The NBA Playoff places have all been booked and just over half of the teams are gearing up for the postseason while the remainder are getting ready for the draft lottery and rest and relaxation. There are 24 players of African decent on the rosters of all of the teams who have qualified, a few of these might not make it on the final rosters for the playoffs. On Thursday the NBA announced that team rosters (active and inactive) for the 2018 NBA Playoffs will feature a record 62 international players from a record 33 countries with eight Africa-born players to feature in 2018 NBA Playoffs
All 16 teams competing in the playoffs will feature at least one international player. The Utah Jazz and Philadelphia 76ers have an NBA-high seven international players each. The Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors and San Antonio Spurs each have six. The Spurs’ 2014 NBA Championship team featured a record nine international players during the playoffs.
The most represented countries among the 62 international players on playoff rosters are France and Australia (seven players each), followed by Canada (four players), Spain (four players), Turkey, Croatia, Cameroon and Brazil (three players each). Thirty-six of the record 64 European players who were on opening-night rosters for the 2017-18 season are on playoff rosters.
Four-time NBA Champion Tony Parker (San Antonio Spurs; France) will be making his 17th straight playoff appearance, the longest active streak among all NBA players.
There were 108 international players from a record 42 countries and territories on opening-night rosters for the 2017-18 season. This marked the fourth consecutive season that opening-night rosters featured at least 100 international players and that all 30 teams had at least one international player.
The previous record for international players in the playoffs (60) was set in 2007, and the previous record for countries and territories represented in the playoffs (30) was set in 2014.
The 2018 NBA Playoffs tip off Saturday, April 14. In the opening game, the defending NBA Champion Golden State Warriors will host the San Antonio Spurs at 9:00 p.m. CAT live on Kwesé Sports.
Courtesy: NBA.com
