NBA NEWS - 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries

NBA MVP Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets; Serbia) has won the last six Kia NBA MVP Awards - (Keith Allison photo)

NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) is one of record-tying 17 players from Africa - (Keith Allison Photo)

San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyamai is one of a record-tying 14 players from France - (NBA Photo) VICTOR WEMBANYAMA = THE REAL DEAL

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

Bill Russell is seen here in the green uniform guarding Wilt Chamberlain. They had some of the NBA's most classic battles. Russell sadly passed away Sunday at the age of 88 - (US Library of Congress image) ALL TIME NBA 1st TEAM - BREAKING IT DOWN

A record number of players from Australia (13), Germany (8) and Cameroon (5), and a record-tying 14 players from France and 17 from the continent of Africa

NEW YORK, NY USA

Tuesday October 22, 2024

The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that a record-tying 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries across six continents are on opening-night rosters for the 2024-25 season, including a record number of players from Australia (13), Germany (8) and Cameroon (5), and a record-tying 14 players from France and 17 from the continent of Africa. Opening-night rosters feature at least 120 international players for the fourth consecutive season and at least 100 international players for the 11th straight season. All 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player.

The records for international players and countries and territories represented were set at the start of the 2023-24 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.

For the 11th consecutive season, Canada is the most-represented country outside of the U.S. with 21 players, followed by France, Australia, Germany and Serbia (6). There are 61 European players on opening-night rosters, including four members of the 2023-24 Kia All-NBA Team: 2021 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria), five-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team member Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia), 2023 NBA champion and three-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets; Serbia), and three-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings; Lithuania).

The record-tying 17 players from Africa, including a record five players from Cameroon, are headlined by 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP and seven-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers).

The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Portland Trail Blazers feature a league-high seven international players each, followed by the Atlanta Hawks, Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors with six each.

o Three international players have won the last six Kia NBA MVP Awards: Embiid (2022-23), Jokic (2023-24, 2021-22 and 2020-21) and Antetokounmpo (2019-20 and 2018-19). Last season also marked the third consecutive season that three international players finished top three in MVP voting: Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder; Canada) and Doncic. Antetokounmpo and the Bucks visit Embiid and the 76ers on Wednesday, Oct. 23 at 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN in the season opener for both teams. Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder visit Jokic and the Nuggets on Thursday, Oct. 24 at 10 p.m. ET on TNT in the season opener for both teams.

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

o At least five international players have made the Kia All-NBA Team each season since 2018-19.

o As part of the 2024-25 NBA GM Survey, Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 1), Doncic (No. 2), and Embiid and Jokic (T- No. 3 with the Celtics' Jayson Tatum) were voted as the players most likely to win the 2024-25 Kia NBA MVP Award (40%, 30% and 7% of votes, respectively).

o Four international players were voted as the players GMs would most want to sign if they were starting a franchise today: 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs; France; ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo; 77% of votes), Gilgeous-Alexander (10% of votes), Jokic (10% of votes) and Doncic (3% of votes). Wembanyama and the Spurs visit Doncic and the Mavericks on Oct. 24 at 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT in the season opener for both teams.

o 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 (Rockets; ties to the Philippines), Karl-Anthony Towns (New York Knicks; ties to the Dominican Republic) and Jaylin Williams (Thunder; ties to Vietnam).

The 79th NBA regular season tips off tonight with a doubleheader on TNT and will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in 60 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. In the first game, Horford and the defending NBA champion Celtics will receive their championship rings before hosting OG Anunoby (United Kingdom; ties to Nigeria), Towns and the Knicks (7:30 p.m. ET). In the second game, Gobert and the Timberwolves visit Rui Hachimura (Japan) and the Los Angeles Lakers (10 p.m. ET).

THIS DAY IN THE NBA

October 22, 1957 Sam Jones made his debut for the Boston Celtics at the St. Louis Hawks. The Celtics won 115-90.

October 22, 1958 Elgin Baylor made his debut for the Minneapolis Lakers at home against the Cincinnati Royals. The Lakers won 99-79.

October 22, 1960 Lenny Wilkens made his debut for the St. Louis Hawks at home against the Los Angeles Lakers. The Hawks won 112-96.

October 22, 1976 Robert Parish made his debut for the Golden State Warriors at home against the New York Nets. The Nets won 104-103.

October 22, 1976 Twin brothers Tom and Dick Van Arsdale played together in a game for the Phoenix Suns, becoming the first and only pair of twins to play for the same NBA club. The Suns ended up losing the game 111-98 to the New Orleans Jazz.

October 22, 1999 NBA legend Wilt Chamberlain, who died October 12, 1999 at the age of 63, is the subject of ESPN's SportsCentury series. Chamberlain was selected by a distinguished panel of 48 journalists, historians, observers and administrators as #13 on the list of the greatest North American athletes of the 20th Century. The charismatic Chamberlain played 14 seasons with the Warriors, 76ers and Lakers and dominated the NBA like no other player ever. He holds numerous NBA records, most notably for single-season scoring average (50.4 ppg), single-season minutes (48.5 minutes per game) and highest single-season rebound average (27.3 rpg). On March 2, 1962, Chamberlain did the unthinkable and scored 100 points in a game against the Knicks. For his career, Chamberlain averaged 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds. Before coming to the NBA, Chamberlain played at the University of Kansas and averaged 29.9 points and 18.3 rebounds for his career.

NBA's ALL TIME BEST PLAYERS

NBA's 50 GREATEST PLAYERS of ALL TIME LIST

On October 29, 1996 In conjunction with the NBA’s 50th anniversary celebration, the list of The 50 Greatest Players in NBA History was announced. It included: Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Nate Archibald, Paul Arizin, Charles Barkley, Rick Barry, Elgin Baylor, Dave Bing, Larry Bird, Wilt Chamberlain, Bob Cousy, Dave Cowens, Billy Cunningham, Dave DeBusschere, Clyde Drexler, Julius Erving, Patrick Ewing, Walt Frazier, George Gervin, Hal Greer, John Havlicek, Elvin Hayes, Earvin Johnson, Sam Jones, Michael Jordan, Jerry Lucas, Karl Malone, Moses Malone, Pete Maravich, Kevin McHale, George Mikan, Earl Monroe, Shaquille O’Neal, Hakeem Olajuwon, Robert Parish, Bob Pettit, Scottie Pippen, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Bill Russell, Dolph Schayes, Bill Sharman, John Stockton, Isiah Thomas, Nate Thurmond, Wes Unseld, Bill Walton, Jerry West, Lenny Wilkens, and James Worthy

COMMING THE KARDASHIANS RAID THE NBA

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