5 countries besides USA to produce the most NBA players

#3 Nigeria - 34

KZ Okpala of the Miami Heat

There are currently five players representing Nigeria in the NBA. They are Charles Bassey, Josh Okogie, Precious Achiuwa, Udoka Azubuike and Chimezie Metu. Other current players with ties to Nigeria include KZ Okpala, Miye Oni, Gabe Vincent and Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Nigeria are one of the most successful African nations in basketball. They have qualified for the Olympics and FIBA World Cup on three occasions. They are also the only country from Africa to beat the United States, and have produced 34 NBA players.

The first Nigerian to play in the NBA is Hall of Famer Hakeem Olajuwon. He was drafted first overall by the Houston Rockets in the famous 1984 draft. Olajuwon won two NBA championships with the Rockets, and was the first non-American player to win the prestigious MVP award.

---

#2 France - 37

Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz

France have produced the second most number of international NBA players. There are currently seven French players on Opening Night rosters. They are Rudy Gobert, Evan Fournier, Nicolas Batum, Killian Hayes, Frank Ntilikina, Theo Maledon and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot.

Technically, the first-ever French player to play in the NBA was Bob Riley, but he was a naturalized citizen from the United States. Tariq Abdul-Wahad was the first player raised in France to play in the league. He was drafted 11th overall by the Sacramento Kings in 1997.

The greatest French player in the history of the NBA is Tony Parker. He played for most of his career with the San Antonio Spurs, where he won four NBA championships. He also led France to their first-ever EuroBasket title in 2013. In the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, France won their first Olympic medal, finishing second to Team USA.

---

#1 Canada - 54

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action

Basketball was invented by a Canadian, Dr James Naismith, in 1981. It's only fitting that Canada has produced the most number of NBA players outside the United States. Primarily a hockey nation, Canada have had 54 different players in the league over the years.

Steve Nash is the most famous Canadian basketball player. He is a two-time MVP for the Phoenix Suns and the current head coach of the Brooklyn Nets. The NBA has 18 Canadian players on its Opening Night rosters, the highest in any season.

They include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jamal Murray and Andrew Wiggins, who evolved under Vince Carter at the Toronto Raptors. Carter was the catalyst for basketball's popularity in Canada, while the Raptors' 2019 NBA championship cemented the sport's popularity up north.