(Reuters) – Opening night rosters for the National Basketball Association’s 2020-21 season, which begins later on Tuesday, will feature 107 international players from 41 countries, including a record 17 from Canada, according to the league.
Canada remains the most represented country outside of the United States for a seventh consecutive year with 17 players, followed by France (nine), Australia (eight) Serbia and Germany (six players each).
The Washington Wizards have an NBA-high seven international players on their roster.
The records for international players (113) and countries and territories represented (42) were set at the start of the 2016-17 and 2017-18 seasons, respectively, according to the NBA.
After finishing last season at Disney World in a so-called “bubble” designed to keep inhabitants safe from COVID-19, the NBA’s 30 teams will resume traveling between cities for games even as the coronavirus outbreak continues to swell nationwide.
There are two games on the opening-night schedule, including the champion Los Angeles Lakers versus the Los Angeles Clippers.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto; Editing by Ken Ferris)
