Record 84 International Players on Opening-Night NBA Team Rosters
-- Twenty-Eight Teams Feature at Least One International Player -- Lakers forward Pau Gasol (Spain) shoots over Rockets center Yao Ming (China). Ronald Martinez/Getty Images |
NEW YORK, Oct. 26, 2010 – Opening-night team rosters for the 2010-11 NBA season feature a record 84 international players from 38 countries and territories. Twenty-eight of the 30 teams feature at least one international player. The league set its previous opening-night record in 2006-07, with 83 players from 37 countries and territories.
The Toronto Raptors have the most international players, with six, followed by the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, with five each. Eight teams have four international players.
The Raptors are also the most internationally diverse team, with six countries represented: Australia, Brazil, Italy, Lithuania, Nigeria, and Spain. The Jazz roster features representation from five countries and territories: Netherlands, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This year, Jamaica and Nigeria – countries that produced NBA legends Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon, respectively – return to the list.
France is the most represented country, boasting 11 players, followed by Turkey, with five. Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Serbia, and Spain each have four players on NBA rosters.
At the end of the 2009-10 regular season, the NBA featured 79 international players from 35 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and inactive). In comparison, ten years ago NBA rosters featured 45 international players from 28 countries and territories on opening night of the 2000-01 season.
The following is a complete list of international players on 2010-11 NBA opening night rosters (both active and inactive):
The Toronto Raptors have the most international players, with six, followed by the Dallas Mavericks and Utah Jazz, with five each. Eight teams have four international players.
The Raptors are also the most internationally diverse team, with six countries represented: Australia, Brazil, Italy, Lithuania, Nigeria, and Spain. The Jazz roster features representation from five countries and territories: Netherlands, Russia, Turkey, Ukraine and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
This year, Jamaica and Nigeria – countries that produced NBA legends Patrick Ewing and Hakeem Olajuwon, respectively – return to the list.
France is the most represented country, boasting 11 players, followed by Turkey, with five. Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Serbia, and Spain each have four players on NBA rosters.
At the end of the 2009-10 regular season, the NBA featured 79 international players from 35 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and inactive). In comparison, ten years ago NBA rosters featured 45 international players from 28 countries and territories on opening night of the 2000-01 season.
The following is a complete list of international players on 2010-11 NBA opening night rosters (both active and inactive):
| NATIONALITY | BIRTHPLACE | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | NBA TEAM |
| Argentina | Carlos | Delfino | Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Emanuel "Manu" | Ginobili | San Antonio Spurs | ||
| Andres | Nocioni | Philadelphia 76ers | ||
| Luis | Scola | Houston Rockets | ||
| Australia | David | Andersen | Toronto Raptors | |
| Andrew | Bogut | Milwaukee Bucks | ||
| Patrick | Mills | Portland Trail Blazers | ||
| Belgium | Democratic Republic of the Congo | Didier “DJ” | Ilunga-Mbenga (1) | New Orleans Hornets |
| Brazil | Nene | Denver Nuggets | ||
| Leandro | Barbosa | Toronto Raptors | ||
| Tiago | Splitter | San Antonio Spurs | ||
