NBA SETS RECORD WITH 101 INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS FROM 37 COUNTRIES AND TERRITORIES
- Breaks Last Season’s Record of 92 International Players; Marks First Time League Has More Than 100 International Players -
- Canada, Australia and Brazil Set New Records with 12, Eight and Seven Players Respectively; Spurs Lead League for Third Consecutive Season with Nine International Players -
NEW YORK , Oct. 28, 2014 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that a record 101 international players from 37 countries and territories are on opening night rosters for the 2014-15 season, up from last year’s record of 92 international players. This marks the first time the NBA has more than 100 international players.
The reigning NBA Champion San Antonio Spurs lead the league for the third consecutive season with nine international players. The Minnesota Timberwolves and Brooklyn Nets are second with six each; the Golden State Warriors have five; and the Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Toronto Raptors and Utah Jazz each have four.
Canada leads the way with a record 12 international players, including the number one overall pick in each of the last two NBA Drafts. France comes in second with 10 NBA players, while Australia and Brazil set new records for NBA participation with eight and seven players respectively. Spain rounds out the top five with five players.
The number of international players in the league has more than doubled since 2000-01 (45 international players) and nearly quintupled since 1990-91 (21 international players).
NBA games and programming are available in 215 countries and territories in 47 languages this season.
Below please find the full list of international players on opening day 2014-15 rosters (active and inactive):
NATIONALITY FIRST NAME LAST NAME NBA TEAM Argentina Luis Scola Indiana Pacers Argentina Pablo Prigioni New York Knicks Argentina Manu Ginobili San Antonio Spurs Australia Cameron Bairstow Chicago Bulls Australia Matthew Dellavedova Cleveland Cavaliers Australia Kyrie Irving Cleveland Cavaliers Australia Andrew Bogut Golden State Warriors Australia Aron Baynes San Antonio Spurs Australia Patrick Mills San Antonio Spurs Australia Dante Exum Utah Jazz Australia Joe Ingles Utah Jazz Boznia and Herzegovina Mirza Teletovic Brooklyn Nets Boznia and Herzegovina Jusuf Nurkic Denver Nuggets Boznia and Herzegovina Ognjen Kuzmic Golden State Warriors Brazil Vitor Faverani Boston Celtics Brazil Anderson Varejao Cleveland Cavaliers Brazil Leandro Barbosa Golden State Warriors Brazil Tiago Splitter San Antonio Spurs Brazil Bruno Caboclo Toronto Raptors Brazil Lucas "Bebe" Nogueira Toronto Raptors Brazil Nene Washington Wizards Cameroon Joel Embiid Philadelphia 76ers Cameroon Luc Mbah a Moute Philadelphia 76ers Canada Kelly Olynyk Boston Celtics Canada Dwight Powell Boston Celtics Canada Tristan Thompson Cleveland Cavaliers Canada Joel Anthony Detroit Pistons Canada Steve Nash Los Angeles Lakers Canada Robert Sacre Los Angeles Lakers Canada Anthony Bennett Minnesota Timberwolves Canada Andrew Wiggins Minnesota Timberwolves Canada Andrew Nicholson Orlando Magic Canada Tyler Ennis Phoenix Suns Canada Nik Stauskas Sacramento Kings Canada Cory Joseph San Antonio Spurs Congo Serge Ibaka Oklahoma City Thunder Croatia Bojan Bogdanovic Brooklyn Nets Croatia Damjan Rudez Indiana Pacers Dominican Republic Al Horford Atlanta Hawks Dominican Republic Francisco Garcia Houston Rockets Democratic Republic of the Congo Bismack Biyombo Charlotte Hornets France Ian Mahinmi Indiana Pacers France Damien Inglis Milwaukee Bucks France Ronny Turiaf Minnesota Timberwolves France Alexis Ajinca New Orleans Pelicans France Evan Fournier Orlando Magic France Nicolas Batum Portland Trail Blazers France Boris Diaw San Antonio Spurs France Tony Parker San Antonio Spurs France Rudy Gobert Utah Jazz France Kevin Seraphin Washington Wizards Georgia Zaza Pachulia Milwaukee Bucks Germany Dennis Schroder Atlanta Hawks Germany Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks Great Britain Luol Deng Miami Heat Great Britain Joel Freeland Portland Trail Blazers Greece Kostas Papanikolaou Houston Rockets Greece Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks Haiti Sam Dalembert New York Knicks Israel Gal Mekel Dallas Mavericks Israel Omri Casspi Sacramento Kings Italy Danilo Gallinari Denver Nuggets Italy Luigi "Gigi" Datome Detroit Pistons Italy Andrea Bargnani New York Knicks Italy Marco Belinelli San Antonio Spurs Jamaica Jerome Jordan Brooklyn Nets Lithuania Donatas Motiejunas Houston Rockets Lithuania Jonas Valanciunas Toronto Raptors Macedonia Pero Antic Atlanta Hawks Mexico Jorge Gutierrez Brooklyn Nets Montenegro Nikola Mirotic Chicago Bulls Montenegro Nikola Pekovic Minnesota Timberwolves Montenegro Nikola Vucevic Orlando Magic New Zealand Steven Adams Oklahoma City Thunder Nigeria Festus Ezeli Golden State Warriors Poland Marcin Gortat Washington Wizards Russia Sergey Karasev Brooklyn Nets Russia Andrei Kirilenko Brooklyn Nets Russia Timofey Mozgov Denver Nuggets Russia Alexey Shved Philadelphia 76ers Senegal Gorgui Dieng Minnesota Timberwolves Serbia Nemanja Nedovic Golden State Warriors Slovenia Beno Udrih Memphis Grizzlies Slovenia Goran Dragic Phoenix Suns Slovenia Zoran Dragic Phoenix Suns Spain Pau Gasol Chicago Bulls Spain Marc Gasol Memphis Grizzlies Spain Ricky Rubio Minnesota Timberwolves Spain Jose Calderon New York Knicks Spain Victor Claver Portland Trail Blazers Sweden Jeff Taylor Charlotte Hornets Sweden Jonas Jerebko Detroit Pistons Switzerland Thabo Sefolosha Atlanta Hawks Switzerland Clint Capela Houston Rockets Turkey Hidayet Turkoglu Los Angeles Clippers Turkey Ersan Ilyasova Milwaukee Bucks Turkey Omer Asik New Orleans Pelicans Turkey Enes Kanter Utah Jazz Ukraine Alex Len Phoenix Suns U.S. Virgin Islands Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs Venezuela Greivis Vasquez Toronto Raptors
Contact:
Elliot Steinbaum, NBA, [email protected] , 212-407-8657