The 2025–26 NBA Regular Season tips off Tuesday with two marquee games, highlighted by Luka Doncic beginning his first full year with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Doncic joins fellow stars Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo in leading a record 71 European players on opening-night rosters. In total, the NBA features 135 international players from 43 countries, the most in league history.
Standouts from EuroBasket 2025, including MVP Dennis Schroder, Alperen Sengun, and Franz Wagner, headline the growing European presence.
The New York Knicks lead all teams with six Europeans, three of whom are French: Guerschon Yabusele, Mohamed Diawara, and Pacome Dadiet.
Europe’s influence also extends to the sidelines, with Jordi Fernandez (Nets), Tuomas Iisalo (Grizzlies), and Darko Rajakovic (Raptors) representing three European head coaches this season.
The international growth aligns with the NBA’s partnership with FIBA to launch a new European league, informally called NBA Europe, expected in 2027.
Opening night begins at Paycom Center, where the defending champion Thunder host the Rockets, followed by Doncic’s Lakers facing the Golden State Warriors at crypto.com Arena.
The 2025-26 NBA season features more European players than EVERhttps://t.co/6EhTVKXT4H
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 21, 2025
