Record 135 International Players on NBA Opening-Night Rosters

A record 135 players born outside the United States appear on National Basketball Association opening night rosters for the 2025-26 season, the league said Tuesday, representing 43 countries across six continents and a record 71 players from Europe. The season tips off Tuesday, and all 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player on their opening rosters.

The league noted this is the 12th consecutive season with at least 100 international players, surpassing the previous high of 125 set in 2023-24. Canada leads non-U.S. countries with 23 players, followed by France, Australia and Germany with seven apiece and Serbia with six. Team-level leaders include the Atlanta Hawks with a record-tying 10 international players, and the Portland Trail Blazers and Golden State Warriors with seven each.

The influx of international talent is visible among the sport’s top names. Europe’s contingent includes multiple former and current Most Valuable Players and All-Stars, such as Nikola Jokić of Serbia, Giannis Antetokounmpo of Greece, Luka Dončić of Slovenia and Victor Wembanyama of France. Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a Canadian and the reigning MVP, headlines his country’s...