There are 30 teams in the NBA and each team is allowed a maximum 15 players on their line-up, 12 of them dressing up for each scheduled game. Therefore at any given time, there are 450 active players in the league.
Of the total number, the NBA opened its 73rd season with 108 players coming from 42 countries and territories. It is five players less than the previous two seasons which had its highest with 113 multi-nationals. Each of the 30 teams has at least one international player on their roster. This is the fifth consecutive time that the league opened the season with at least 100 foreign-born players and with each team having at least one international player each.
Among the countries with the most representations, 11 players come from Canada, nine each are from France and Australia. 7 players come from Spain while Germany has 6. Croatia, Serbia and Turkey have 5 players each.
Half of Dallas’ current roster is composed of internationals and they have the league’s highest number of foreigners at 7, including Dirk Nowitzki who is setting an NBA record of 21 seasons with a single team. The sweet shooting German tied Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett and Vince Carter with the most seasons played overall in the league. He only needs 237 points to overtake Wilt Chamberlain (31,419 points) at number 5 on the NBA’s all-time scoring leaders. Also with the Mavericks is 2018 3rd pick Luca Doncic from Slovenia.
Utah and the LA Clippers have six international players on their rosters while Boston, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio and Oklahoma have 5 each. Among the notables are Ricky Rubio (UTA), Marcin Gortat (LAC), Kyrie Irving (AUS), Kristaps Porzingis (NYK), Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons (PHI), Steven Adams (OKC) and Pau Gasol (SAS). Scoring 5 points in their victory over Minnesota yesterday, Gasol only needs 10 points to pass David Robinson (20,790 points) at 38th and need 100 points to jump to 37th and overtake Bob Petit (20,880) on the all-time scoring list.
Aside from the 108 international players, there are six internationals from 5 countries with two-way contracts. This allows them to be with their NBA teams while spending most of their time with their team’s G-League affiliates. Among them is Memphis’ two-way player Yuta Watanabe. He hopes to follow the footsteps of Yuta Tabuse who played for Phoenix in 2004 and become only the second Japanese to play in the NBA.
For the first time in league history, the NBA had employed the first foreign born and raised coach in the person of Igor Kokoskov. The Serbian is now the head coach for the Phoenix Suns. His command of the English language paved his way to being hired on the University of Missouri’s coaching staff, the first European to hold that position in the US NCAA Men’s Division 1 basketball. The following year, he was the first non-American hired as a full-time assistant coach in the NBA with the LA Clippers. In 2003, he was on the Detroit Pistons’ coaching staff and won an NBA championship the following year.
After Detroit, Kokoskov also had assistant coaching stints with Phoenix, Cleveland, Orlando and Utah. He returned to the team he previously was with for 5 years (2008 to 2013) and officially assumed the head coaching position last May. Back in Europe, he coached the Slovenian national team that had Doncic on the line-up.
The NBA has gone global and with this in mind, it would be advisable for Kai Sotto’s family to consider Real Madrid’s offer. The deal is for five years and reportedly above $1 million. The potential to develop into an NBA caliber player is very real and if he does leaves for Spain and join one of Europe’s elite youth teams, Kai could be the first full-blooded Filipino to suit up with an NBA franchise.
Doncic was signed by Real Madrid at the age of 13 and at 19 years-old picked by the Mavericks. He contributed 10 points, 8 rebounds and 4 assists in their loss to Phoenix yesterday. Notable internationals who played with Real Madrid are Bojan Bogdanovic (IND), Serge Ibaka (TOR), Nikola Mirotic (NOP) and brothers Willy (CHA) and Juan (DEN) Hernangomez. Sotto’s potential was noticed not only by Real Madrid but by several other European teams.
They should seriously consider the offer, stay with the Spanish club and finish his 5-year contract, bulk up, refine his moves and should be NBA-ready when he turns 22. At least in our lifetime, an unadulterated Filipino will finally be in the NBA.
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