(Reuters) – Opening-night rosters for the National Basketball Association’s 2022-23 season, which tips off later on Tuesday, will feature 120 international players from 40 countries, according to the league.
The record for international players (121) and record for countries and territories represented (43) were set at the start of the 2021-22 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively.
Canada is the most-represented country outside of the United States for a ninth consecutive year with 22 players featuring across the opening-night rosters of the NBA’s 30 teams.
Australia (10), France (9) and Germany (6) were next on the list followed by Nigeria, Serbia and Spain who each have five players on opening-night rosters.
The Toronto Raptors have eight international players, marking the second consecutive season the NBA’s only Canadian team lead the league in that category.
There are two games on the opening-night schedule, starting with the Philadelphia 76ers at the Boston Celtics followed by the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors at home against the Los Angeles Lakers.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Toby Davis)
