National Basketball Association (NBA) Rosters Feature a Record of More Than 60 Players From or With at Least One Parent From Africa

**– *****Opening-Night Rosters Feature 125 International Players from Record-Tying 43 Countries Across Six Continents ***–

–*** Sixth Consecutive Season with at Least 120 International Players and ******13th Straight Season with at Least 100 International Players ***–

– ***Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards Have League-High Seven Each ***–

The National Basketball Association (NBA) (www.NBA.com) today announced that a record of more than 60 players who were either born in Africa or have at least one parent born on the continent are on opening-night rosters for the 2026-27 season. Overall, opening-night rosters feature 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries across six continents, including 70 European players, marking the second consecutive season and second time ever with at least that many.

The more than 60 players who were either born in Africa or have at least one parent born on the continent include more than 25 from or with at least one parent from Nigeria. Among the more than 60 players are three-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo (Heat; ties to Nigeria), Antetokounmpo, two-time NBA champion OG Anunoby (New York Knicks; UK; ties to Nigeria), 2026 No. 1 overall pick AJ Dybantsa (Wizards; ties to the Republic of the Congo), 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP and seven-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon), and 2019 NBA champion and four-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers; Cameroon).

France has a league-high 17 international players, marking the first time in 13 seasons that a country other than Canada has led the NBA in international players. The group is headlined by two-time NBA All-Star and 2025-26 Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs). Canada ranks second with 16, headlined by 2025 NBA champion and reigning back-to-back Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), followed by Australia (nine), Germany (seven), Nigeria (a record six) and Serbia (six).

This is the sixth consecutive season that opening-night rosters feature at least 120 international players and the 13th straight season with at least 100 international players. All 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player. The Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards feature a league-high seven each.

The record for international players (135) and the record for countries and territories represented (43) were set at the start of the 2025-26 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.

The 70 European players include 2021 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (Heat; Greece; ties to Nigeria), 2023 NBA champion and three-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia), six-time NBA All-Star and Kia All-NBA First Team member Luka Dončić (Los Angeles Lakers; Slovenia), and Wembanyama.

Below are additional international player milestones and storylines for the upcoming season:

• Four international players have won the last eight Kia NBA MVP Awards: Gilgeous-Alexander (2025-26 and 2024-25), Jokić (2023-24, 2021-22 and 2020-21), Embiid (2022-23) and Antetokounmpo (2019-20 and 2018-19). Last season also marked the fifth consecutive season that three international players finished top three in MVP voting: Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 1), Jokić (No. 2) and Wembanyama (No. 3).

• There are a record 19 international players on opening-night rosters who have been NBA All-Stars: Antetokounmpo, Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers; Israel), Dončić, Embiid, Gilgeous-Alexander, Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves; France), Al Horford (Golden State Warriors; Dominican Republic), Kyrie Irving (Mavericks; Australia), Jokić, Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz; Finland), Jamal Murray (Nuggets; Canada), Kristaps Porziņģis (Warriors; Latvia), Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings; Lithuania), Alperen Sengun (Houston Rockets; Türkiye), Siakam, Ben Simmons (Kings; Australia), Nikola Vučević (Orlando Magic; Montenegro), Wembanyama and Andrew Wiggins (Heat; Canada).

• At least three international players have made the Kia All-NBA Team each season since 2018-19.

• In the 2026-27 NBA GM Survey (

  https://apo-opa.co/4yBQSoL

  ), Wembanyama (No. 1) and Jokić (No. 2) were voted the players most likely to win the 2026-27 Kia NBA MVP Award (77% and 10% of votes, respectively). Wembanyama was also voted as the player GMs would most want to sign if they were starting a franchise today (93% of votes).

• Opening-night rosters feature more than 45 players who participated in Basketball Without Borders, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program.

• There are also several American players with parents from other countries, including Jalen Green (Phoenix Suns; ties to the Philippines), Norman Powell (Chicago Bulls; ties to Jamaica), Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks; ties to the Dominican Republic) and Jaylin Williams (Thunder; ties to Vietnam).

The 81st NBA regular season tips off today with a tripleheader on beIN Sports, Canal+ and SuperSport as the Boston Celtics visit the Detroit Pistons (9 p.m. CAT), the defending NBA champion Knicks host the 76ers (1 a.m. CAT) and the Spurs meet the Thunder in San Antonio (3:30 a.m. CAT). The 2026-27 season will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 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.

