• October 27, 2009 5:21 pm  |  30 Comments

    International Players on ‘09-10 NBA Rosters


    The  Bucks have the most international players with seven. The Bobcats, Kings and Raptors each feature five international players. Omri Casspi (Israel), Jonas Jerebko (Sweden) and Hasheem Thabeet (Tanzania) are representing their countries for the first time on an NBA roster. France has the strongest representation with a record 10 players.

    The following is a complete list of international players on ‘09-10 NBA opening night rosters (both active and inactive):

    NATIONALITY BIRTHPLACE PLAYER TEAM
    Argentina Carlos Delfino Milwaukee Bucks
    Luis Scola Houston Rockets
    Andres Nocioni Sacramento Kings
    Manu Ginobili San Antonio Spurs
    Fabricio Oberto Washington Wizards
    Australia David  Andersen Houston Rockets
    Patrick Mills Portland Trail Blazers
    Nathan Jawai Minnesota Timberwolves
    Andrew Bogut Milwaukee Bucks
    Belgium Belgium Democratic Republic of the Congo DJ Mbenga Los Angeles Lakers
    Brazil Anderson Varejao Cleveland Cavaliers
    Leandro Barbosa Phoenix Suns
    Nene Denver Nuggets
    Cameroon Luc Mbah A Moute Milwaukee Bucks
    Canada Joel Anthony Miami Heat
    Haiti Samuel Dalembert Philadelphia 76ers
    Jamaal Magloire Miami Heat
    South Africa Steve Nash Phoenix Suns
    China Yao Ming Houston Rockets
    Yi Jianlian New Jersey Nets
    Congo Serge Ibaka Oklahoma City Thunder
    Croatia Roko Ukic Milwaukee Bucks
    Dominican Republic Francisco Garcia Sacramento Kings
    Al Horford Atlanta Hawks
    France Alexis Ajinca Charlotte Bobcats
    Nicolas Batum Portland TrailBlazers
    Guadeloupe Rodrigue Beaubois Dallas Mavericks
    Boris Diaw Charlotte Bobcats
    Yakhouba Diawara Miami Heat
    Ian Mahinmi San Antonio Spurs
    Belgium Tony Parker San Antonio Spurs
    Johan Petro Denver Nuggets
    Guadeloupe Mickael Pietrus Orlando Magic
    Martinique Ronny Turiaf Golden State Warriors
    Georgia Zaza Pachulia Atlanta Hawks
    Germany Dirk Nowitzki Dallas Mavericks
    Great Britain
    Kelenna Azubuike Golden State Warriors
    Sudan Luol Deng Chicago Bulls
    Pops Mensah-Bonsu Houston Rockets
    Iran





    Hamed Haddadi Memphis Grizzlies
    Israel Omri Casspi Sacramento Kings
    Italy Andrea Bargnani Toronto Raptors
    Marco Belinelli Toronto Raptors
    Danilo Gallinari New York Knicks
    Latvia Andris Biedrins Golden State Warriors
    Lithuania Zydrunas Ilgauskas Cleveland Cavaliers
    Darius Songaila New Orleans Hornets
    Mexico Eduardo Najera New Jersey Nets
    Netherlands Francisco Elson Milwaukee Bucks
    Dan Gadzuric Milwaukee Bucks
    New Zealand Sean Marks New Orleans Hornets
    Poland Marcin Gortat Orlando Magic
    Puerto Rico Carlos Arroyo Miami Heat
    Jose Juan Barea Dallas Mavericks
    Russia Andrei Kirilenko Utah Jazz
    Senegal DeSagana Diop Charlotte Bobcats
    Serbia Marko Jaric Memphis Grizzlies
    Nenad Krstic Oklahoma City Thunder
    Darko Milicic New York Knicks
    Montenegro Aleksandar Pavlovic Minnesota Timberwolves
    Bosnia-Herzegovina Vladimir Radmanovic Charlotte Bobcats
    Croatia Peja Stojakovic New Orleans Hornets
    Slovenia Primoz  Brezec Philadelphia 76ers
    Goran Dragic Phoenix Suns
    Rasho Nesterovic Toronto Raptors
    Beno Udrih Sacramento Kings
    Sasha Vujacic Los Angeles Lakers
    Spain Jose Calderon Toronto Raptors
    Rudy Fernandez Portland Trail Blazers
    Marc Gasol Memphis Grizzlies
    Pau Gasol Los Angeles Lakers
    Sergio Rodriguez Sacramento Kings
    St. Vincent and Grenadines Adonal Foyle Orlando Magic
    Sweden Jonas  Jerebko Detroit Pistons
    Switzerland Thabo Sefolosha Oklahoma City Thunder
    Tanzania Hasheem Thabeet Memphis Grizzlies
    Turkey Ersan Ilyasova Milwaukee Bucks
    Mehmet  Okur Utah Jazz
    Hedo Turkoglu Toronto Raptors
    Ukraine Kyrylo Fesenko Utah Jazz
    Oleksiy Pecherov Minnesota Timberwolves
    U.S. Virgin Islands Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs
    Raja Bell Charlotte Bobcats
    • Add a Comment
      • Digg
      • del.icio.us
      • Facebook
      • Google
      • StumbleUpon
      • TwitThis
      • Yahoo! Buzz
      • Print this article!
    • RSS

    Tags: , , , , , , ,

    • Keith Posted: Oct.27 at 5:27 pm
      I’m impressed that th NBA has so many players form so many different countries.
      However, a large number of them are w*nk.

    • J-RO Posted: Oct.27 at 5:50 pm
      what about Sun Yue?
      and isnt Peja Serbian too?

    • niQ Posted: Oct.27 at 5:55 pm
      Peja is from Croatia?

