NBA Tips Off With Record 92 International Players | Zagsblog
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Thursday / March 28.
  • NBA Tips Off With Record 92 International Players

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    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

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    Adam Zagoria is a Basketball Insider who covers basketball at all levels. A contributor to The New York Times and SportsNet New York (SNY), he is also the author of two books and is an award-winning journalist and filmmaker. His articles have appeared in ESPN The Magazine, SLAM, Sheridan Hoops, Basketball Times and in newspapers nationwide. He also won an Emmy award for his work on the SNY mini-documentary on Syracuse guard Tyus Battle. A veteran Ultimate Frisbee player, he has competed in numerous National and World Championships and, perhaps more importantly, his teams won the Westchester Summer League (WSL) championships in 2011 and 2013. He lives in Manhattan with his wife and children.

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