NBA News NBA News, Match Reports and Updates
The NBA’s 2025-26 regular season kicks off on Tuesday, featuring two matchups, one of which will see Luka Doncic embark on his inaugural full season with the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Slovenian star, alongside Serbian Nikola Jokic and Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo, is among the marquee names in an unprecedented cohort of 71 European players in the opening night lineups. This group is a significant portion of the overall roster of 135 international players—also a historical high—hailing from 43 different countries outside the United States.
Several notable players from the recent EuroBasket 2025 make up this European contingent, including Most Valuable Player Dennis Schroder, along with Alperen Sengun and Franz Wagner.
The New York Knicks feature six European athletes, three of whom are from France: Guerschon Yabusele, Mohamed Diawara, and Pacome Dadiet. Additionally, five European players are set to start the season with the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, and Orlando Magic. The Brooklyn Nets, Los Angeles Clippers, Oklahoma City Thunder, Portland Trail Blazers, Sacramento Kings, and Washington Wizards each have four European players on their rosters.
In addition to the players, the league will see the debut of three European head coaches: Jordi Fernandez from Spain, leading the Nets; Tuomas Iisalo from Finland, at the helm of the Memphis Grizzlies; and Darko Rajakovic from Serbia, coaching the Toronto Raptors.
This expanding European presence aligns with the league’s initiative to establish a premier competition in Europe. In partnership with FIBA, NBA Europe is set to launch in 2027.
Opening night will begin at Paycom Center, where the defending champion Thunder will face off against the Rockets, followed by the Lakers taking on the Golden State Warriors at crypto.com Arena.
