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The NBA is truly a global league, with 109 international players from 39 countries featuring in the competition's 2021-22 edition. It's the eighth straight season with at least 100 international players on Opening Night rosters.
Nikola Jokic, the reigning Most Valuable Player, is from Serbia. Meanwhile, NBA Finals MVP and two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo is from Greece, but is of Nigerian descent. Luka Doncic, arguably the most exciting young player in the NBA at the moment, is from the small European country of Slovenia.
Even though the United States is the leading producer of talent in the league, other countries have had a lot of players, superstars and Hall of Famers too. On that note, here are the five countries other than the USA to have produced the most number of NBA players.
#5 Serbia - 24
Serbia have produced 24 NBA players so far, with five currently playing in the league. Nikola Jokic is the first MVP to come out of Serbia. Other Serbian players in the NBA include Boban Marjanovic, Nemanja Bjelica, Aleksej Pokusevski and Bogdan Bogdanovic.
The first Serb to play in the NBA is Hall of Famer Vlade Divac. He debuted in the league in the 1989-90 season, along with Zarko Paspalj. Other well-known players from Serbia include Peja Stojakovic, Milos Teodosic, Darko Milicic and Vladimir Radmanovic.
Internationally, Serbia is one of the most successful countries besides the United States. They have won two silver medals in the Olympics, two FIBA World Cup championships and three EuroBasket titles.
#4 Australia - 31
In recent years, Australia have become a powerhouse in international basketball. They won their first international medal in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, where they beat Slovenia for the bronze.
Australia currently have seven players on Opening Night rosters, eight if you include Kyrie Irving, who was born Down Under. These seven players are Patty Mills, Josh Giddey, Joe Ingles, Matisse Thybulle, Josh Green, Jock Landale and Ben Simmons. Australia have produced a total of 31 NBA players since 1991.
Luc Longley is the first Australian to play in the NBA. For those who are unfamiliar with him, Longley won three NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls, doing so in 1996, 1997 and 1998.
#3 Nigeria - 34
There are currently five players representing Nigeria in the NBA. They are Charles Bassey, Josh Okogie, Precious Achiuwa, Udoka Azubuike and Chimezie Metu. Other current players with ties to Nigeria include KZ Okpala, Miye Oni, Gabe Vincent and Giannis Antetokounmpo.
Nigeria are one of the most successful African nations in basketball. They have qualified for the Olympics and FIBA World Cup on three occasions. They are also the only country from Africa to beat the United States, and have produced 34 NBA players.
The first Nigerian to play in the NBA is Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon. He was drafted first overall by the Houston Rockets in the famous 1984 draft. Olajuwon won two NBA championships with the Rockets, and was the first non-American player to win the prestigious MVP award.
#2 France - 37
France have produced the second most number of international NBA players. There are currently seven French players on Opening Night rosters. They are Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, Killian Hayes, Frank Ntilikina, Theo Maledon and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.
Technically, the first-ever French player to play in the NBA was Bob Riley, but he was a naturalized citizen from the United States. Tariq Abdul-Wahad was the first player raised in France to play in the league. He was drafted 11th overall by the Sacramento Kings in 1997.
The greatest French player in the history of the NBA is Tony Parker. He played for most of his career with the San Antonio Spurs, where he won four NBA championships. He also led France to their first-ever EuroBasket title in 2013. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, France won their first Olympic medal, finishing second to Team USA.
#1 Canada - 54
Basketball was invented by a Canadian, Dr James Naismith, in 1981. It's only fitting that Canada has produced the most number of NBA players outside the United States. Primarily a hockey nation, Canada have had 54 different players in the league over the years.
Steve Nash is the most famous Canadian basketball player. He is a two-time MVP for the Phoenix Suns and the current head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. The NBA has 18 Canadian players on its Opening Night rosters, the highest in any season.
They include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray and Andrew Wiggins, who evolved under Vince Carter at the Toronto Raptors. Carter was the catalyst for basketball's popularity in Canada, while the Raptors' 2019 NBA championship cemented the sport's popularity up north.
