83 International Players on NBA Rosters

[VF21]

From an NBA press release:

83 INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS

ON NBA TEAM ROSTERS

-- Israel, Sweden and Tanzania represented for the first time -- ​

NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2009 – The start of the 2009-10 NBA season will mark 83 international players from 36 countries and territories on official rosters (active and inactive), matching the record of international players on opening night rosters (2006-07). Twenty-seven of the 30 teams have at least one international player.

The Milwaukee Bucks roster features the most international players with seven. The Charlotte Bobcats, Sacramento Kings and Toronto Raptors each feature five international players. Omri Casspi (Israel) of the Sacramento Kings, Jonas Jerebko (Sweden) of the Detroit Pistons and Hasheem Thabeet (Tanzania) of the Memphis Grizzlies are representing their countries for the first time on an NBA roster. France has the strongest representation with a record ten players.

At the end of the 2008-09 regular season, the NBA featured 77 international players from 33 countries and territories on team rosters (both active and inactive). In comparison, the NBA had 36 international players from 24 countries and territories in 1999-2000.

Argentina
Carlos Delfino Milwaukee Bucks
Emanuel "Manu" Ginobili San Antonio Spurs
Andres Nocioni Sacramento Kings
Fabricio Oberto Washington Wizards
Luis Scola Houston Rockets

Australia
David Andersen Houston Rockets
Andrew Bogut Milwaukee Bucks
Nathan Jawai Minnesota Timberwolves
Patrick Mills Portland Trail Blazers

Brazil
Anderson Varejao Cleveland Cavaliers
Leandro Barbosa Phoenix Suns
Nene Denver Nuggets

Cameroon
Luc Mbah A Moute Milwaukee Bucks

Canada
Joel Anthony Miami Heat
Samuel Dalembert1 Philadelphia 76ers
Jamaal Magloire Miami Heat
Steve Nash Phoenix Suns

China
Yao Ming Houston Rockets
Yi Jianlian New Jersey Nets

Congo
Serge Ibaka Oklahoma City Thunder

Croatia
Roko Ukic Milwaukee Bucks

Democratic Republic of the Congo
“DJ” Ilunga-Mbenga Los Angeles Lakers

Dominican Republic
Francisco Garcia Sacramento Kings
Al Horford Atlanta Hawks

France
Alexis Ajinca Charlotte Bobcats
Nicolas Batum Portland TrailBlazers
Guadeloupe Rodrigue Beaubois Dallas Mavericks
Boris Diaw Charlotte Bobcats
Yakhouba Diawara Miami Heat
Ian Mahinmi San Antonio Spurs
Tony Parker San Antonio Spurs
Johan Petro Denver Nuggets
Mickael Pietrus Orlando Magic
Ronny Turiaf Golden State Warriors

Georgia
Zaza Pachulia Atlanta Hawks

Germany
Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks

Great Britain
Kelenna Azubuike Golden State Warriors
Luol Deng Chicago Bulls
Pops Mensah-Bonsu Houston Rockets

Iran
Hamed Haddadi Memphis Grizzlies

Israel
Omri Casspi Sacramento Kings

Italy
Andrea Bargnani Toronto Raptors
Marco Belinelli Toronto Raptors
Danilo Gallinari New York Knicks

Latvia
Andris Biedrins Golden State Warriors

Lithuania
Zydrunas Ilgauskas Cleveland Cavaliers
Darius Songaila New Orleans Hornets

Mexico
Eduardo Najera New Jersey Nets

Netherlands
Francisco Elson Milwaukee Bucks
Dan Gadzuric Milwaukee Bucks

New Zealand
Sean Marks New Orleans Hornets

Poland
Marcin Gortat Orlando Magic

Puerto Rico
Carlos Arroyo Miami Heat
Jose Juan Barea Dallas Mavericks

Russia
Andrei Kirilenko Utah Jazz

Senegal
DeSagana Diop Charlotte Bobcats

Serbia
Marko Jaric Memphis Grizzlies
Nenad Krstic Oklahoma City Thunder
Darko Milicic New York Knicks
Aleksandar Pavlovic Minnesota Timberwolves
Vladimir Radmanovic5 Charlotte Bobcats
Predrag “Peja” Stojakovic New Orleans Hornets

Slovenia
Primoz Brezec Philadelphia 76ers
Goran Dragic Phoenix Suns
Radoslav "Rasho" Nesterovic Toronto Raptors
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
Sergio Rodriguez Sacramento Kings

St. Vincent and Grenadines
Adonal Foyle Orlando Magic

Sweden
Jonas Jerebko Detroit Pistons

Switzerland
Thabo Sefolosha Oklahoma City Thunder

Tanzania
Hasheem Thabeet Memphis Grizzlies

Turkey
Ersan Ilyasova Milwaukee Bucks
Mehmet Okur Utah Jazz
Hidayet "Hedo" Turkoglu Toronto Raptors

Ukraine
Kyrylo Fesenko Utah Jazz
Oleksiy Pecherov Minnesota Timberwolves

U.S Virgin Islands
Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs
Raja Bell Charlotte Bobcats

 

[bdouble013]

Sorry, but Canada doesn't count.

 

[PurpleHaze]

I guess Donte Greene "almost" could be on Germany's team since he was born there. Being a US military dependent at the time he was a still a US citizen but maybe Dirk Nowitzki could always use the help

 

[SacKings7]

Isn't Charlie Villanueva from Dominican Republic too? He isn't listed there.

 

[BritishColumbia]

Isn't Charlie Villanueva from Dominican Republic too? He isn't listed there.

I guess you have to be born in a foreign country to be on that list. Charlie is a son of immigrants from Dominicans but he was born in NY.

 

[Superman]

I guess you have to be born in a foreign country to be on that list. Charlie is a son of immigrants from Dominicans but he was born in NY.

Probably. If he was born in NY, he's considered a natural of the US, so he can't be a foreign player. I guess.

 

[BritishColumbia]

Probably. If he was born in NY, he's considered a natural of the US, so he can't be a foreign player. I guess.

The international thing is always complicated ... Steve Nash is an Englishman who was born in South Africa and grew up in Canada and is a Canadian citizen.

 

[VF21]

There are several names on the list that also had foreign birthplaces listed, but I ran into trouble trying to convert it all into a format we could read so I left them off. Steve Nash was on that list, along with several others...

 

[AriesMar27]

isnt ben gordon from england?

 

[hrdboild]

Yeah he was born in England I think but he grew up in the US mostly and went to American schools so it's easy to see why he gets overlooked.

 

[VF21]

Is he the son of American parents? If so, even if he were born in England, he'd have US citizenship...

 

[AriesMar27]

his parents are jamaican, he was born in england... he is on the british national team with deng too....

 

[BritishColumbia]

Is he the son of American parents? If so, even if he were born in England, he'd have US citizenship...

As far as I know, his parents were UK citizens of Jamaican origin and Ben has a dual citizenship.

 

[Flopi]

The international thing is always complicated ... Steve Nash is an Englishman who was born in South Africa and grew up in Canada and is a Canadian citizen.

An another good example is Joakim Noah who has a triple (!!!) citizenship : Born in NY, french father, swedish mother (and I don't even mention his cameroonian grand father).
Raised in the US and France but lives exclusively in the US since he is 13. Played a little bit with french NT last summer.