THERE are 30 teams in the NBA and each team is allowed a maximum 15 players on their lineup, 12 of them dressing up for each scheduled game. Therefore, at any given time, the league has 450 active players.
Of that total number, the NBA opened its 73rd season with 108 players coming from 42 countries and territories. This is five players less than the previous two seasons, which had their highest with 113 multinationals. Each of the 30 teams had at least one international player on their roster. This is the fifth consecutive time that the league opened the season with at least 100 foreign-born players and with each team having at least one international player each.
Among the countries with the most representations, Canada had 11 players, and France and Australia had nine each. Seven players were from Spain while Germany had six. Croatia, Serbia and Turkey had five players each.
Half of Dallas’ current roster is composed of internationals and they have the league’s highest number of foreigners at seven, including Dirk Nowitzki who is setting an NBA record of 21 seasons with a single team. The sweet-shooting German tied Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett, and Vince Carter with the most seasons played overall in the league. He only needs 237 points to overtake Wilt Chamberlain (31,419 points) at No. 5 on the NBA’s all-time scoring leaders. Also with the Mavericks is 2018 third pick Luca Doncic from Slovenia.
Utah and the LA Clippers have six international players on their rosters while Boston, New York, Philadelphia, San Antonio, and Oklahoma have five each. Among the notables are Ricky Rubio (UTA), Marcin Gortat (LAC), Kyrie Irving (AUS), Kristaps Porzingis (NYK), Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons (PHI), Steven Adams (OKC), and Pau Gasol (SAS). Scoring 5 points in their victory over Minnesota, Gasol only needs 10 points to pass David Robinson (20,790 points) at 38th and need 100 points to jump to 37th and overtake Bob Petit (20,880) on the all-time scoring list.
Aside from the 108 international players, there are six internationals from five countries with two-way contracts. This allows them to be with their NBA teams while spending most of their time with their team’s G-League affiliates. Among them is Memphis’ two-way player Yuta Watanabe. He hopes to follow the footsteps of another Yuta, surnamed Tabuse who played for Phoenix in 2004 and become only the second Japanese to play in the NBA.
For the first time in league history, the NBA had employed the first foreign-born and -raised coach in the person of Igor Kokoskov. The Serbian is now the head coach for the Phoenix Suns. His command of the English language paved his way to being hired to the University of Missouri’s coaching staff, the first European to hold that position in the US NCAA Men’s Division 1 basketball. The following year, he was the first non-American hired as a full-time assistant coach in the NBA with the LA Clippers. In 2003, he was on the Detroit Pistons’ coaching staff and won an NBA championship the following year.
After Detroit, Kokoskov also had assistant coaching stints with Phoenix, Cleveland, Orlando, and Utah. He returned to the team he previously was with for five years (2008 to 2013) and officially assumed the head coaching position last May. Back in Europe, he coached the Slovenian national team that had Doncic on the lineup.
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The NBA has gone global and, with this in mind, it would be advisable for Kai Sotto’s family to consider Real Madrid’s offer. The deal is for five years and reportedly above $1 million. The potential to develop into an NBA caliber player is very real and if he does leaves for Spain and join one of Europe’s elite youth teams, Kai could be the first full-blooded Filipino to suit up with a European team and eventually to an NBA franchise.
Doncic was signed by Real Madrid at the age of 13 and, at 19 years old, picked by the Mavericks. In his debut recently he contributed 10 points, eight rebounds and four assists in their loss to Phoenix. Other notable internationals who played with Real Madrid prior to joining the NBA are Bojan Bogdanovic (IND), Serge Ibaka (TOR), Nikola Mirotic (NOP), and brothers Willy (CHA) and Juan (DEN) Hernangomez.
Sotto’s potential was noticed not only by Real Madrid but by several other European teams. They should seriously consider the offer, stay with the Spanish club and finish his five-year contract, bulk up, refine his moves, and should be NBA-ready when he turns 22. At least in our lifetime, an unadulterated Filipino will finally be in the NBA.
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Reactions are welcome at bobby_motus@yahoo.com./PN
