Dort** | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Canada | Caleb Houstan | Orlando Magic | |
| Canada | Shaedon Sharpe | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Canada | Trey Lyles | Sacramento Kings | |
| Canada | Josh Primo** | San Antonio Spurs | |
| Canada | Dalano Banton | Toronto Raptors | |
| Canada | Khem Birch | Toronto Raptors | |
| Canada | Kelly Olynyk** | Utah Jazz | |
| Canada | Nickeil Alexander-Walker | Utah Jazz | |
| Canada | Shai Gilgeous-Alexander** | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Canada | Eugene Omoruyi* | Oklahoma City Thunder | Ties to Nigeria |
| Croatia | Bojan Bogdanović | Detroit Pistons | |
| Croatia | Ivica Zubac | LA Clippers | |
| Croatia | Dario Šarić** | Phoenix Suns | |
| Czech Republic | Vít Krejčí** | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Jonathan Kuminga | Golden State Warriors | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Bismack Biyombo | Phoenix Suns | |
| Dominican Republic | Al Horford | Boston Celtics | |
| Dominican Republic | Chris Duarte | Indiana Pacers | |
| Finland | Lauri Markkanen** | Utah Jazz | |
| France | Théo Maledon* | Charlotte Hornets | |
| France | Frank Ntilikina** | Dallas Mavericks | Ties to Belgium and Rwanda |
| France | Killian Hayes** | Detroit Pistons | |
| France | Moussa Diabate*** | LA Clippers | Ties to Guinea and Mali |
| France | Nicolas Batum** | LA Clippers | Ties to Cameroon |
| France | Rudy Gobert | Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| France | Evan Fournier | New York Knicks | Ties to Algeria |
| France | Ousmane Dieng | Oklahoma City Thunder | Ties to Senegal |
| France | Olivier Sarr* | Portland Trail Blazers | Ties to Senegal |
| Georgia | Goga Bitadze** | Indiana Pacers | |
| Georgia | Sandro Mamukelashvili*** | Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Germany | Maxi Kleber | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Germany | Daniel Theis | Indiana Pacers | |
| Germany | Dennis Schröder | Los Angeles Lakers | Ties to The Gambia |
| Germany | Isaiah Hartenstein** | New York Knicks | |
| Germany | Franz Wagner | Orlando Magic | |
| Germany | Moritz Wagner | Orlando Magic | |
| Greece | Kostas Antetokounmpo*** | Chicago Bulls | Ties to Nigeria |
| Greece | Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | Ties to Nigeria |
| Greece | Thanasis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | Ties to Nigeria |
| Guinea | Mamadi Diakite* | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Israel | Deni Avdija** | Washington Wizards | |
| Italy | Danilo Gallinari** | Boston Celtics | |
| Italy | Simone Fontecchio** | Utah Jazz | |
| Jamaica | Nick Richards | Charlotte Hornets | |
| Japan | Yuta Watanabe | Brooklyn Nets | |
| Japan | Rui Hachimura** | Washington Wizards | Ties to Benin |
| Latvia | Dāvis Bertāns | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Latvia | Kristaps Porziņģis | Washington Wizards | |
| Lithuania | Jonas Valančiūnas** | New Orleans Pelicans | |
| Lithuania | Domantas Sabonis | Sacramento Kings | |
| Montenegro | Marko Simonović | Chicago Bulls | |
| Montenegro | Nikola Vučević | Chicago Bulls | |
| New Zealand | Steven Adams | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Nigeria | Josh Okogie | Phoenix Suns | |
| Nigeria | Precious Achiuwa | Toronto Raptors | |
| Nigeria | Udoka Azubuike | Utah Jazz | |
| Nigeria | Chima Moneke | Sacramento Kings | |
| Nigeria | Chimezie Metu | Sacramento Kings | |
| Portugal | Neemias Queta* | Sacramento Kings | |
| Republic of the Congo | Serge Ibaka | Milwaukee Bucks | Ties to Spain |
| Senegal | Gorgui Dieng** | San Antonio Spurs | |
| Serbia | Bogdan Bogdanović | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Serbia | Nikola Jokić | Denver Nuggets | |
| Serbia | Boban Marjanović | Houston Rockets | |
| Serbia | Nikola Jović | Miami Heat | |
| Serbia | Aleksej Pokuševski** | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Slovenia | Goran Dragić | Chicago Bulls | |
| Slovenia | Vlatko Čančar | Denver Nuggets | |
| Slovenia | Luka Dončić | Dallas Mavericks | |
| South Sudan | Wenyen Gabriel | Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Spain | Ricky Rubio | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Spain | Usman Garuba | Houston Rockets | Ties to Nigeria |
| Spain | Santi Aldama** | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Spain | Willy Hernangómez** | New Orleans Pelicans | |
| Spain | Juancho Hernangómez | Toronto Raptors | |
| St. Lucia | Chris Boucher | Toronto Raptors | Ties to Canada |
| Sudan | Bol Bol | Orlando Magic | |
| Switzerland | Clint Capela | Atlanta Hawks | Ties to Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo |
| Turkey | Cedi Osman | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Turkey | Alperen Sengun | Houston Rockets | |
| Turkey | Ömer Yurtseven** | Miami Heat | |
| Turkey | Furkan Korkmaz | Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Ukraine | Svi Mykhailiuk | New York Knicks | |
| Ukraine | Alex Len | Sacramento Kings | |
| United Kingdom | Jeremy Sochan | San Antonio Spurs | Ties to Poland |
| United Kingdom | O.G. Anunoby | Toronto Raptors | Ties to Nigeria |
-
- Two-Way Player
** - Former Basketball Without Borders (BWB) Camper
*** - Both Two-Way Player and Former BWB Camper
^ - NBA Academy Graduate
Distributed by APO Group on behalf of National Basketball Association (NBA).
2022-23 NBA International Player Graphic (https://bit.ly/3TADsVG)
Contact:
Mark Pozin
NBA
(347) 852-5374
mpozin@nba.com
About the NBA:
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a global sports and media organization with the mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball. Built around five professional sports leagues: the NBA, WNBA, NBA G League, NBA 2K League and Basketball Africa League, the NBA has established a major international presence with games and programming available in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages, and merchandise for sale in more than 200 countries and territories on all seven continents. NBA rosters at the start of the 2021-22 season featured a record 121 international players from 40 countries. NBA Digital’s assets include NBA TV, NBA.com, the NBA App and NBA League Pass. The NBA has created one of the largest social media communities in the world, with 2.1 billion likes and followers globally across all league, team, and player platforms. Through NBA Cares, the league addresses important social issues by working with internationally recognized youth-serving organizations that support education, youth and family development, and health-related causes.
