New record for international NBA players, 61 Europeans

2016-10-25T17:34:51+00:00 2016-10-25T18:09:14+00:00.

Aris Barkas

25/Oct/16 17:34

Eurohoops.net

Τhe National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that a record 113 international players from a record 41 countries and territories are on opening night rosters for the 2016-17 season

By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net

Τhe National Basketball Association (NBA) announced today that a record 113 international players from a record 41 countries and territories are on opening night rosters for the 2016-17 season.  This marks the third consecutive season that opening night rosters feature at least 100 international players and that all 30 teams have at least one international player.

Opening night rosters feature a record number of European (61), African (14) and Spanish (8) players.  Canada has the most of any country for the third straight year with 11 NBA players. France comes in second for the third consecutive year with 10 NBA players. Brazil features a record-tying nine players, Australia features a record-tying eight players, while Croatia has a record-tying five NBA players.

It has to be noted that well known players who have competed for their national teams, like Greek-American Kostas Koufos and French Joakim Noah who was born in the States, are not included on the official list. If they are added, the number rises to 63 Europeans. On the other hand, Kyrie Irving despite being a key member of Team USA is part of the list as an Australian.

The Utah Jazz leads the league with seven international players, while the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors each feature six.  The Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and New York Knicks field five each.

The NBA’s 71st season begins tonight with a doubleheader on TNT as part of Kia NBA Tip-Off 2016.  In the opening game, the NBA Champion Cleveland Cavaliers will host the New York Knicks at 7:30 p.m. ET.  In the second game, the San Antonio Spurs visit the Golden State Warriors at 10:30 p.m. for a matchup of the teams with the league’s best records last season.  In addition, the Portland Trail Blazers will host the Utah Jazz at 10 p.m. ET on NBA LEAGUE PASS.

The previous records for international players (101) and countries and territories represented (39) were set at the start of the 2014-15 and 2013-14 seasons, respectively.  NBA rosters at the start of the 2015-16 season featured 100 international players from 37 countries and territories. 

Below please find the full list of international players on 2016-17 opening night rosters (active and inactive):

