Record 121 NBA, WNBA players to compete in 2020 Tokyo Olympics
NEW YORK – A record 121 NBA and WNBA players are featured on national team rosters for the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan. The men’s and women’s 5×5 competitions will feature a record 49 current NBA players and a record 29 current WNBA players, as well as 16 former NBA and 22 former WNBA players. The inaugural 3×3 basketball tournament features four current and one former WNBA player.
The previous records for current NBA and WNBA players in the Olympics were 46 and 26, respectively, at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
Outside of the U.S., Nigeria has the most current NBA players on its roster with eight, followed by Australia with seven and France with six. Eleven of the 12 teams competing in the men’s tournament have at least one current NBA player, and national team rosters include 13 players who have been NBA All-Stars.
Twenty-seven NBA teams are represented in the men’s 5×5 competition, with the Miami Heat featuring a league-high four players. The Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Milwaukee Bucks and Utah Jazz each have three players competing.
In the women’s 5×5 competition, outside the U.S., Australia has the most current WNBA players with five followed by Canada and Spain with three each. Eight of the 12 teams in the women’s tournament have at least one current WNBA player, and 10 of the 12 WNBA teams are represented on national team rosters. The Phoenix Mercury and Seattle Storm lead with five players each, followed by the Minnesota Lynx with four players.
The inaugural women’s 3×3 basketball tournament is being held from July 24-28 and features five current and former WNBA players.
In addition, 29 players on Olympic rosters have NBA G League experience, including a league-high six on Nigeria. France and Japan each feature four players who played in the NBA’s official minor league.
Francisco Cáffaro of the Argentina Men’s National Team and Han Xu of the China Women’s National Team become the first NBA Academy participants to make an Olympic roster. Cáffaro, who was a member of the University of Virginia’s NCAA championship team in 2019, attended NBA Global Academy in Canberra, Australia. Han, who attended NBA Academy Shandong in China, became the first NBA Academy participant to be drafted into the WNBA or NBA when she was selected 14thoverall in the 2019 WNBA Draft.
In addition, 45 players on Olympic men’s and women’s rosters participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB), including Danilo Gallinari (Atlanta Hawks; Italy; BWB Europe 2003), Han (New York Liberty; China; BWB Global 2018), Marc Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers; Spain; BWB Europe 2003) and Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards; Japan; BWB Global 2016). BWB is the NBA and FIBA’s global basketball development and community outreach program that has seen 79 former campers drafted into the NBA or signed as free agents since 2001 and five former campers drafted into the WNBA since 2019.
Below please find a complete list of current NBA players on 2020 Olympic 5×5 rosters*:
*As of July 24, 2021 (all rosters subject to change)
| Country | First Name | Last Name | NBA Team |
| Argentina | Facundo | Campazzo* | Denver Nuggets |
| Argentina | Gabriel | Deck* | Oklahoma City Thunder |
| Argentina | Luca | Vildoza* | New York Knicks |
| Australia | Aron | Baynes | Toronto Raptors |
| Australia | Matthew | Dellavedova | Cleveland Cavaliers** |
| Australia | Dante | Exum | Houston Rockets |
| Australia | Josh | Green* | Dallas Mavericks |
| Australia | Joe | Ingles | Utah Jazz |
| Australia | Patty | Mills | San Antonio Spurs |
| Australia | Matisse | Thybulle | Philadelphia 76ers |
| Czech Republic | Tomas | Satoransky* | Chicago Bulls |
| France | Nicolas | Batum* | Free Agent |
| France | Evan | Fournier | Boston Celtics |
| France | Rudy | Gobert | Utah Jazz |
| France | Timothé | Luwawu-Cabarrot | Brooklyn Nets |
| France | Frank | Ntilikina* | New York Knicks |
| France | Vincent | Poirier | Philadelphia 76ers** |
| Germany | Isaac | Bonga* | Washington Wizards |
| Germany | Moritz | Wagner | Orlando Magic |
| Italy | Danilo | Gallinari* | Atlanta Hawks |
