Record number of more dan 60 players wey dem born for Africa or wey get at least one African parent dey for 2026-27 NBA opening-night rosters, as di league announce on 20 October. Di group get more dan 25 players wey connect to Nigeria.
Players wey dem name include three-time All-Star Bam Adebayo (Heat), wey get ties to Nigeria, two-time NBA champion OG Anunoby (New York Knicks), wey also get ties to Nigeria, and Greek star Giannis Antetokounmpo, wey now dey for Heat. Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers), di 2022-23 Kia NBA MVP, and four-time All-Star Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers) both get Cameroonian roots. Di 2026 No. 1 overall pick, AJ Dybantsa, dey play for Washington Wizards and e get ties to di Republic of Congo.
International players overall na 125 from 43 countries, wey match di record. Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat and Washington Wizards tie for di league high wit seven international players each. Nigeria set national record wit six players for opening-night rosters, matching Serbia and only France (17), Canada (16), Australia (nine) and Germany (seven) dey ahead of dem.
Antetokounmpo, Embiid and Siakam dey lead 19 international All-Stars wey dey for opening-night rosters, while Embiid and Siakam don also earn Kia All-NBA selections.