Below is the full list of international players on 2026-27 opening-night NBA rosters (active and inactive):

Country

Name

Team

Ties

Australia

Dyson Daniels

Atlanta Hawks

Australia

Jock Landale

Atlanta Hawks

Australia

Josh Giddey

Chicago Bulls

Australia

Tyrese Proctor

Cleveland Cavaliers

Australia

Kyrie Irving

Dallas Mavericks

Australia

Johnny Furphy

Indiana Pacers

Ties to Papua New Guinea

Australia

Rocco Zikarsky*

Minnesota Timberwolves

Australia

Ben Simmons

Sacramento Kings

Australia

Josh Green

Utah Jazz

Austria

Jakob Poeltl

Toronto Raptors

Bahamas

Buddy Hield

Chicago Bulls

**Bahamas **

VJ Edgecombe

Philadelphia 76ers

**Bahamas **

Deandre Ayton

Washington Wizards

Ties to Nigeria

Belgium

Ajay Mitchell

Oklahoma City Thunder

Belgium

Toumani Camara

Portland Trail Blazers

Ties to Mali

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Jusuf Nurkić

Utah Jazz

Brazil

Gui Santos

Golden State Warriors

Cameroon

Pascal Siakam

Indiana Pacers

Cameroon

Yves Missi

New Orleans Pelicans

Cameroon

Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers

Canada

Nickeil Alexander-Walker

Atlanta Hawks

Canada

Luguentz Dort

Atlanta Hawks

Canada

Leonard Miller

Chicago Bulls

Canada

Jamal Murray

Denver Nuggets

Canada

Ryan Nembhard*

Denver Nuggets

Canada

Andrew Nembhard

Indiana Pacers

Canada

Zach Edey

Memphis Grizzlies

Canada

Olivier-Maxence Prosper

Memphis Grizzlies

Ties to Haiti

Canada

Andrew Wiggins

Miami Heat

Canada

Trey Lyles

Minnesota Timberwolves

Canada

Bennedict Mathurin

New Orleans Pelicans

Ties to Haiti

**Canada **

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Oklahoma City Thunder

Canada

Dillon Brooks

Phoenix Suns

Canada

Shaedon Sharpe

Portland Trail Blazers

Canada

RJ Barrett

Toronto Raptors

Canada

Will Riley

Washington Wizards

**China **

Yang Hansen

Portland Trail Blazers

Croatia

Mario Hezonja

Cleveland Cavaliers

Croatia

Ivica Zubac

Indiana Pacers

Croatia

Karlo Matković

New Orleans Pelicans

Czech Republic

Vít Krejčí

Portland Trail Blazers

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Oscar Tshiebwe*

Houston Rockets

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Jonathan Kuminga

Minnesota Timberwolves

Dominican Republic

Al Horford

Golden State Warriors

Dominican Republic

David Jones Garcia*

San Antonio Spurs

Estonia

Henri Veesaar

Atlanta Hawks

Finland

Lauri Markkanen

Utah Jazz

France

Nolan Traoré

Brooklyn Nets

France

Moussa Diabaté

Charlotte Hornets

Ties to Guinea and Mali

France

Tidjane Salaün

Charlotte Hornets

France

Noa Essengue

Chicago Bulls

Ties to Cameroon

France

Zaccharie Risacher

Dallas Mavericks

France

Ousmane Dieng

Milwaukee Bucks

Ties to Senegal

France

Joan Beringer

Minnesota Timberwolves

Ties to Benin

France

Rudy Gobert

Minnesota Timberwolves

France

Pacôme Dadiet

New York Knicks

Ties to Ivory Coast

France

Mohamed Diawara

New York Knicks

Ties to Mali

**France **

Noah Penda

Orlando Magic

Ties to Cameroon and Martinique

France

Rayan Rupert*

Philadelphia 76ers

Ties to Morocco

France

Sidy Cissoko

Portland Trail Blazers

Ties to Senegal

France

Maxime Raynaud

Sacramento Kings

France

Victor Wembanyama

San Antonio Spurs

