Opening-Night Rosters Feature More Than 55 Players Who Were Either Born in Africa or Have at Least One Parent from Africa
Fifth Consecutive Season with at Least 120 International Players and 12th Straight Season with at Least 100 International Players
All 30 Teams Feature at Least One International Player
Atlanta Hawks Have Record-Tying 10 International Players
The National Basketball Association (NBA) (www.NBA.com) today announced that a record 135 international players from a record-tying 43 countries across six continents are on opening-night rosters for the 2025-26 season. Among the record 135 international players are more than 55 players who were either born in Africa or have at least one parent from Africa, including 2021 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria), 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP and seven-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon), 2019 NBA champion and three-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers; Cameroon) and 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and 2025 NBA All-Star 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 fifth consecutive season and at least 100 international players for the 12th straight season. All 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player. The previous record for international players (125) and the record for countries and territories represented (43) were set at the start of the 2023-24 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.
Canada (23 players), headlined by 2025 NBA champion and 2024-25 Kia NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), is the most-represented country outside the U.S. for the 12th consecutive season, followed by France, Australia, Germany (7) and Serbia (6).
The Atlanta Hawks feature a record-tying 10 international players, followed by the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors with seven apiece.
Below are additional international player milestones and storylines for the upcoming season:
Four international players have won the last seven Kia NBA MVP Awards: Gilgeous-Alexander (2024-25), 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and 2025 NBA All-Star Nikola Jokić (2023-24, 2021-22 and 2020-21), Embiid (2022-23) and Antetokounmpo (2019-20 and 2018-19). Last season also marked the fourth consecutive season that three international players finished top three in MVP voting: Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 1), Jokić (No. 2) and Antetokounmpo (No. 3).
There are a record 16 international players on opening-night rosters who have been NBA All-Stars: Antetokounmpo, five-time NBA All-Star and Kia All-NBA First Team member Luka Dončić (Los Angeles Lakers; Slovenia), Embiid, Gilgeous-Alexander, Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves; France), Al Horford (Golden State Warriors; Dominican Republic), Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks; Australia), Jokić, Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz; Finland), Kristaps Porziņģis (Hawks; Latvia), Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings; Lithuania), Alperen Sengun (Houston Rockets; Turkey), Siakam, Nikola Vučević (Chicago Bulls; Montenegro), Wembanyama and Andrew Wiggins (Miami Heat; Canada).
At least three international players have made the Kia All-NBA Team each season since 2018-19.
In the 2025-26 NBA GM Survey (https://apo-opa.co/3JkORcR), Jokić (No. 1), Dončić (No. 2), Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 3) and Wembanyama (No. 4) were voted the players most likely to win the 2025-26 Kia NBA MVP Award (67%, 10%, 8% and 7% of votes, respectively).
Three international players were voted as the players GMs would most want to sign if they were starting a franchise today: Wembanyama (83% of votes), Gilgeous-Alexander (13% of votes) and Jokić (3% of votes).
Opening-night rosters feature a record nine NBA Academy program alumni and more than 50 players who participated in Basketball Without Borders.
There are also several American players with parents from other countries, including Jalen Green (Phoenix Suns; ties to the Philippines), Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks; ties to the Dominican Republic) and Jaylin Williams (Thunder; ties to Vietnam).
The 80th NBA regular season tips off tonight with a doubleheader on NBA League Pass as the defending NBA champion Thunder hosts the Rockets (1:30 a.m. CAT) and the Warriors visit the Lakers (4 a.m. CAT). The 2025-26 season will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in more than 50 languages through the league’s broadcast partners around the world, including ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, ZAP TV and NTV in sub-Saharan Africa, 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 2025-26 opening-night NBA rosters (active and inactive):
Country
Name
Team
Ties
Australia
Dyson Daniels
Atlanta Hawks
Australia
Josh Green
Charlotte Hornets
Australia
Josh Giddey
Chicago Bulls
Australia
Lachlan Olbrich*
Chicago Bulls
Australia
Luke Travers*
Cleveland Cavaliers
Australia
Tyrese Proctor
Cleveland Cavaliers
Australia
Danté Exum
Dallas Mavericks
Australia
Kyrie Irving
Dallas Mavericks
Australia
Alex Toohey*
Golden State Warriors
Australia
Johnny Furphy
Indiana Pacers
Ties to Papua New Guinea
