A record of more than 60 players either born in Africa or with at least one African parent feature on 2026-27 NBA opening-night rosters, the league announced on 20 October. The group includes more than 25 players connected to Nigeria.
Named figures include three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo (Heat), who has ties to Nigeria, two-time NBA champion OG Anunoby (New York Knicks), also tied to Nigeria, and Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo, now with the Heat. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), the 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP, and four-time All-Star Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers) both have Cameroonian roots. The 2026 No. 1 overall pick, AJ Dybantsa, plays for the Washington Wizards and has ties to the Republic of the Congo.
International players overall number 125 from a record-tying 43 countries. The Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards tie for the league high with seven international players apiece. Nigeria sets a national record with six players on opening-night rosters, matching Serbia and trailing only France (17), Canada (16), Australia (nine) and Germany (seven).
Antetokounmpo, Embiid and Siakam headline 19 international All-Stars on opening rosters, while Embiid and Siakam have also earned Kia All-NBA selections.