| Anderson | Varejao | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
| Cameroon | Luc | Mbah A Moute | Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Canada | Joel | Anthony | Miami Heat | |
| Haiti | Samuel | Dalembert (2) | Sacramento Kings | |
| Jamaal | Magloire | Miami Heat | ||
| South Africa | Steve | Nash (3) | Phoenix Suns | |
| China | Yao Ming | Houston Rockets | ||
| Yi Jianlian | Washington Wizards | |||
| Congo | Serge | Ibaka | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Democratic Republic of the Congo | Christian | Eeyenga | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Dominican Republic | Francisco | Garcia | Sacramento Kings | |
| Al | Horford | Atlanta Hawks | ||
| France | Alexis | Ajinca | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Nicolas | Batum | Portland Trail Blazers | ||
| Guadeloupe | Rodrigue | Beaubois | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Boris | Diaw | Charlotte Bobcats | ||
| Ian | Mahinmi | Dallas Mavericks | ||
| Belgium | Tony | Parker (4) | San Antonio Spurs | |
| Johan | Petro | New Jersey Nets | ||
| Guadeloupe | Mickael | Pietrus | Orlando Magic | |
| French Guiana | Kevin | Seraphin | Washington Wizards | |
| Pape | Sy | Atlanta Hawks | ||
| Martinique | Ronny | Turiaf | New York Knicks | |
| Georgia | Zaza | Pachulia | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Germany | Dirk | Nowitzki | Dallas Mavericks | |
| Great Britain | Kelenna | Azubuike | New York Knicks | |
| Sudan | Luol | Deng (5) | Chicago Bulls | |
| Pops | Mensah Bonsu | New Orleans Hornets | ||
| Iran | Hamed | Haddadi | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Israel | Omri | Casspi | Sacramento Kings | |
| Italy | Andrea | Bargnani | Toronto Raptors | |
| Marco | Belinelli | New Orleans Hornets | ||
| Danilo | Gallinari | New York Knicks | ||
| Jamaica | Samardo | Samuels | Cleveland Cavaliers | |
| Latvia | Andris | Biedrins | Golden State Warriors | |
| Lithuania | Zydrunas | Ilgauskas | Miami Heat | |
| Linas | Kleiza | Toronto Raptors | ||
| Darius | Songaila | Philadelphia 76ers | ||
| Mexico | Eduardo | Najera | Charlotte Bobcats | |
| Montenegro | Nikola | Pekovic | Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| Netherlands | Francisco | Elson | Utah Jazz | |
| Dan | Gadzuric | Golden State Warriors | ||
| Nigeria | Solomon | Alabi | Toronto Raptors | |
| Poland | Marcin | Gortat | Orlando Magic | |
| Puerto Rico | Carlos | Arroyo | Miami Heat | |
| Jose Juan | Barea | Dallas Mavericks | ||
| Russia | Andrei | Kirilenko | Utah Jazz | |
| Timofey | Mozgov | New York Knicks | ||
| Senegal | DeSagana | Diop | Charlotte Bobcats | |
| Hamady | N’Diaye | Washington Wizards | ||
| Serbia | Nenad | Krstic | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Darko | Milicic | Minnesota Timberwolves | ||
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | Vladimir | Radmanovic (6) | Golden State Warriors | |
| Croatia | Predrag “Peja” | Stojakovic | New Orleans Hornets | |
| Slovenia | Goran | Dragic | Phoenix Suns | |
| Beno | Udrih | Sacramento Kings | ||
| Sasha | Vujacic | Los Angeles Lakers | ||
| Spain | Jose Manuel | Calderon | Toronto Raptors | |
| Rudy | Fernandez | Portland Trail Blazers | ||
| Marc | Gasol | Memphis Grizzlies | ||
| Pau | Gasol | Los Angeles Lakers | ||
| Sweden | Jonas | Jerebko | Detroit Pistons | |
| Switzerland | Thabo | Sefolosha | Oklahoma City Thunder | |
| Tanzania | Hasheem | Thabeet | Memphis Grizzlies | |
| Turkey | Omer | Asik | Chicago Bulls | |
| Semih | Erden | Boston Celtics | ||
| Ersan | Ilyasova | Milwaukee Bucks | ||
| Mehmet | Okur | Utah Jazz | ||
| Hidayet "Hedo" | Turkoglu | Phoenix Suns | ||
| Ukraine | Kyrylo | Fesenko | Utah Jazz | |
| U.S Virgin Islands | Raja | Bell | Utah Jazz | |
| Tim | Duncan | San Antonio Spurs | ||
