NBA Breaks Opening Night Record

With the 2023/2024 NBA season set to tip off tonight, teams have now fully committed to their rosters ahead of the upcoming year, and the NBA has officially confirmed that the league's opening day rosters have broken an all-time NBA record.

The Record

The new record is for having more international players signed to rosters than in any previous season. The league now boasts 126 international players among its 30 franchises, including the Mavericks and Thunder, each of which has half of their roster consisting of international players.

The NBA announces a league-record 125 international players on Opening Night Rosters with 26 alone from Canada: https://t.co/jp0DwU8gk0— Marc Stein (@TheSteinLine) October 24, 2023

International Takeover

International basketball players have taken over the league in recent years, with the previous 5 MVP winners all hailing from outside of the United States. This is an incredible achievement, especially considering that only 6 MVP awards were won by international players in the NBA's 70-year history before Embiid, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo.

The international rise of basketball has also made its presence felt in international tournaments, where Team USA has not won the World Cup in their last two attempts, including this summer when they finished fourth.

The Future of International Players

The sudden emergence of international players shows no signs of slowing down, with more players entering the NBA each season. For example, French-born Victor Wembanyama was selected 1st overall in this year's NBA draft, and his insane highlights during the preseason make him look like a future superstar in the NBA. Additionally, four of the Top Five MVP Candidates for This Season are international players.

International players, for the first time ever, seem to be on par with players from the United States. With the NBA considering a new All-Star format, this has sparked rumors of a Team World vs. Team United States All-Star game.