That's a pretty impressive list.
The FIBA World Cup in Manila last August was a rousing success, with fans from different parts of the globe lauding the 19th staging of basketball's biggest conclave.
Dozens of NBA players trooped to the Philippines to play, much to the mind-blowing delight of Filipinos, who truly know how to appreciate quality basketball. When the competing teams left after the prestigious tournament, one could say there was a little #sepanx.
Now, many of the players who suited up in Manila are strutting their stuff again in the new season of the NBA.
According to a report by Reuters, a record-high 125 players born outside the United States are currently part of the league, with 40 countries and territories represented.
"(This) marks the 10th straight year that opening-night rosters have had 100 or more international players in the US-based league," said the report. "The previous record for international players was 121, set at the start of the 2017-2018 season and repeated at the beginning of the 2021-2022 season."
It added that Canada is the most represented foreign nation with 26 active players.
Canada, led by Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Dillon Brooks, RJ Barrett, and Kelly Olynyk, played in Manila and won a bronze medal in the FIBA World Cup after beating the US.
ALSO READ: One for the books: Top 10 FIBA World Cup moments
They are just a few among the dozens of international guys in the NBA who laced up in the Philippines, including Dennis Schroder (Germany), Luka Doncic (Slovenia), Bogdan Bogdanovic (Serbia), Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania), and Nikola Vucevic (Montenegro), Bruno Fernando (Angola), to name a few.
Although he suited up for the Philippines in the FIBA World Cup, Jordan Clarkson isn't part of the record list of non-US-born players in the NBA today, along with fellow Filipino-American Jalen Green, since they were born in Florida and California, respectively.
ALSO READ: Jordan Clarkson keeps it real, describes Gilas stint in one word for NBA reporters
It's impressive to witness how the NBA continues to grow with more international players every season. With wide exposure like what was provided during the FIBA World Cup in Manila, the number will only exponentially increase in the years to come.