- Third
Consecutive Year League Has at Least 100 International Players and
All
Teams Feature at Least One International Player -
Press Release
NEW
YORK, Oct.
25, 2016 – The 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.
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.
A number of high-profile international
players are scheduled to make their NBA debut during opening week, including:
· Dragan
Bender (Croatia), the No. 4 overall selection, and the Phoenix Suns are home
vs. the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday, Oct. 26 at 10 p.m. ET on NBA LEAGUE PASS
· Buddy
Hield (Bahamas), the No. 6 overall selection, and Jamal Murray (Canada), the No.
7 overall selection, will go head-to-head when the New Orleans Pelicans host
the Nuggets on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on NBA LEAGUE PASS
· Jakob
Poeltl, the No. 9 overall selection and the first Austrian player in NBA
history, and the Raptors are home vs. the Detroit Pistons on Oct. 26 at 7:30
p.m. ET on NBA LEAGUE PASS
· Thon
Maker (South Sudan), the No. 10 overall selection, and the Milwaukee Bucks will
host the Charlotte Hornets on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on NBA LEAGUE PASS
· 2014 lottery
selections Joel Embiid (Cameroon) and Dario Saric (Croatia) and the 76ers are
home vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder on Oct. 26 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN
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
|
Brooklyn Nets
|
|
Argentina
|
Dallas Mavericks
|
|
Argentina
|
San Antonio Spurs
|
|
Argentina
|
San Antonio Spurs
|
|
Australia
|
Cleveland Cavaliers
|
|
Australia
|
Dallas Mavericks
|
|
Australia
|
Detroit Pistons
|
|
Australia
|
Milwaukee Bucks
|
|
Australia
|
Philadelphia 76ers
|
|
Australia
|
San Antonio Spurs
|
|
Australia
|
Utah Jazz
|
|
Australia
|
Utah Jazz
|
|
Austria
|
Toronto Raptors
|
|
Bahamas
|
New Orleans Pelicans
|
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
Denver Nuggets
|
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
Los Angeles Lakers
|
|
Bosnia and Herzegovina
|
Milwaukee Bucks
|
|
Brazil
|
Atlanta Hawks
|
|
Brazil
|
Chicago Bulls
|
|
Brazil
|
Golden State Warriors
|
|
Brazil
|
Houston Rockets
|
|
Brazil
|
Los Angeles Lakers
|
|
Brazil
|
Phoenix Suns
|
|
Brazil
|
Toronto Raptors
|
|
Brazil
|
Toronto Raptors
|
|
Brazil
|
Utah Jazz
|
|
Cameroon
|
LA Clippers
|
|
Cameroon
|
Philadelphia 76ers
|
|
Cameroon
|
Toronto Raptors
|
|
Canada
|
Boston Celtics
|
|
Canada
|
Brooklyn Nets
|
|
Canada
|
Cleveland Cavaliers
|
|
Canada
|
Dallas Mavericks
|
|
Canada
|
Denver Nuggets
|
|
Canada
|
Houston Rockets
|
|
Canada
|
Minnesota Timberwolves
|
|
Canada
|
Philadelphia 76ers
|
|
Canada
|
Toronto Raptors
|
|
Canada
|
Utah Jazz
|
|
Canada
|
Washington Wizards
|
|
Cape Verde
|
Atlanta Hawks
|
|
Congo
|
Orlando Magic
|
|
Croatia
|
Brooklyn Nets
|
|
Croatia
|
Orlando Magic
|
|
Croatia
|
Orlando Magic
|
|
Croatia
|
Philadelphia 76ers
|
|
Croatia
|
Phoenix Suns
|
|
Czech Republic
|
Washington Wizards
|
|
Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
Denver Nuggets
|
|
Democratic Republic of the Congo
|
Orlando Magic
|
|
Dominican Republic
|
Boston Celtics
|
|
France
|
Charlotte Hornets
|
|
France
|
Indiana Pacers
|
|
France
|
New Orleans Pelicans
|
|
France
|
Oklahoma City Thunder
|
|
France
|
Orlando Magic
|
|
France
|
Philadelphia 76ers
|
|
France
|
San Antonio Spurs
|
|
France
|
Utah Jazz
|
|
France
|
Utah Jazz
|
|
France
|
Washington Wizards
|
|
Georgia
|
Golden State Warriors
|
|
Germany
|
Atlanta Hawks
|
|
Germany
|
Chicago Bulls
|
|
Germany
|
Dallas Mavericks
|
|
Greece
|
Milwaukee Bucks
|
|
Greece
|
Sacramento Kings
|
|
Haiti
|
Sacramento Kings
|
|
Israel
|
Sacramento Kings
|
|
Italy
|
Charlotte Hornets
|
|
Italy
|
Denver Nuggets
|
|
Latvia
|
New York Knicks
|
|
Latvia
|
San Antonio Spurs
|
|
Lithuania
|
New York Knicks
|
|
Lithuania
|
Oklahoma City Thunder
|
|
Lithuania
|
Toronto Raptors
|
|
Mali
|
New Orleans Pelicans
|
|
Montenegro
|
Chicago Bulls
|
|
Montenegro
|
Minnesota Timberwolves
|
|
Montenegro
|
Orlando Magic
|
|
New Zealand
|
Oklahoma City Thunder
|
|
Nigeria
|
Portland Trail Blazers
|
|
Poland
|
Washington Wizards
|
|
Puerto Rico
|
Dallas Mavericks
|
|
Russia
|
Los Angeles Lakers
|
|
Senegal
|
Minnesota Timberwolves
|
|
Senegal
|
New York Knicks
|
|
Serbia
|
Denver Nuggets
|
|
Serbia
|
Detroit Pistons
|
|
Serbia
|
Minnesota Timberwolves
|
|
Slovenia
|
Detroit Pistons
|
|
Slovenia
|
Miami Heat
|
|
Slovenia
|
New York Knicks
|
|
South Sudan
|
Los Angeles Lakers
|
|
South Sudan
|
Milwaukee Bucks
|
|
Spain
|
Denver Nuggets
|
|
Spain
|
Los Angeles Lakers
|
|
Spain
|
Memphis Grizzlies
|
|
Spain
|
Minnesota Timberwolves
|
|
Spain
|
New York Knicks
|
|
Spain
|
Oklahoma City Thunder
|
|
Spain
|
Philadelphia 76ers
|
|
Spain
|
San Antonio Spurs
|
|
Sweden
|
Boston Celtics
|
|
Switzerland
|
Atlanta Hawks
|
|
Switzerland
|
Houston Rockets
|
|
Tunisia
|
Dallas Mavericks
|
|
Turkey
|
New Orleans Pelicans
|
|
Turkey
|
Oklahoma City Thunder
|
|
Turkey
|
Oklahoma City Thunder
|
|
Ukraine
|
Phoenix Suns
|
|
Ukraine
|
Utah Jazz
|
|
Venezuela
|
Brooklyn Nets
|
###
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