| Venezuela | Greivis | Vasquez | Memphis Grizzlies | |
|
Key 1 = Born in Democratic Republic of Congo and moved to Belgium, holds dual citizenship 2 = Born in Haiti, raised in Canada and became Canadian citizen in 2007 3 = Born in South Africa, raised in Canada 4 = Born in Belgium 5 = Born in Sudan, became British citizen in 2006 6 = Born in Bosnia-Herzegovina and raised in Serbia | ||||
| PLAYERS FROM AROUND THE WORLD WITH RIGHTS HELD BY AN NBA TEAM | ||||
| NATIONALITY | BIRTHPLACE | FIRST NAME | LAST NAME | NBA TEAM |
| Argentina | Federico | Kammerichs | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Marcelo | Nicola | Portland Trail Blazers | ||
| Australia | Brad | Newley | Houston Rockets | |
| Ben | Pepper | Boston Celtics | ||
| Belarus | Vladimir | Veremeenko | Chicago Bulls | |
| Belgium | Alex | Hervelle | Houston Rockets | |
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | Stanko | Barac | Indiana Pacers | |
| Edin | Bavcic | Philadelphia 76ers | ||
| Nedzad | Sinanovic | Portland Trail Blazers | ||
| Brazil | Paulao | Prestes | Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| China | Xue Yuyang | Denver Nuggets | ||
| Croatia | Bosnia-Herzegovina | Josip | Sesar | Boston Celtics |
| Ante | Tomic | Utah Jazz | ||
| Denmark | Christian | Drejer | New Jersey Nets | |
| Finland | Petteri | Koponen | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| France | Nando | De Colo | San Antonio Spurs | |
| Alain | Digbeu | Atlanta Hawks | ||
| Paccelis | Morlende | Oklahoma City Thunder | ||
| Frederic | Weiss | Houston Rockets | ||
| Georgia | Viktor | Sanikidze | San Antonio Spurs | |
| Germany | Peter | Fehse | Utah Jazz | |
| Tibor | Pleiss | Oklahoma City Thunder | ||
| Great Britain | Andrew | Betts | Indiana Pacers | |
| Joel | Freeland | Portland Trail Blazers | ||
| Ryan | Richards | San Antonio Spurs | ||
| Greece | Georgis | Printezis | Toronto Raptors | |
| Cameroon | Sofoklis | Schortsanitis | Los Angeles Clippers | |
| Israel | Lior | Eliyahu | Houston Rockets | |
| Yotam | Halperin | Oklahoma City Thunder | ||
| Doron | Sheffer | Portland Trail Blazers | ||
| Italy | Augusto | Binelli | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Jamaica | Jerome | Jordan | New York Knicks | |
| Lithuania | Robertas | Javtokas | San Antonio Spurs | |
| Renaldas | Seibutis | Dallas Mavericks | ||
| Aurelijius | Zukauskas | Milwaukee Bucks | ||
| Montenegro | Mladen | Sekularac | Golden State Warriors | |
| Netherlands | Henk | Norel | Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| Ramon | Van de Hare | Orlando Magic | ||
| Nigeria | Chinemelu | Elonu | Los Angeles Lakers | |
| Ejike | Ugboaja | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
| Poland | Szymon | Szewczyk | Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Puerto Rico | Ricky | Sanchez | Philadelphia 76ers | |
| Russia | Andrei | Festisov | Milwaukee Bucks | |
| Sasha | Kaun | Cleveland Cavaliers | ||
| Uzbekistan | Sergei | Karaulov | San Antonio Spurs | |
| Serbia | Nemanja | Bjelica | Minnesota Timberwolves | |
| Dejan | Bodiroga | Sacramento Kings | ||
| Tadija | Dragicevic | Utah Jazz | ||
| Milovan | Rakovic | Orlando Magic | ||
| Milos | Vujanic | Phoenix Suns | ||
| Slovenia | Sani | Becirovic | Denver Nuggets | |
| Erazem | Lorbek | Indiana Pacers | ||
| Bosnia-Herzegovina | Emir | Preldzic | Washington Wizards | |
| Spain | Victor | Claver | Portland Trail Blazers | |
| Robert | Duenas | Miami Heat | ||
| Sergio | Llull | Houston Rockets | ||
| Albert | Miralles | Boston Celtics | ||
| Ricky | Rubio | Minnesota Timberwolves | ||
| Fran | Vasquez | Orlando Magic | ||
| Turkey | Cenk | Akyol | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Ukraine | Sergey | Gladyr | Atlanta Hawks | |
| Sergei | Lishok | Houston Rockets | ||
