"KAT, Kyrie, Ant, Tatum and Jaylen" - NBA fans ridicule Jalen Rose's anxiety about foreign players eclipsing US athletes 

NBA fans have responded to Jalen Rose after the former player and ESPN analyst sent a message to future American hoopers on social media. Fans ridiculed Rose and argued that the league is still dominated by players from the United States. It is worth noting, though, that the last time an American player won the MVP award was in 2018 (James Harden).

In a tweet, Rose warned young American players with aspirations to play in the NBA. He told them to start working hard on their game and have discipline to succeed. He also reckons international players are likely to take over and possibly make it harder for Americans to come into the league:

"Dear US-born basketball players. Put in that work tirelessly and show discipline otherwise NBA jobs are becoming extinct," Rose wrote.

While some fans agreed with Jalen Rose's take on American players, others didn't They pointed out that there are several American stars still in the NBA playoffs like Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kyrie Irving, Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.

"KAT, Kyrie, Ant, Tatum and Jaylen beg to differ," one fan commented.

"Final 4. Tatum US-born, Haliburton US-born, Edwards US-born, Luka Slovenian. WTF is J-Rrose talking about?" a fan asked.

"US players are still doing their thing though. Ant Man, Kyrie, Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum," another fan commented.

Some fans are adamant about looking at the success of American players in this year's playoffs. Four of the five best players still in the postseason are from the United States, with Luka Doncic being the lone international player:

"Meanwhile 4/5 of the best players in the conference finals are US-born," a fan wrote.

"Man, what are u talking about dude? another fan asked.

"This man is high," one fan claimed.

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How many international players are in the NBA this season?

There are 145 international players in the NBA at the start of the 2023-24 season, breaking the record from last season by three players. These players represent 40 different countries and territories, with Canada dominating the pool with 26 players in the league.

France comes in second with 14 players on NBA rosters, including reigning Rookie of the Year, Victor Wembanyama. It's expected to increase next season with several more prospects coming via the draft.

The rest of the world has seemingly caught up with the United States in terms of top-tier talents on the court. The last six MVP winners are born outside the country – Giannis Antetokounmpo (Greece), Nikola Jokic (Serbia) and Joel Embiid (Cameroon).

Even the finalists in this year's MVP voting are international players – Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Canada) and Luka Doncic (Slovenia).

However, it's also true that only two of the eight best players, two from each team, remaining in the playoffs are not Americans. It could be considered as three, as Kyrie Irving was born in Australia:

• Boston Celtics - Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
• Indiana Pacers - Tyrese Haliburton and Pascal Siakam (Cameroon)
• Minnesota Timberwolves - Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns
• Dallas Mavericks - Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic (Slovenia)

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What did you make of Jalen Rose's comments? Do you agree with him? Let's know your thoughts in the comments section below.