NBA rosters feature record 135 international players from record-tying 43 countries across six continents

Giannis Antetokounmpo (Left, from Greece) and Nikola Jokic (from Serbia) are two of the record-tying number of international players on NBA rosters.

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NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association (NBA) 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 a record 71 Europeans, including a record 19 players from France and a record four from the UK, as well as a record-tying 13 from Australia. 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.

The record 71 European players include 2021 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria), 2023 NBA champion and three-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia), five-time NBA All-Star and Kia All-NBA First Team member Luka Dončić (Los Angeles Lakers; Slovenia) 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).

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.

There are more than 55 players who were either born in Africa or have at least one parent from Africa, including Antetokounmpo, 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 Wembanyama.

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), 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, Dončić, 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, 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 NBC/Peacock as the defending NBA champion Thunder hosts the Rockets (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Warriors visit the Lakers (10 p.m. ET).  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 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
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
Karlo Matković
New Orleans Pelicans

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