    • LaurMandu Posted: Oct.27 at 6:42 pm
      Peja is from Serbia. He was born in Croatia from Serbian parents. He has Serbian and Greek nationality.

    • Will Posted: Oct.27 at 6:48 pm
      Peja is with Serbia, AFAIK.

    • Michael NZ Posted: Oct.27 at 7:19 pm
      Pejas not from Croatia… some kinda typo. BUT, more importantly: SEAN MARKS!

    • Tukei Posted: Oct.27 at 7:33 pm
      Peja is from Serbia.
      And what about Utah’s Kostas Koufos from Greece.

    • Josh Posted: Oct.27 at 10:14 pm
      Yeah Sean Marks! Seasoned veteren extraordinaire!

    • Holy Baller Posted: Oct.27 at 10:29 pm
      HEY PEJA IS NOT FROM…….hahahaha jk. It’s amazing how some of these guys get here from countries in which basketball is pretty obscure….it’s pretty inspiring.

    • Tong Po Posted: Oct.28 at 1:52 am
      Sean Marks NZ represent!
      I reckon Randall Tolo could have represented NZ in the league - he was a faster version of patty mills with waaaaayyyy more hops. Dunno what happned to him though.

    • titsd Posted: Oct.28 at 2:19 am
      carmelo anthony is half filipino why didnt they mention him!?!

    • Cahyo Posted: Oct.28 at 3:18 am
      Isn’t Kobe half Japanese or sumthing?

    • alex chuck Posted: Oct.28 at 3:42 am
      LOL carmelo is half puerto rican not filo
      and regardless even if he was he was born in america which makes him an american citizen. the only way you are some other nationality is by having that countries citizenship. and kobe name is from a steak named kobe.

    • alex chuck Posted: Oct.28 at 3:44 am
      im australian with chinese heritage.

    • micki Posted: Oct.28 at 4:51 am
      Peja is from Serbia!!

    • Alan Posted: Oct.28 at 6:08 am
      there’s not a single white player in France or what?? Reminds me of the Eurobasket, where there was not even one player born in continental france… closest one was Parker born in Bruges, Belgium. Nice to see so many countries though.

    • Taisen Posted: Oct.28 at 6:24 am
      Alan, apart from Parker who was born in Belgium and grew up in France, every single french player was born in continental France, or French West Indies( it is France also).
      Nando de Colo is white and was drafted this year by the Spurs.
      If you check France’s history, you will understand why France has so many black people and by the way, try to visit this country, you would be surprised…

    • Pariuri Sportive Posted: Oct.28 at 6:43 am
      I had no ideea that Steve Nash is from South Africa Republic. I was thinking he is 100% US born player!

    • mumadone Posted: Oct.28 at 8:13 am
      villanueva played for the dominican republic this summer

    • Clark Posted: Oct.28 at 12:07 pm
      @ J-Ro Sun Yue got cut by the Lakers and Knicks, so he’s not in the NBA anymore. Sorry Chinese Magic Johnson…

    • JT Posted: Oct.28 at 2:26 pm
      And what about Chris Kaman, he played for Germany in summer ‘08 right?

    • Gerard Himself Posted: Oct.28 at 5:18 pm
      The Netherlands represent! Okay, that sounded lame, but there was a time Elson was getting minutes on a Spurs championship team.

    • tavoris Posted: Oct.29 at 11:23 am
      is Azubuike still considered an international player, even tho he isn’t allowed to play for Great Britan?

    • al Posted: Oct.29 at 12:19 pm
      ben gordon is british, or at least can play for their national team

    • Reece Posted: Nov.3 at 2:46 am
      @TongPo, could be a bit of Aussie pride making me biased but I think after seeing Patty blaze CP3 at Beijing he is waaay underrated. Seriously, he could be the next Gilbert Arenas-esque draft steal if Nate McMillan plays him some minutes on the hardwood. Sadly, unless Andre Miller, Jerryd Bayless, Rudy Fernandez, Brandon Roy and Steve Blake all succomb to injury I doubt they’ll play him a minute

    • Reece Posted: Nov.3 at 2:46 am
      @TongPo, could be a bit of Aussie pride making me biased but I think after seeing Patty blaze CP3 at Beijing he is waaay underrated. Seriously, he could be the next Gilbert Arenas-esque draft steal if Nate McMillan plays him some minutes on the hardwood. Sadly, unless Andre Miller, Jerryd Bayless, Rudy Fernandez, Brandon Roy and Steve Blake all succomb to injury I doubt they’ll play him a minute

    • Reece Posted: Nov.3 at 2:48 am
      also @titsd, not sure on the actual rules but they wouldn’t put Melo in Philippino, Andrew Bogut was born and raised in Australia but he’s half Croatian however us Aussies pretend that’s not a country xD

    • Jacob A. Posted: Nov.25 at 11:19 am
      Koufos has greek heritige, but was born in America. And Kobe lived in Italy while his dad played there.

    • [...] basketball players they’re obviously mostly people of African descent. The country with the second-most players in the NBA is France, and ten-out-of-ten are black. There’s also players from the US Virgin [...]

    • [...] I watch sports, I know I’m watching the best players. Take basketball for example, there are 81 international NBA players from 36 different countries. That means basketball scouts scour the Earth to make sure you get the [...]

    Comments




    The comments section is a place to further discuss the topics in this post. Commenters who seek to accomplish any of the following may be banned: - Personally attack other commenters. - Make derogatory comments regarding race, ethnicity, language, gender, sexual orientation or religion. - Troll, or comment with the intention of creating problems. Trolling includes, but isn't limited to, baiting people to flame at you, encouraging people to leave the site, spamming and using alternate IDs.