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The National Basketball Association (NBA) (www.NBA.com<\/a>)\u00a0today announced that a record-tying 17 players from Africa are among the 125 international players from 43 countries across six continents on opening-night rosters for the 2024-25 season, including a record five players from Cameroon headlined by 2022-23 Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) and seven-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers).\u00a0<\/p>\n There are also more than 35 players with at least one parent from an African country, including three-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat; ties to Nigeria), two-time Kia NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks; Greece; ties to Nigeria) and 2023-24 Kia NBA Rookie of the Year Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs; France; ties to the Democratic Republic of the Congo).<\/p>\n Opening-night rosters feature at least 120 international players for the fourth consecutive season and at least 100 international players for the 11th<\/sup> straight season.\u00a0All 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player.<\/p>\n The records for international players (125) and countries and territories represented (43) were set at the start of the 2023-24 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.<\/p>\n For the 11th<\/sup> consecutive season, Canada is the most-represented country outside of the U.S. with 21 players, followed by France, Australia, Germany and Serbia (6).\u00a0There are 61 European players on opening-night rosters, including four members of the 2023-24 Kia All-NBA Team: Antetokounmpo, five-time NBA All-Star and All-NBA First Team member Luka Don\u010di\u0107 (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia), 2023 NBA champion and three-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Joki\u0107 (Denver Nuggets; Serbia), and three-time NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings; Lithuania).\u00a0<\/p>\n The Oklahoma City Thunder and the Portland Trail Blazers feature a league-high seven international players each, followed by the Atlanta Hawks, Mavericks, Houston Rockets, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors with six each.<\/p>\n Below are additional international player milestones and storylines for the upcoming season:<\/p>\n The 79th<\/sup> NBA regular season tips off tonight with a doubleheader on Canal+ and will reach fans in 214 countries and territories in 60 languages through the league\u2019s broadcast partners around the world and NBA League Pass, the league\u2019s premium live game subscription service available via the NBA App.\u00a0In the first game, Horford and the defending NBA champion Celtics will receive their championship rings before hosting OG Anunoby (United Kingdom; ties to Nigeria), Towns and the Knicks (1:30 a.m. CAT). In the second game, Gobert and the Timberwolves visit Rui Hachimura (Japan) and the Los Angeles Lakers (4 a.m. CAT).<\/p>\n Below is the full list of international players on 2024-25 opening-night rosters (active and inactive):<\/p>\n Country<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Name<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Team<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Ties<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Angola<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Bruno Fernando<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Toronto Raptors<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Dyson Daniels<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Atlanta Hawks<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Ben Simmons<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Brooklyn Nets<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Josh Green<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Charlotte Hornets<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Josh Giddey<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Chicago Bulls<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Luke Travers*<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Cleveland Cavaliers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Dant\u00e9 Exum<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Kyrie Irving<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Jack McVeigh*<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Houston Rockets<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Jock Landale<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Houston Rockets<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Johnny Furphy<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Indiana Pacers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Ties to Papua New Guinea<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Joe Ingles<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Minnesota Timberwolves<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Alex Ducas*<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Oklahoma City Thunder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Australia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Patty Mills<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Utah Jazz<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Austria<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Jakob Poeltl<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Toronto Raptors<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Bahamas<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Buddy Hield<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Golden State Warriors<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Bahamas<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Kai Jones*<\/p>\n<\/td>\n LA Clippers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Bahamas<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Deandre Ayton<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Portland Trail Blazers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Ties to Nigeria<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Belgium<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Ajay Mitchell*<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Oklahoma City Thunder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Belgium<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Toumani Camara<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Portland Trail Blazers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Ties to Mali<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Karlo Matkovi\u0107<\/p>\n<\/td>\n New Orleans Pelicans<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Ties to Croatia<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Bosnia and Herzegovina<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Jusuf Nurki\u0107<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Phoenix Suns<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Brazil<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Gui Santos<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Golden State Warriors<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Cameroon<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Pascal Siakam<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Indiana Pacers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Cameroon<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Christian Koloko*<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Los Angeles Lakers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Cameroon<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Yves Missi<\/p>\n<\/td>\n New Orleans Pelicans<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Cameroon<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Joel Embiid<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Philadelphia 76ers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Cameroon<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Ulrich Chomche*<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Toronto Raptors<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Tristan Thompson<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Cleveland Cavaliers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Dwight Powell<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Olivier-Maxence Prosper<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Dallas Mavericks<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Ties to Haiti<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Jamal Murray<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Denver Nuggets<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Andrew Wiggins<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Golden State Warriors<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Dillon Brooks<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Houston Rockets<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Andrew Nembhard<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Indiana Pacers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Bennedict Mathurin<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Indiana Pacers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Ties to Haiti<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Brandon Clarke<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Memphis Grizzlies<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Zach Edey<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Memphis Grizzlies<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Leonard Miller<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Minnesota Timberwolves<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Nickeil Alexander-Walker<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Minnesota Timberwolves<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Luguentz Dort<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Oklahoma City Thunder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Caleb Houstan<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Orlando Magic<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Cory Joseph<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Orlando Magic<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Ties to Trinidad and Tobago<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Dalano Banton<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Portland Trail Blazers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Shaedon Sharpe<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Portland Trail Blazers<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Trey Lyles<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Sacramento Kings<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Kelly Olynyk<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Toronto Raptors<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n RJ Barrett<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Toronto Raptors<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Canada<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Shai Gilgeous-Alexander<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Oklahoma City Thunder<\/p>\n<\/td>\n China<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Yongxi Cui*<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Brooklyn Nets<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Croatia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Bojan Bogdanovi\u0107<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Brooklyn Nets<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Croatia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n Dario \u0160ari\u0107<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Denver Nuggets<\/p>\n<\/td>\n Croatia<\/strong><\/p>\n<\/td>\n\n
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