NBA: 67 players of African descent this season, a record, and 18 countries from the continent represented
The NBA opened its 2026-2027 season with 67 players born in Africa or with at least one African parent on opening-day rosters, a record for the North American league, according to ESPN and the website Get More Sports, which published this count on October 21, 2026. The previous season, there were more than 55.
Eighteen African countries are represented. Nigeria dominates by a wide margin with 29 players of Nigerian descent, ahead of Senegal (6), followed by Cameroon and Mali (5 each). In total, the league features 125 international players this season from 43 countries and six continents.
Cameroonians, Congolese, Senegalese
The faces of this African presence are now those of the best players in the world. Victor Wembanyama, with the San Antonio Spurs, is the son of a father from the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Joel Embiid, with the Philadelphia 76ers, and Pascal Siakam, with the Indiana Pacers, were both born in Cameroon, which also features Yves Missi with the New Orleans Pelicans, Noa Essengue with the Chicago Bulls, and Noah Penda with the Orlando Magic.
Added to this list are Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bam Adebayo with the Miami Heat, OG Anunoby, who was a champion last season with the New York Knicks according to ESPN, and Deandre Ayton, the son of a Nigerian father, with the Washington Wizards. Senegal is represented by Mouhamed Gueye, Khalifa Diop, Tacko Fall, Ousmane Dieng, Sidy Cissoko, and Alex Sarr.
France, an involuntary showcase for Africa
The most telling figure perhaps concerns France: of its 17 players in the NBA, 13 are of African descent, notes ESPN. Nolan Traoré has Ivorian and Malian roots, Bilal Coulibaly has a Malian connection, and Alex Sarr has Senegalese ancestry. The children of the African diaspora in Europe are thus, by extension, fueling the league's African contingent.
A curve that keeps rising
The progression is continuous: 50 players born in Africa or of African parents in 2023-2024, 52 in 2024-2025, more than 55 in 2025-2026, and 67 today, according to data cited by ESPN and Get More Sports.
A question remains that these figures implicitly raise: the continent is training and exporting its talent at an unprecedented rate, but it is still in North America and Europe that most of them make their mark.
This article was written in French with the help of artificial intelligence from the sources cited below, then translated from French automatically. Read the original.