A record-breaking 92 international players from 39 countries and territories feature on opening-night rosters for the 2013-14 NBA season. The previous opening-night record was set in the 2010-11 season with 84 players from 38 countries and territories. Twenty-seven of the 30 teams feature at least one international player.
The San Antonio Spurs break the record for the most international players on a team roster with 10; last season’s opening-night roster featured eight. The Cleveland Cavaliers and Minnesota Timberwolves follow with six international players each, and the Milwaukee Bucks have five. Seven teams have four international players and seven teams have three such players.
Once again, France is the most represented country with ten players, and Canada follows with eight. Australia and Spain each have five players on team rosters, with Argentina, Brazil, Italy, Russia, and Turkey each having four. Four countries have their strongest representation ever – Australia (five), Israel (two), Italy (four), and Russia (four), with Macedonia making a first appearance on the list.
The San Antonio Spurs retain the title for the most internationally diverse team, with seven countries represented on their roster.
At the end of the 2012-13 regular season, the NBA featured 85 international players from 36 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and inactive).
The following is a complete list of international players on 2013-14 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 Pablo Prigioni New York Knicks Luis Scola Indiana Pacers Australia Aron Baynes San Antonio Spurs Andrew Bogut Golden State Warriors Matthew Dellavedova Cleveland Cavaliers Kyrie Irving1 Cleveland Cavaliers Patrick Mills San Antonio Spurs Bosnia & Herzegovina Ongjen Kuzmic Golden State Warriors Mirza Teletovic Brooklyn Nets Brazil Vitor Faverani Boston Celtics Nene Hilario Washington Wizards Tiago Splitter San Antonio Spurs Anderson Varejao Cleveland Cavaliers Cameroon Luc Mbah A Moute Sacramento Kings Canada Joel Anthony Miami Heat Anthony Bennett Cleveland Cavaliers Cory Joseph San Antonio Spurs South Africa Steve Nash2 Los Angeles Lakers Andrew Nicholson Orlando Magic Kelly Olynyk Boston Celtics Robert Sacre Los Angeles Lakers Tristan Thompson Cleveland Cavaliers Congo Serge Ibaka3 Oklahoma City Thunder Czech Republic Jan Vesely Washington Wizards Democratic Republic of the Congo Bismack Biyombo Charlotte Bobcats Dominican Republic Francisco Garcia Houston Rockets Al Horford Atlanta Hawks France Nicolas Batum Portland Trail Blazers Nando De Colo San Antonio Spurs Boris Diaw San Antonio Spurs Evan Fournier Denver Nuggets Rudy Gobert Utah Jazz Ian Mahinmi Indiana Pacers Erik Murphy4 Chicago Bulls Belgium Tony Parker5 San Antonio Spurs French Guiana Kevin Seraphin Washington Wizards Martinique Ronny Turiaf Minnesota Timberwolves Georgia Zaza Pachulia Milwaukee Bucks Tornike Shengelia Brooklyn Nets Germany Elias Harris Los Angeles Lakers Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks Dennis Schroder Atlanta Hawks Great Britain South Sudan Luol Deng6 Chicago Bulls Joel Freeland Portland Trail Blazers Greece Giannis Antetokounmpo Milwaukee Bucks Haiti Samuel Dalembert7 Dallas Mavericks Israel Omri Casspi Houston Rockets Gal Mekel Dallas Mavericks Italy Andrea Bargnani New York Knicks Marco Belinelli San Antonio Spurs Luigi Datome Detroit Pistons Danilo Gallinari Denver Nuggets Latvia Andris Biedrins Utah Jazz Lithuania Donatas Motiejunas Houston Rockets Jonas Valanciunas Toronto Raptors Macedonia Pero Antic Atlanta Hawks Mexico Gustavo Ayon Atlanta Hawks Montenegro Nikola Pekovic Minnesota Timberwolves Nikola Vucevic Orlando Magic New Zealand Steven Adams Oklahoma City Thunder Nigeria Festus Ezeli Golden State Warriors Poland Marcin Gortat Washington Wizards Puerto Rico Jose Juan Barea Minnesota Timberwolves Russia Sergey Karasev Cleveland Cavaliers Andrei Kirilenko Brooklyn Nets Timofey Mozgov Denver Nuggets Alexey Shved Minnesota Timberwolves Senegal Gorgui Dieng Minnesota Timberwolves Hamady Ndiaye Sacramento Kings Serbia Nemanja Nedovic Golden State Warriors Miroslav Raduljica Milwaukee Bucks Slovenia Goran Dragic Phoenix Suns Beno Udrih New York Knicks Spain Jose Manuel Calderon Dallas Mavericks Victor Claver Portland Trail Blazers Marc Gasol Memphis Grizzlies Pau Gasol Los Angeles Lakers Ricky Rubio Minnesota Timberwolves Sweden Jonas Jerebko Detroit Pistons Jeffrey Taylor Charlotte Bobcats Switzerland Thabo Sefolosha Oklahoma City Thunder Tanzania Hasheem Thabeet Oklahoma City Thunder Turkey Omer Asik Houston Rockets Ersan Ilyasova Milwaukee Bucks Enes Kanter Utah Jazz Hidayet “Hedo” Turkoglu Orlando Magic Ukraine Viacheslav Kravtsov Phoenix Suns Alex Len Phoenix Suns U.S Virgin Islands Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs Venezuela Greivis Vasquez Sacramento Kings Key 1 = Born in Australia, moved to US. Holds dual citizenship. 2 = Born in South Africa, raised in Canada. 3 = Born in Congo, moved to Spain. Holds dual citizenship. 4 = Born in France, moved to US. Holds citizenship in US and Finland. 5 = Born in Belgium. 6 = Born in South Sudan, became British citizen in 2006. 7 = Born in Haiti, raised in Canada. Holds dual citizenship. Photo: ESPN