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Opening-night rosters will feature a record 71 European players, including record 19 French players.
October 22, 2025
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Left, from Greece) and Nikola Jokic (from Serbia) are two of the record-tying number of international players on NBA rosters.
NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that a record 135 international players from a record-tying 43 countries across six continents are on opening-night rosters for the 2025-26 season. Among the record 135 international players are a record 71 Europeans, including a record 19 players from France and a record four from the UK, as well as a record-tying 13 from Australia. Opening-night rosters feature at least 120 international players for the fifth consecutive season and at least 100 international players for the 12th straight season. All 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player.
The previous record for international players (125) and the record for countries and territories represented (43) were set at the start of the 2023-24 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.
The record 71 European players include 2021 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria), 2023 NBA champion and three-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia), five-time NBA All-Star and Kia All-NBA First Team member Luka Dončić (Los Angeles Lakers; Slovenia) and 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and 2025 NBA All-Star Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs; France; ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Canada (23 players), headlined by 2025 NBA champion and 2024-25 Kia NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), is the most-represented country outside the U.S. for the 12th consecutive season, followed by France, Australia, Germany (7) and Serbia (6).
The Atlanta Hawks feature a record-tying 10 international players, followed by the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors with seven apiece.
There are more than 55 players who were either born in Africa or have at least one parent from Africa, including Antetokounmpo, 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP and seven-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon), 2019 NBA champion and three-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers; Cameroon) and Wembanyama.
NBA rosters feature record 135 international players from record-tying 43 countries across six continents
NBA rosters feature record-tying 135 international players from record-tying 43 countries across six continents
Opening-night rosters will feature a record 71 European players, including record 19 French players.
October 22, 2025
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Left, from Greece) and Nikola Jokic (from Serbia) are two of the record-tying number of international players on NBA rosters.
NEW YORK – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that a record 135 international players from a record-tying 43 countries across six continents are on opening-night rosters for the 2025-26 season. Among the record 135 international players are a record 71 Europeans, including a record 19 players from France and a record four from the UK, as well as a record-tying 13 from Australia. Opening-night rosters feature at least 120 international players for the fifth consecutive season and at least 100 international players for the 12th straight season. All 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player.
The previous record for international players (125) and the record for countries and territories represented (43) were set at the start of the 2023-24 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.
The record 71 European players include 2021 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria), 2023 NBA champion and three-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia), five-time NBA All-Star and Kia All-NBA First Team member Luka Dončić (Los Angeles Lakers; Slovenia) and 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year and 2025 NBA All-Star Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs; France; ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo).
Canada (23 players), headlined by 2025 NBA champion and 2024-25 Kia NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), is the most-represented country outside the U.S. for the 12th consecutive season, followed by France, Australia, Germany (7) and Serbia (6).
The Atlanta Hawks feature a record-tying 10 international players, followed by the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors with seven apiece.
There are more than 55 players who were either born in Africa or have at least one parent from Africa, including Antetokounmpo, 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP and seven-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon), 2019 NBA champion and three-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers; Cameroon) and Wembanyama.
