New record: 42 countries represented in the NBA

By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net

This marks the fourth consecutive season that opening-night rosters feature at least 100 international players and that all 30 teams have at least one international player.

The record for international players (113) and previous record for countries and territories represented (41) were set at the start of the 2016-17 season.

In addition to the 108 international players on 2017-18 opening-night rosters, there are five international players on “two-way” contracts. Beginning this season, NBA teams can sign up to two two-way players to NBA contracts. These contracts allow two-way players to be with their NBA parent team for up to 45 days, spending most of the season in the NBA G League.

The most-represented countries among the 108 international players on opening-night rosters are Canada (11 players), France (10 players), Australia (record-tying eight players) and Spain (seven players), followed by Brazil, Croatia, Germany, Serbia and Turkey (five players each). Opening-night rosters also feature a record number of European players (64). This number doesn’t include players who were born in the States but have a dual citizenship for a European national team, like Greek-Americans Kosta Koufos and Tyler Dorsey. A new record number of 74 players, including those of European origin, was reached last week, but the cuts of Slovenia Beno Udrih, Ukrainian Joel Bolomboy and Serbian Rade Zagorac dropped the final number to 71, included the dual citizenship players.

The Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz have an NBA-high seven international players each. The Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and San Antonio Spurs each have six. The Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, New York Knicks and Orlando Magic field five each.

A number of international players are scheduled to make their NBA debut during opening week, including:

Lauri Markkanen (Finland; Basketball without Borders 2014 and 2015), the seventh overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, will make his NBA debut when the Chicago Bulls visit the Raptors on Thursday, Oct. 19.
Frank Ntilikina (France; Basketball without Borders 2015 and 2016), the eighth overall pick in the 2017 NBA Draft, will make his NBA debut when the Knicks travel to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder on Oct. 19.
Zhou Qi (China), the 43rd overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, and the Rockets take on the Warriors tonight.
Ben Simmons (Australia), the first overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, will make his NBA debut when the 76ers visit the Washington Wizards on Wednesday, Oct. 18.
Milos Teodosic (Serbia; Basketball without Borders 2001), who was voted the best international player not in the NBA in the 2016-17 NBA.com GM Survey, will make his NBA debut when the LA Clippers play the Los Angeles Lakers on Oct. 19.
Below please find the full list of international players on 2017-18 opening-night rosters (active and inactive):

Below please find the full list of international two-way players: