TORONTO (Oct. 22, 2024) – The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced that a recording-tying 125 international players from a record-tying 43 countries across six continents are on opening night rosters for 2024-2025 season.

For the 11^th consecutive season, Canada is the most represented country outside of the U.S., boasting a total of 21 players on opening night rosters.

Last season marked the third consecutive season that three international players finished top three in MVP voting: Nikola Jokić (Denver Nuggets; Serbia), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder) and Luka Dončić (Dallas Mavericks; Slovenia).  

Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder visit Jokić and the Nuggets in the season opener for both teams on Thursday October 24, 10pm ET / 7pm PT.

There are 15 international players on opening-night rosters who have been NBA All-Stars, including Gilgeous-Alexander, and Andrew Wiggins (Golden State Warriors).  

As part of the 2024-2025 NBA GM Survey, Gilgeous-Alexander was voted as the player most likely to win the 2024-25 NBA MVP Award garnering 40% of the vote.

Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), along with Tristan Thompson (Cleveland Cavaliers) and Wiggins, are the only active Canadians to have captured the Larry O’Brien NBA Championship trophy. Dwight Powell, and the Dallas Mavericks, will look to return to the Finals after falling to the Boston Celtics, 4-1, this past season.

Zach Edey enters his first NBA season, after being selected ninth overall in the 2024 NBA draft by the Memphis Grizzlies, following back-to-back consensus National Player of the Year honours with the Purdue Boilmakers.

Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Leonard Miller will be the lone Canadians playing on the opening night of the NBA season, as the Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Los Angeles Lakers tonight on the road at 10pm ET / 7pm PT.  

‍

The full list of Canadian players on 2024-2025 opening night rosters are:

‍

Tristan Thompson – Cleveland Cavaliers

Dwight Powell – Dallas Mavericks

Olivier-Maxence Propser – Dallas Mavericks  

Jamal Murray – Denver Nuggets  

Andrew Wiggins – Golden State Warriors

Dillon Brooks – Houston Rockets

Andrew Nembhard – Indiana Pacers

Bennedict Mathurin – Indiana Pacers

Brandon Clarke – Memphis Grizzlies

Zach Edey – Memphis Grizzlies

Leonard Miller – Minnesota Timberwolves

Nickeil Alexander-Walker – Minnesota Timberwolves

Luguentz Dort – Oklahoma City Thunder

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Oklahoma City Thunder

Caleb Houstan – Orlando Magic

Cory Joseph – Orlando Magic  

Dalano Banton – Portland Trail Blazers

Shaedon Sharpe – Portland Trail Blazers

Trey Lyles – Sacramento Kings

Kelly Olynyk – Toronto Raptors

RJ Barrett – Toronto Raptors

‍