NBA rosters feature 125 international players, a record number
NEW YORK : The NBA said Tuesday that 125 players, representing
40 nations and territories on six continents, were born outside of the United
States and will play on opening night.
Tuesday marks the start of the new NBA season,
and for the tenth year in a row, rosters for opening nights have included 100
or more players from outside the United States. All 30 teams have at least one
player who was born abroad.At the beginning of the 2017–2018 season and again
at the commencement of the 2021–2022 season, 121 players from other countries
set the previous record for this category.
What the MVP voting reveals about the NBA's
international reach
The 5th NBA debut night is tonight! The playoffs
are already being predicted by our experts at 14 a.m.
NBA 2023–2024 forecast: What you need to know about all 30 teams this year ten NBA Insiders
With 26 players,Canada has historically been the most well-represented nation outside of the
United States.With 14 players, France is in second place, led by San
Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama, who was selected first overall in this
year's NBA draft and is one of the most anticipated players in recent memory to
play in the league. On Wednesday, when the Spurs play the Dallas Mavericks,
Wembanyama will make his regular-season debut. 64 players from Europe
altogether were selected, with Serbian star and two-time league MVP Nikola
Jokic looking to lead his Denver Nuggets to a repeat championship.Following the
Mavericks and Oklahoma City Thunder with eight each are the Toronto Raptors and
the Spurs with seven each. Both the Phoenix Suns and the Boston Celtics have
six.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Joel Embiid (Cameroon), Jokic (Serbia), and Giannis
Antetokounmpo (2019–20 and 2018–19) are the three international players who
have won MVP awards in the previous five seasons.It's finally time for the
2023–24 NBA season! Our NBA Insiders are already planning for the postseason as
fans throughout the league get ready for two high-caliber games.
The Los Angeles Lakers and the reigning champion
Denver Nuggets square off in a rematch of their Western Conference final. Will
the Lakers and Nuggets inevitably face off in the playoffs? Will the Phoenix
Suns, who have undergone a makeover, go to the Finals when they play the Golden
State Warriors? The Milwaukee Bucks have launched the dynamic pair of Damian Lillard and Giannis Antetokounmpo, which will intensify the rivalry in the Eastern Conference. Can the Boston
Celtics, who built their own superteam this offseason when they acquired Jrue
Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis, avenge their postseason loss to the Miami Heat?
Could a team that is on the rise, like the New York Knicks, enter the race?
Which team is most prepared to win it all, most
importantly? Can Nikola Jokic, the current MVP of the Finals, repeat? Can Chris
Paul win his first championship as Stephen Curry wins his fifth? Which famous person might make the next approach?
Could Joel Embiid, the current MVP, look elsewhere to win his first title with
the controversy surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers and James Harden? Moreover,
after five seasons with the Atlanta Hawks, may two-time All-Star Trae Young try
to join a strong squad?
We're releasing our analysts' predictions for
the conference finals, NBA Finals, and possible superstar movement before
Tuesday night's tip-off