NBA Rosters Feature A Record Of More Than 60 Players From Or With At Least One Parent From Africa

The National Basketball Association (NBA) right now introduced {that a} document of greater than 60 gamers who had been both born in Africa or have not less than one father or mother born on the continent are on opening-night rosters for the 2026-27 season.

Overall, opening-night rosters function 125 worldwide gamers from a record-tying 43 nations throughout six continents, together with 70 European gamers, marking the second consecutive season and second time ever with not less than that many.

The greater than 60 gamers who had been both born in Africa or have not less than one father or mother born on the continent embody greater than 25 from or with not less than one father or mother from Nigeria.

Among the greater than 60 gamers are three-time NBA All-Star Bam Adebayo (Heat; ties to Nigeria), Antetokounmpo, two-time NBA champion OG Anunoby (New York Knicks; UK; ties to Nigeria), 2026 No. 1 total decide AJ Dybantsa (Wizards; ties to the Republic of the Congo), 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP and seven-time NBA All-Star Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers; Cameroon), and 2019 NBA champion and four-time NBA All-Star Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers; Cameroon).

France has a league-high 17 worldwide gamers, marking the primary time in 13 seasons {that a} nation aside from Canada has led the NBA in worldwide gamers.

The group is headlined by two-time NBA All-Star and 2025-26 Kia NBA (*60*) Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs).  Canada ranks second with 16, headlined by 2025 NBA champion and reigning back-to-back Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), adopted by Australia (9), Germany (seven), Nigeria (a document six) and Serbia (six).

This is the sixth consecutive season that opening-night rosters function not less than 120 worldwide gamers and the 13^th straight season with not less than 100 worldwide gamers.  All 30 NBA groups function not less than one worldwide participant.  The Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards function a league-high seven every.

The document for worldwide gamers (135) and the document for nations and territories represented (43) had been set at first of the 2025-26 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.

The 70 European gamers embody 2021 NBA champion and two-time Kia NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo (Heat; Greece; ties to Nigeria), 2023 NBA champion and three-time Kia NBA MVP Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia), six-time NBA All-Star and Kia All-NBA First Team member Luka Dončić (Los Angeles Lakers; Slovenia), and Wembanyama.

Below are further worldwide participant milestones and storylines for the upcoming season:

• Four worldwide gamers have gained the final eight Kia NBA MVP Awards: Gilgeous-Alexander (2025-26 and 2024-25), Jokić (2023-24, 2021-22 and 2020-21), Embiid (2022-23) and Antetokounmpo (2019-20 and 2018-19). Last season additionally marked the fifth consecutive season that three worldwide gamers completed high three in MVP voting: Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 1), Jokić (No. 2) and Wembanyama (No. 3)

• There are a document 19 worldwide gamers on opening-night rosters who’ve been NBA All-Stars: Antetokounmpo, Deni Avdija (Portland Trail Blazers; Israel), Dončić, Embiid, Gilgeous-Alexander, Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves; France), Al Horford (Golden State Warriors; Dominican Republic), Kyrie Irving (Mavericks; Australia), Jokić, Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz; Finland), Jamal Murray (Nuggets; Canada), Kristaps Porziņģis (Warriors; Latvia), Domantas Sabonis (Sacramento Kings; Lithuania), Alperen Sengun (Houston Rockets; Türkiye), Siakam, Ben Simmons (Kings; Australia), Nikola Vučević (Orlando Magic; Montenegro), Wembanyama and Andrew Wiggins (Heat; Canada).

• At least three worldwide gamers have made the Kia All-NBA Team every season since 2018-19.

• In the 2026-27 NBA GM Survey, Wembanyama (No. 1) and Jokić (No. 2) had been voted the gamers most probably to win the 2026-27 Kia NBA MVP Award (77% and 10% of votes, respectively). Wembanyama was additionally voted because the participant GMs would most need to signal in the event that they had been beginning a franchise right now (93% of votes).

• Opening-night rosters function greater than 45 gamers who participated in Basketball Without Borders, the NBA and FIBA’s world basketball improvement and neighborhood outreach program.

• There are additionally a number of American gamers with mother and father from different nations, together with Jalen Green (Phoenix Suns; ties to the Philippines), Norman Powell (Chicago Bulls; ties to Jamaica), Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks; ties to the Dominican Republic) and Jaylin Williams (Thunder; ties to Vietnam).

The 81^st NBA common season suggestions off right now with a tripleheader on beIN Sports, Canal+ and SuperSport because the Boston Celtics go to the Detroit Pistons (9 p.m. CAT), the defending NBA champion Knicks host the 76ers (1 a.m. CAT) and the Spurs meet the Thunder in San Antonio (3:30 a.m. CAT).

The 2026-27 season will attain followers in 214 nations and territories in additional than 50 languages via the league’s broadcast companions world wide and NBA League Pass, the league’s premium reside recreation subscription service out there by way of the NBA App.

Below is the total checklist of worldwide gamers on 2026-27 opening-night NBA rosters (energetic and inactive):

*Two-Way Player

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Contact

Kevin Alonzo, NBA, KAlonzo@nba.com, (212) 407-8158