NBA NEWS - NBA rosters feature record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories

NBA rosters feature record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories - (NBA Graphic)

San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama is the 14th international player to be selected first overall in the NBA Draft and the highest-drafted French player ever - (NBA Photo)

New York Liberty player Sabrina Ionescu was fined $2,000 for declining to be available for postgame media interviews - (NBA Photo)

Los Angeles Lakers Magic Johnson and Boston Celtics Larry Bird in Game two of the 1985 NBA Finals at Boston Garden Date 30 May 1985 - Steve Lipofsky www.Basketballphoto.com ALL TIME NBA 1st TEAM - BREAKING IT DOWN MAGIC JOHNSON & PHAL SAMPHORS

LeBron James owns the ball - (Erik Drost - photo) LeBron James!!! No Way Back in The Day

THE CRUCIFIXION of KYRIE IRVING was excessive THE CRUCIFIXION of KYRIE IRVING

Charles Barkley was a member of the 1992 USA Olympic Dream team BUT… he was never a member of an NBA title winning team ALL TIME NBA NEVER WON-NA TITLE TEAM

The previous record for international players (121) and current record for countries and territories represented (42) were set at the start of the 2021-22 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively. - BAD GIRLS = OUTTA POCKET- THIS DAY IN THE NBA

NEW YORK, NY USA

Monday October 23, 2023

The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that a record 125 international players from 40 countries and territories are on opening-night rosters for the 2023-24 season, including a record number of players from Canada (26) and France (14). This marks the third consecutive season that opening-night rosters feature at least 120 international players and the 10th straight season that opening-night rosters have at least 100 international players. All 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player.

The previous record for international players (121) and current record for countries and territories represented (42) were set at the start of the 2021-22 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.

For the 10th consecutive season, Canada is the most-represented country outside of the U.S., followed by France, Australia (nine players), Serbia (seven players) and Germany (six players).

Nigeria and Turkey each have five players. There are 64 European players on opening-night rosters, including four members of the 2022-23 Kia All-NBA Team: 2021 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria), four-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team member Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia), 2023 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets; Serbia) and three-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings; Lithuania). There are also 15 players from Africa, including 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon).

The Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder feature a league-high eight international players each, followed by the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs with seven international players each. The Boston Celtics and the Phoenix Suns each have six.

Below are additional international player milestones for the upcoming season:

" Three international players have won the last five Kia NBA MVP Awards: Embiid (2022-23), Jokic (2021-22 and 2020-21) and Antetokounmpo (2019-20 and 2018-19). Last season also marked the second consecutive season that Embiid, Jokic and Antetokounmpo finished top three in MVP voting. Embiid and the 76ers visit Antetokounmpo and the Bucks on Thursday, Oct. 26 in the season opener for both teams.

" There are 15 international players on opening-night rosters who have been NBA All-Stars: Antetokounmpo, Doncic, Embiid, Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves; France), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder; Canada), Al Horford (Celtics; Dominican Republic), Kyrie Irving (Mavericks; Australia), Jokic, Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz; Finland), Kristaps Porzingis (Celtics; Latvia), Sabonis, Pascal Siakam (Raptors; Cameroon), Ben Simmons (Brooklyn Nets; Australia), Nikola Vucevic (Chicago Bulls; Montenegro) and Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors; Canada).

" At least five international players have made the Kia All-NBA Team each season since 2018-19. " As part of the 2023-24 NBA GM Survey, Jokic, Antetokounmpo and Doncic were voted the No. 1, 2 and 4 players most likely to win the 2023-24 Kia NBA MVP Award (43%, 20% and 10% of votes, respectively). Jokic, 2023 No. 1 overall pick Victor Wembanyama (Spurs; France), Antetokounmpo and Doncic were voted the No. 1, 2, 3 and 4 players whom GMs would most want to sign if they were starting a franchise today (33%, 23%, 13% and 10%, respectively).

" Wembanyama is the 14th international player to be selected first overall in the NBA Draft and the highest-drafted French player ever.

" Forty-one international players on opening-night rosters participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB) prior to their NBA careers, including Deandre Ayton (Portland Trail Blazers; Bahamas; BWB Global 2016), Embiid (BWB Africa 2011), Gilgeous-Alexander (BWB Global 2016), Rui Hachimura (Los Angeles Lakers; Japan; BWB Global 2016), Jamal Murray (Nuggets; Canada; BWB Global 2015), Siakam (BWB Africa 2012) and Jonas Valanciunas (New Orleans Pelicans; Lithuania; BWB Europe 2008). BWB, the NBA and FIBA's global basketball development and community outreach program, has seen 112 former campers advance to the NBA or WNBA since 2001.

" There are a record four NBA Academy graduates on opening-night rosters: Dyson Daniels (Pelicans; Australia; NBA Global Academy), Josh Giddey (Thunder; Australia; NBA Global Academy), Bennedict Mathurin (Indiana Pacers; Canada; ties to Haiti; NBA Academy Latin America) and Olivier-Maxence Prosper (Mavericks; Canada; ties to Haiti; NBA Academy Latin America). NBA Academy is a year-round elite basketball development program that provides top high-school-age athletes from outside the U.S. with a holistic approach to player development and a predictable pathway to maximize their potential.

" A record 55 current NBA players were featured on national team rosters for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, including four on the gold medal-winning German Men's National Team: tournament MVP Dennis Schröder (Raptors), Daniel Theis (Pacers) and brothers Franz and Moritz Wagner (Orlando Magic).

" There are also a number of American players with ties to other countries as well as more than 35 players with at least one parent from an African country. Among the American players with ties to other countries are Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat; ties to Nigeria), Jalen Green (Houston Rockets; ties to the Philippines), Matisse Thybulle (Trail Blazers; ties to Australia and Haiti), Karl-Anthony Towns (Timberwolves; ties to the Dominican Republic) and Jaylin Williams (Thunder; ties to Vietnam).

OUTTA POCKET

New York Liberty fined

October 19, 2023 NEW YORK

The New York Liberty organization has been fined $25,000 for violating league rules governing postgame media interview access, the WNBA announced today. The fine results from select Liberty players not participating in postgame media availability following Game 4 of the 2023 WNBA Finals Presented by YouTube TV on Wednesday night.

In addition, Liberty players Sabrina Ionescu, Jonquel Jones and Betnijah Laney were each fined $2,000 for declining to make themselves available for postgame media interviews.

By league policy, following the conclusion of a team’s postgame press conference in the interview room with its head coach and two key players, any additional players requested by in-person media are required to be available for interviews in an alternate location.

October 23, 1967 The New Jersey Americans (today the New Jersey Nets), a new ABA franchise sold to Arthur Brown, played its first game.

October 23, 1975 Bill Willoughby made his debut for the Atlanta Hawks, becoming the youngest player in league history at 18 years, five months and three days old.

October 23, 1987 The Milwaukee Bucks defeated Tracer Milan of Italy 123-111 in the opening game of the first McDonald’s Championship, held at the Milwaukee Arena. The Bucks defeated the Soviet National Team 127-100 in the championship game of the tournament, sponsored by the NBA and FIBA.

October 23, 1993 In the finals of the sixth McDonald’s Championship, held at the Olympiahalle in Munich, Germany, the Phoenix Suns defeated Italian League champion Buckler Bologna 112-90, as Charles Barkley led all scorers with 28 points. Barkley was awarded the Drazen Petrovic Trophy as MVP of the tournament, after scoring 52 points in two games

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