Nigeria Leads Africa With Six Nigerian-Born Players on NBA Opening-Night Rosters
Nigeria has emerged as Africa’s leading country by the number of Nigerian-born players on National Basketball Association (NBA) opening-night rosters for the 2026/27 season, with six players set to feature in the league, according to a report by PUNCH.
The NBA announced on October 20 that more than 60 players born in Africa or with at least one African-born parent were included on rosters for the new campaign. More than 25 of those players have Nigerian origins or a Nigerian parent, highlighting the country’s growing presence in basketball’s premier professional league.
The six Nigerian-born players identified in the report are Ugonna Onyenso of the Detroit Pistons, Charles Bassey of the Golden State Warriors, Adem Bona of the Philadelphia 76ers, Precious Achiuwa of the Sacramento Kings, Josh Okogie of the Utah Jazz and Felix Okpara of the Washington Wizards.
Several other NBA players also have Nigerian connections. They include Bam Adebayo and Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Miami Heat, OG Anunoby of the New York Knicks, Deandre Ayton of the Washington Wizards, Tristan Enaruna of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Tobi Lawal of the Dallas Mavericks.
Across the league, opening-night rosters feature 125 international players from 43 countries across six continents, matching the NBA’s record for the number of countries represented. France leads the international contingent with 17 players, followed by Canada with 16, Australia with nine and Germany with seven. Nigeria and Serbia have six players each under the reported nationality breakdown.
The figures also mark the sixth consecutive season in which the NBA has featured at least 120 international players, with all 30 franchises having at least one international player on their rosters. The continued presence of players with African roots reflects the continent’s contribution to the league’s international talent pool.
One of the major talking points ahead of the new season is Antetokounmpo’s reported move to Miami after 13 seasons with the Milwaukee Bucks, where he won an NBA championship. The 31-year-old, who was born in Nigeria and represents Greece internationally, has dismissed concerns that he may struggle to adapt to his new surroundings.
“I think this is the right place to be. One of my goals is to win another NBA championship, and I really want to do it. Whenever I put my mind into something, I usually accomplish it. I feel like this is the best route for me to do that,” Antetokounmpo said.