Country Full Name NBA Team
Argentina Luis Scola Brooklyn Nets
Argentina Nicolas Brussino Dallas Mavericks
Argentina Nicolas Laprovittola San Antonio Spurs
Argentina Manu Ginobili San Antonio Spurs
Australia Kyrie Irving Cleveland Cavaliers
Australia Andrew Bogut Dallas Mavericks
Australia Aron Baynes Detroit Pistons
Australia Matthew Dellavedova Milwaukee Bucks
Australia Ben Simmons Philadelphia 76ers
Australia Patty Mills San Antonio Spurs
Australia Dante Exum Utah Jazz
Australia Joe Ingles Utah Jazz
Austria Jakob Poeltl Toronto Raptors
Bahamas Buddy Hield New Orleans Pelicans
Bosnia and Herzegovina Jusuf Nurkic Denver Nuggets
Bosnia and Herzegovina Ivica Zubac Los Angeles Lakers
Bosnia and Herzegovina Mirza Teletovic Milwaukee Bucks
Brazil Tiago Splitter Atlanta Hawks
Brazil Cristiano Felicio Chicago Bulls
Brazil Anderson Varejao Golden State Warriors
Brazil Nene Houston Rockets
Brazil Marcelo Huertas Los Angeles Lakers
Brazil Leandro Barbosa Phoenix Suns
Brazil Bruno Caboclo Toronto Raptors
Brazil Lucas Nogueira Toronto Raptors
Brazil Raul Neto Utah Jazz
Cameroon Luc Mbah a Moute LA Clippers
Cameroon Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers
Cameroon Pascal Siakam Toronto Raptors
Canada Kelly Olynyk Boston Celtics
Canada Anthony Bennett Brooklyn Nets
Canada Tristan Thompson Cleveland Cavaliers
Canada Dwight Powell Dallas Mavericks
Canada Jamal Murray Denver Nuggets
Canada Tyler Ennis Houston Rockets
Canada Andrew Wiggins Minnesota Timberwolves
Canada Nik Stauskas Philadelphia 76ers
Canada Cory Joseph Toronto Raptors
Canada Trey Lyles Utah Jazz
Canada Andrew Nicholson Washington Wizards
Cape Verde Walter Tavares Atlanta Hawks
Congo Serge Ibaka Orlando Magic
Croatia Bojan Bogdanovic Brooklyn Nets
Croatia Damjan Rudez Orlando Magic
Croatia Mario Hezonja Orlando Magic
Croatia Dario Saric Philadelphia 76ers
Croatia Dragan Bender Phoenix Suns
Czech Republic Tomas Satoransky Washington Wizards
Democratic Republic of the Congo Emmanuel Mudiay Denver Nuggets
Democratic Republic of the Congo Bismack Biyombo Orlando Magic
Dominican Republic Al Horford Boston Celtics
France Nicolas Batum Charlotte Hornets
France Kevin Seraphin Indiana Pacers
France Alexis Ajinca New Orleans Pelicans
France Joffrey Lauvergne Oklahoma City Thunder
France Evan Fournier Orlando Magic
France Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot Philadelphia 76ers
France Tony Parker San Antonio Spurs
France Boris Diaw Utah Jazz
France Rudy Gobert Utah Jazz
France Ian Mahinmi Washington Wizards
Georgia Zaza Pachulia Golden State Warriors
Germany Dennis Schroder Atlanta Hawks
Germany Paul Zipser Chicago Bulls
Germany Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks
Greece Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks
Greece Georgios Papagiannis Sacramento Kings
Haiti Skal Labissiere Sacramento Kings
Israel Omri Casspi Sacramento Kings
Italy Marco Belinelli Charlotte Hornets
Italy Danilo Gallinari Denver Nuggets
Latvia Kristaps Porzingis New York Knicks
Latvia Davis Bertans San Antonio Spurs
Lithuania Mindaugas Kuzminskas New York Knicks
Lithuania Domantas Sabonis Oklahoma City Thunder
Lithuania Jonas Valanciunas Toronto Raptors
Mali Cheick Diallo New Orleans Pelicans
Montenegro Nikola Mirotic Chicago Bulls
Montenegro Nikola Pekovic Minnesota Timberwolves
Montenegro Nikola Vucevic Orlando Magic
New Zealand Steven Adams Oklahoma City Thunder
Nigeria Festus Ezeli Portland Trail Blazers
Poland Marcin Gortat Washington Wizards
Puerto Rico Jose Juan Barea Dallas Mavericks
Russia Timofey Mozgov Los Angeles Lakers
Senegal Gorgui Dieng Minnesota Timberwolves
Senegal Maurice Ndour New York Knicks
Serbia Nikola Jokic Denver Nuggets
Serbia Boban Marjanovic Detroit Pistons
Serbia Nemanja Bjelica Minnesota Timberwolves
Slovenia Beno Udrih Detroit Pistons
Slovenia Goran Dragic Miami Heat
Slovenia Sasha Vujacic New York Knicks
South Sudan Luol Deng Los Angeles Lakers
South Sudan Thon Maker Milwaukee Bucks
Spain Juancho Hernangomez Denver Nuggets
Spain Jose Calderon Los Angeles Lakers
Spain Marc Gasol Memphis Grizzlies
Spain Ricky Rubio Minnesota Timberwolves
Spain Guillermo Hernangomez New York Knicks
Spain Alex Abrines Oklahoma City Thunder
Spain Sergio Rodriguez Philadelphia 76ers
Spain Pau Gasol San Antonio Spurs
Sweden Jonas Jerebko Boston Celtics
Switzerland Thabo Sefolosha Atlanta Hawks
Switzerland Clint Capela Houston Rockets
Tunisia Salah Mejri Dallas Mavericks
Turkey Omer Asik New Orleans Pelicans
Turkey Enes Kanter Oklahoma City Thunder
Turkey Ersan Ilyasova Oklahoma City Thunder
Ukraine Alex Len Phoenix Suns
Ukraine Joel Bolomboy Utah Jazz
Venezuela Greivis Vasquez Brooklyn Nets

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