NBA opening night rosters feature 125 international players, including 70 from Europe.
A record 60 players were either born in Africa or have at least one parent born on the continent.
The Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards have the most international players.
In 1946, the NBA opened its first season with a game between the New York Knickerbockers and the Toronto Huskers in Ontario, Canada.
Suiting up for the Huskers that night was Italian-born Hank Biasatti. The 5-foot-11 guard who grew up in Windsor, Ontario, didn’t have a long basketball career but he was the first international player to appear in an NBA game. His German-born teammate Charlier Hoefer also took the court in that game.
Thirty-two years later, Mychal Thompson from the Bahamas was the first foreign-born player to be selected No. 1 in the NBA draft.
The league reached at least 10 international players for the first time in 1984, and that number has grown significantly with each passing decade.
Opening night rosters for the 2026-27 season featured 125 international players from 43 countries across six continents, according to the NBA. International players account for nearly a quarter of the roughly 540 players, including two-way players, on NBA rosters.
The record 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. The 70 European players mark the second consecutive season and second time ever with at least that many.
This is the sixth consecutive season that opening-night rosters have at least 120 international players and the 13th straight season with at least 100 international players.
All 30 NBA teams have at least one international player. The Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards have seven each, the most among all teams.
Miami Heat forward Giannis Antetokounmpo (7) comes under pressure from Brooklyn Nets forward Julius Randle (30) during the second half of an NBA preseason basketball game, Wednesday, Oct. 14, 2026, in Miami. | Rebecca Blackwell, Associated Press
Countries with the most international NBA players
The country with the most international NBA players?
France leads the way with 17, the first time in 13 years that a country other than Canada has had the most. Canada is next with 16 followed by Australia with nine.
France’s growing NBA presence reflects a growing basketball culture and an organized development system. Local clubs, regional training centers, an elite sports institute and professional club academies offer pathways for promising young players. Stars like Tony Parker and now Victor Wembanyama have helped make the NBA feel achievable.
Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, the NBA, the French Basketball Federation and France’s top professional basketball league partnered on initiatives to expand youth basketball development in the country.
Here’s the list of international players on 2026-27 opening-night NBA rosters, including active, inactive and two-way players:
Atlanta Hawks
Dyson Daniels — Australia
Jock Landale — Australia
Nickeil Alexander-Walker — Canada
Luguentz Dort — Canada
Henri Veesaar — Estonia
Mouhamed Gueye — Senegal
Boston Celtics
Neemias Queta — Portugal
Hugo González — Spain
Amari Williams — United Kingdom
Brooklyn Nets
Nolan Traoré — France
Moritz Wagner — Germany
Ben Saraf — Israel
Egor Dёmin — Russia
Charlotte Hornets
Moussa Diabaté — France
Tidjane Salaün — France
Dennis Schröder — Germany
Hannes Steinbach — Germany
Chicago Bulls
Chicago Bulls guard Josh Giddey (3) dribbles the ball against the Milwaukee Bucks during an NBA preseason basketball game, Wednesday Oct. 14, 2026, in Milwaukee. | Ross Harried, Associated Press
Josh Giddey — Australia
Buddy Hield — Bahamas
Leonard Miller — Canada
Noa Essengue — France
Cleveland Cavaliers
Tyrese Proctor — Australia
Mario Hezonja — Croatia
Tristan Enaruna — Netherlands
Khalifa Diop — Senegal
Dallas Mavericks
Kyrie Irving — Australia
Zaccharie Risacher — France
Moussa Cissé — Guinea
Santi Aldama — Spain
Sergio De Larrea — Spain
Tarik Biberović — Türkiye
Tobi Lawal* — United Kingdom
Denver Nuggets
Jamal Murray — Canada
Ryan Nembhard — Canada
Nikola Jokić — Serbia
Detroit Pistons
Ugonna Onyenso — Nigeria
Golden State Warriors
Golden State Warriors center Charles Bassey (28) and Los Angeles Lakers center Walker Kessler (14) chase a loose ball during the first half of a preseason NBA basketball game Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2026, in Las Vegas. | David Becker, Associated Press
Gui Santos — Brazil
Al Horford — Dominican Republic
Kristaps Porziņģis — Latvia
Malevy Leons — Netherlands
Charles Bassey — Nigeria
Houston Rockets
Oscar Tshiebwe — Democratic Republic of the Congo
Steven Adams — New Zealand
Bogdan Bogdanović — Serbia
Clint Capela — Switzerland
Alperen Sengun — Türkiye
Indiana Pacers
Johnny Furphy — Australia
Pascal Siakam — Cameroon
Andrew Nembhard — Canada
Ivica Zubac — Croatia
Los Angeles Clippers
Rui Hachimura — Japan; ties to Benin
Baba Miller — Spain
Yanic Konan Niederhäuser — Switzerland
Los Angeles Lakers
Sandro Mamukelashvili — Georgia
Luka Dončić — Slovenia
Memphis Grizzlies
Memphis Grizzlies forward Karim Lopez, of Mexico, shoots against Atlanta Hawks forward Asa Newell (14) in the second half of a preseason NBA basketball game, Monday, Oct. 5, 2026, in Atlanta. | Mike Stewart, Associated Press
Zach Edey — Canada
Olivier-Maxence Prosper — Canada
Karim López — Mexico
Quinten Post — Netherlands
Miami Heat
Andrew Wiggins — Canada
Giannis Antetokounmpo — Greece
Simone Fontecchio — Italy
Nick Richards — Jamaica
Vladislav Goldin — Russia
Nikola Jokić — Serbia
Pelle Larsson — Sweden
Milwaukee Bucks
Ousmane Dieng — France; ties to Senegal
Kasparas Jakučionis — Lithuania
Bogoljub Marković — Serbia
Minnesota Timberwolves
Rocco Zikarsky — Australia
Trey Lyles — Canada
Jonathan Kuminga — Democratic Republic of the Congo
Joan Beringer — France
Rudy Gobert — France
New Orleans Pelicans
Yves Missi — Cameroon
Bennedict Mathurin — Canada
Karlo Matković — Croatia
New York Knicks
New York Knicks forward PacÙme Dadiet gestures to the bench after hitting the second of back-to-back 3-point baskets against the Denver Nuggets in the second half of an NBA basketball game Friday, March 6, 2026, in Denver. | David Zalubowski, Associated Press
Pacôme Dadiet — France
Mohamed Diawara — France
OG Anunoby — United Kingdom
Oklahoma City Thunder
Ajay Mitchell — Belgium
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — Canada
Isaiah Hartenstein — Germany
Nikola Topić — Serbia
Aday Mara — Spain
Orlando Magic
Noah Penda — France
Goga Bitadze — Georgia
Tristan da Silva — Germany
Franz Wagner — Germany
Nikola Vučević — Montenegro
Philadelphia 76ers
VJ Edgecombe — Bahamas
Joel Embiid — Cameroon
Rayan Rupert — France
Ariel Hukporti — Germany
Adem Bona — Nigeria
Tacko Fall — Senegal
Phoenix Suns
Dillon Brooks — Canada
Khaman Maluach — South Sudan
Duop Reath — South Sudan
Portland Trail Blazers
Portland Trail Blazers center Yang Hansen (16) and Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler (24) go for the ball during a preseason NBA game at the Delta Center in Salt Lake City on Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. | Tess Crowley, Deseret News
