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
