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The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries across six continents are on opening-night rosters for the 2026-27 season.  

Including both international and American players, there are a record of more than 60 players who were either born in Africa or have at least one parent born on the continent. Opening-night rosters feature 70 European players, marking the second consecutive season and second time ever with at least that many.

France has a league-high 17 international players, marking the first time in 13 seasons that a country other than Canada has led the NBA in international players.  The group is headlined by two-time NBA All-Star and 2025-26 Kia NBA Defensive 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), followed by Australia (nine), Germany (seven), Nigeria (a record six) and Serbia (six).

This is the sixth consecutive season that opening-night rosters feature at least 120 international players and the 13^th straight season with at least 100 international players.  All 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player.  The Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards feature a league-high seven each.

The record for international players (135) and the record for countries and territories represented (43) were set at the start of the 2025-26 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.

The 70 European players include 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.

The more than 60 players who were either born in Africa or have at least one parent born on the continent include 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 overall pick 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).

Below are additional international player milestones and storylines for the upcoming season:

• Four international players have won the last 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 also marked the fifth consecutive season that three international players finished top three in MVP voting: Gilgeous-Alexander (No. 1), Jokić (No. 2) and Wembanyama (No. 3).
• There are a record 19 international players on opening-night rosters who have 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 international players have made the Kia All-NBA Team each season since 2018-19.
• In the 2026-27 NBA GM Survey, Wembanyama (No. 1) and Jokić (No. 2) were voted the players most likely to win the 2026-27 Kia NBA MVP Award (77% and 10% of votes, respectively).  Wembanyama was also voted as the player GMs would most want to sign if they were starting a franchise today (93% of votes).
• Opening-night rosters feature more than 45 players who participated in Basketball Without Borders, the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program.
• There are also several American players with parents from other countries, including 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).