Australia
Jock Landale
Memphis Grizzlies
Australia
Joe Ingles
Minnesota Timberwolves
Australia
Rocco Zikarsky*
Minnesota Timberwolves
Austria
Jakob Poeltl
Toronto Raptors
Bahamas
Buddy Hield
Golden State Warriors
Bahamas
Deandre Ayton
Los Angeles Lakers
Ties to Nigeria
Bahamas
VJ Edgecombe
Philadelphia 76ers
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
Utah Jazz
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
Canada
Caleb Houstan*
Atlanta Hawks
Canada
Nickeil Alexander-Walker
Atlanta Hawks
Canada
Emanuel Miller*
Chicago Bulls
Canada
Dwight Powell
Dallas Mavericks
Canada
Ryan Nembhard*
Dallas Mavericks
Canada
Jamal Murray
Denver Nuggets
Canada
Jackson Rowe*
Golden State Warriors
Canada
Andrew Nembhard
Indiana Pacers
Canada
Bennedict Mathurin
Indiana Pacers
Ties to Haiti
Canada
Brandon Clarke
Memphis Grizzlies
Canada
Olivier-Maxence Prosper*
Memphis Grizzlies
Ties to Haiti
Canada
Zach Edey
Memphis Grizzlies
Canada
Andrew Wiggins
Miami Heat
Canada
Leonard Miller
Minnesota Timberwolves
Canada
Luguentz Dort
Oklahoma City Thunder
Canada
Dillon Brooks
Phoenix Suns
Canada
Shaedon Sharpe
Portland Trail Blazers
Canada
Kelly Olynyk
San Antonio Spurs
Canada
RJ Barrett
Toronto Raptors
Canada
AJ Lawson*
Toronto Raptors
Canada
Will Riley
Washington Wizards
Canada
Jahmyl Telfort*
LA Clippers
Ties to Haiti
Canada
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
Oklahoma City Thunder
China
Yang Hansen
Portland Trail Blazers
Croatia
Ivica Zubac
LA Clippers
Croatia
Dario Šarić
Sacramento Kings
Czech Republic
Vít Krejčí
Atlanta Hawks
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Jonathan Kuminga
Golden State Warriors
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Bismack Biyombo
San Antonio Spurs
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Oscar Tshiebwe*
Utah Jazz
Dominican Republic
Al Horford
Golden State Warriors
Dominican Republic
David Jones Garcia*
San Antonio Spurs
Finland
Lauri Markkanen
Utah Jazz
France
Zaccharie Risacher
Atlanta Hawks
France
Nolan Traoré
Brooklyn Nets
France
Tidjane Salaün
Charlotte Hornets
France
Moussa Diabaté
Charlotte Hornets
Ties to Guinea and Mali
France
Noa Essengue
Chicago Bulls
Ties to Cameroon
France
Nicolas Batum
LA Clippers
Ties to Cameroon
France
Joan Beringer
Minnesota Timberwolves
Ties to Benin
France
Rudy Gobert
Minnesota Timberwolves
France
Guerschon Yabusele
New York Knicks
Ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo
France
Mohamed Diawara
New York Knicks
Ties to Mali
France
Pacôme Dadiet
New York Knicks
Ties to Ivory Coast
France
Ousmane Dieng
Oklahoma City Thunder
Ties to Senegal
France
Rayan Rupert
Portland Trail Blazers
Ties to Morocco
France
Sidy Cissoko*
Portland Trail Blazers
Ties to Senegal
France
Maxime Raynaud
Sacramento Kings
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
France
Noah Penda
Orlando Magic
Ties to Cameroon and Martinique
Georgia
Goga Bitadze
Orlando Magic
Georgia
Sandro Mamukelashvili
Toronto Raptors
Germany
Maxi Kleber
Los Angeles Lakers
Germany
Ariel Hukporti
New York Knicks
Ties to Togo
Germany
Isaiah Hartenstein
Oklahoma City Thunder
Germany
Tristan da Silva
Orlando Magic
Ties to Brazil
Germany
Dennis Schröder
Sacramento Kings
Ties to The Gambia
Germany
Franz Wagner
Orlando Magic
Germany
Moritz Wagner
Orlando Magic
Greece
Alex Antetokounmpo*
Milwaukee Bucks
Ties to Nigeria
Greece
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks
Ties to Nigeria
Greece
Thanasis Antetokounmpo
Milwaukee Bucks
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
Phoenix Suns
Japan
Rui Hachimura
Los Angeles Lakers
Ties to Benin
Latvia
Kristaps Porziņģis
Atlanta Hawks
Lithuania
Jonas Valančiūnas
Denver Nuggets
Lithuania
Kasparas Jakučionis
Miami Heat
Lithuania
Domantas Sabonis
Sacramento Kings
Mali
N’Faly Dante
Atlanta Hawks
Montenegro
Nikola Vučević
Chicago Bulls
Netherlands
Quinten Post
Golden State Warriors
New Zealand
Steven Adams
Houston Rockets
Nigeria
Adem Bona
Philadelphia 76ers
Ties to Turkey
Nigeria
Josh Okogie
Houston Rockets
Portugal
Neemias Queta
Boston Celtics
Ties to Guinea-Bissau
Russia
Egor Dёmin
Brooklyn Nets
Russia
Vladislav Goldin*
Miami Heat
Senegal
Eli Ndiaye*
Atlanta Hawks
Senegal
Mouhamed Gueye
Atlanta Hawks
Serbia
Nikola Jokić
Denver Nuggets
Serbia
Bogdan Bogdanović
LA Clippers
Serbia
Nikola Jović
Miami Heat
Serbia
Nikola Topić
Oklahoma City Thunder
Serbia
Tristan Vukčević*
Washington Wizards
Ties to Sweden
Serbia
Nikola Đurišić
Atlanta Hawks
Slovenia
Luka Dončić
Los Angeles Lakers
South Sudan
Khaman Maluach
Phoenix Suns
Ties to Uganda
South Sudan
Duop Reath
Portland Trail Blazers
Ties to Australia
Spain
Hugo González
Boston Celtics
Spain
Santi Aldama
Memphis Grizzlies
St. Lucia
Chris Boucher
Boston Celtics
Ties to Canada
Sweden
Bobi Klintman
Detroit Pistons
Sweden
Pelle Larsson
Miami Heat
Switzerland
Clint Capela
Houston Rockets
Ties to Angola and the Democratic Republic of the Congo
Switzerland
Yanic Konan Niederhauser
LA Clippers
Ties to Ivory Coast
Switzerland
Kyshawn George
Washington Wizards
Ties to Canada and France
Turkey
Alperen Sengun
Houston Rockets
Ukraine
Svi Mykhailiuk
Utah Jazz
Ukraine
Max Shulga*
Boston Celtics
United Kingdom
Amari Williams*
Boston Celtics
United Kingdom
OG Anunoby
New York Knicks
Ties to Nigeria
United Kingdom
Tosan Evbuomwan*
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).