Record 125 International Players to Start in NBA's Opening Night Rosters

Players representing 40 countries, mainly from Canada and Europe, highlight the NBA's global growth; all 30 teams have at least one foreign-born player with the Mavericks and Thunder leading the pack with eight each.

For the 10th consecutive year, the NBA has at least 100 international players on its opening-night rosters, setting a new record with 125 players from 40 countries and six continents.
Canada and Europe are the most represented locations, with 26 Canadian players and 64 European players featured respectively.
The Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder both have a league-high eight international players on their rosters, closely followed by the Toronto Raptors and the San Antonio Spurs with seven each.
Notable international NBA stars include two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from Greece, four-time All-Star Luka Dončić from Slovenia, three-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis from Lithuania, and two-time MVP and reigning champion Nikola Jokić from Serbia.
The past five NBA Most Valuable Player awards have all been awarded to international players, highlighting the significant global impact on the league's competitiveness.