France

Bilal Coulibaly

Washington Wizards

Ties to Mali

France

Alex Sarr

Washington Wizards

Ties to Senegal

Georgia

Sandro Mamukelashvili

Los Angeles Lakers

Georgia

Goga Bitadze

Orlando Magic

**Germany **

Moritz Wagner

Brooklyn Nets

Germany

Dennis Schröder

Charlotte Hornets

Ties to The Gambia

Germany

Hannes Steinbach

Charlotte Hornets

Germany

Isaiah Hartenstein

Oklahoma City Thunder

Germany

Tristan da Silva

Orlando Magic

Ties to Brazil

**Germany **

Franz Wagner

Orlando Magic

Germany

Ariel Hukporti

Philadelphia 76ers

Ties to Togo

Greece

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Miami Heat

Ties to Nigeria

Guinea

Moussa Cissé

Dallas Mavericks

Israel

Ben Saraf

Brooklyn Nets

Israel

Deni Avdija

Portland Trail Blazers

Italy

Simone Fontecchio

Miami Heat

Jamaica

Nick Richards

Miami Heat

Japan

Rui Hachimura

LA Clippers

Ties to Benin

Latvia

Kristaps Porziņģis

Golden State Warriors

Lithuania

Kasparas Jakučionis

Milwaukee Bucks

Lithuania

Domantas Sabonis

Sacramento Kings

Mexico

Karim López

Memphis Grizzlies

Ties to Spain

Montenegro

Nikola Vučević

Orlando Magic

Netherlands

Tristan Enaruna*

Cleveland Cavaliers

Ties to Nigeria

Netherlands

Malevy Leons*

Golden State Warriors

Netherlands

Quinten Post

Memphis Grizzlies

New Zealand

Steven Adams

Houston Rockets

Nigeria

Ugonna Onyenso*

Detroit Pistons

Nigeria

Charles Bassey

Golden State Warriors

Nigeria

Adem Bona

Philadelphia 76ers

Ties to Türkiye

Nigeria

Precious Achiuwa

Sacramento Kings

Nigeria

Josh Okogie

Utah Jazz

Nigeria

Felix Okpara*

Washington Wizards

Portugal

Neemias Queta

Boston Celtics

Ties to Guinea-Bissau

Russia

Egor Dёmin

Brooklyn Nets

Russia

Vladislav Goldin*

Miami Heat

Senegal

Mouhamed Gueye

Atlanta Hawks

Senegal

Khalifa Diop

Cleveland Cavaliers

Senegal

Tacko Fall*

Philadelphia 76ers

Serbia

Nikola Jokić

Denver Nuggets

Serbia

Bogdan Bogdanović

Houston Rockets

Serbia

Nikola Jović

Miami Heat

Serbia

Bogoljub Marković

Milwaukee Bucks

Serbia

Nikola Topić

Oklahoma City Thunder

Serbia

Tristan Vukčević

Washington Wizards

Ties to Sweden

**Slovenia **

Luka Dončić

Los Angeles Lakers

**South Sudan **

Khaman Maluach

Phoenix Suns

Ties to Uganda

**South Sudan **

Duop Reath*

Phoenix Suns

Ties to Australia

Spain

Hugo González

Boston Celtics

Spain

Santi Aldama

Dallas Mavericks

Spain

Sergio De Larrea

Dallas Mavericks

Spain

Baba Miller

LA Clippers

Spain

Aday Mara

Oklahoma City Thunder

Sweden

Pelle Larsson

Miami Heat

Switzerland

Clint Capela

Houston Rockets

Ties to Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo

Switzerland

Yanic Konan Niederhäuser

LA Clippers

Ties to Ivory Coast

Switzerland

Kyshawn George

Washington Wizards

Ties to Canada and France

Türkiye

Tarik Biberović

Dallas Mavericks

Ties to Bosnia and Herzegovina

Türkiye

Alperen Sengun

Houston Rockets

Ukraine

Svi Mykhailiuk

Utah Jazz

United Kingdom

Amari Williams*

Boston Celtics

United Kingdom

Tobi Lawal*

Dallas Mavericks

Ties to Nigeria

United Kingdom

OG Anunoby

New York Knicks

Ties to Nigeria

*Two-Way Player

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

Contact:
Kevin Alonzo
NBA
[email protected]
(212) 407-8158