| Italy | Nico | Mannion | Golden State Warriors |
| Italy | Nicolò | Melli | Dallas Mavericks** |
| Japan | Rui | Hachimura* | Washington Wizards |
| Japan | Yuta | Watanabe | Toronto Raptors |
| Nigeria | Precious | Achiuwa | Miami Heat |
| Nigeria | Chimezie | Metu | Sacramento Kings |
| Nigeria | Jordan | Nwora | Milwaukee Bucks |
| Nigeria | Jahlil | Okafor | Detroit Pistons |
| Nigeria | Josh | Okogie | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| Nigeria | KZ | Okpala | Miami Heat |
| Nigeria | Miye | Oni | Utah Jazz |
| Nigeria | Nnamdi | Vincent | Miami Heat |
| Slovenia | Vlatko | Čančar | Denver Nuggets |
| Slovenia | Luka | Dončić | Dallas Mavericks |
| Spain | Marc | Gasol* | Los Angeles Lakers |
| Spain | Willy | Hernangómez* | New Orleans Pelicans |
| Spain | Ricky | Rubio | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| United States | Bam | Adebayo | Miami Heat |
| United States | Devin | Booker | Phoenix Suns |
| United States | Kevin | Durant | Brooklyn Nets |
| United States | Jerami | Grant | Detroit Pistons |
| United States | Draymond | Green | Golden State Warriors |
| United States | Jrue | Holiday | Milwaukee Bucks |
| United States | Keldon | Johnson | San Antonio Spurs |
| United States | Zach | LaVine | Chicago Bulls |
| United States | Damian | Lillard | Portland Trail Blazers |
| United States | JaVale | McGee | Denver Nuggets |
| United States | Khris | Middleton | Milwaukee Bucks |
| United States | Jayson | Tatum | Boston Celtics |
*Participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB)
**Appeared on an NBA roster during 2020-21 season
Below please find a complete list of former NBA players on 2020 Olympic 5×5 rosters*:
*As of July 24, 2021 (all rosters subject to change)
| Country | First Name | Last Name |
| Argentina | Nicolás | Brussino |
| Argentina | Patricio | Garino* |
| Argentina | Nicolás | Laprovittola |
| Argentina | Luis | Scola |
| Czech Republic | Jan | Vesely |
| France | Nando | De Colo |
| France | Guerschon | Yabusele |
| Iran | Hamed | Haddadi |
| Nigeria | Ekpe | Udoh |
| Slovenia | Zoran | Dragić |
| Slovenia | Mike | Tobey |
| Spain | Alex | Abrines |
| Spain | Victor | Claver* |
| Spain | Rudy | Fernández |
| Spain | Pau | Gasol |
| Spain | Sergio | Rodríguez* |
*Participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB)
Below please find a complete list of current WNBA players on 2020 Olympic 5×5 rosters*:
*As of July 24, 2021 (all rosters subject to change)
| Country | First Name | Last Name | WNBA Team |
| Australia | Rebecca | Allen | New York Liberty |
| Australia | Ezi | Magbegor* | Seattle Storm |
| Australia | Leilani | Mitchell | Washington Mystics |
| Australia | Alanna | Smith | Phoenix Mercury |
| Australia | Stephanie | Talbot | Seattle Storm |
| Belgium | Julie | Allemand | Indiana Fever** |
| Belgium | Emma | Meesseman | Free Agent |
| Canada | Natalie | Achonwa | Minnesota Lynx |
| Canada | Bridget | Carleton | Minnesota Lynx |
| Canada | Kia | Nurse | Phoenix Mercury |
| China | Xu | Han* | New York Liberty** |
| France | Marine | Johannes | New York Liberty** |
| France | Gabby | Williams | Los Angeles Sparks** |
| Republic of Korea | JiSu | Park | Las Vegas Aces |
| Spain | Maite | Cazorla | Atlanta Dream** |
| Spain | Maria | Conde | Chicago Sky** |
| Spain | Astou | Ndour | Chicago Sky |
| United States | Ariel | Atkins | Washington Mystics |
| United States | Sue | Bird | Seattle Storm |
| United States | Tina | Charles | Washington Mystics |
| United States | Napheesa | Collier | Minnesota Lynx |
| United States | Skylar | Diggins-Smith | Phoenix Mercury |
| United States | Sylvia | Fowles | Minnesota Lynx |
| United States | Chelsea | Gray | Las Vegas Aces |
| United States | Brittney | Griner | Phoenix Mercury |
| United States | Jewell | Loyd | Seattle Storm |
| United States | Breanna | Stewart | Seattle Storm |
| United States | Diana | Taurasi | Phoenix Mercury |
| United States | A’ja | Wilson | Las Vegas Aces |
*Participated in Basketball Without Borders (BWB)
**Under contract with WNBA team but did not report to training camp this season
Below please find a complete list of former WNBA players on 2020 Olympic 5×5 rosters*:
*As of July 24, 2021 (all rosters subject to change)
| Country | First Name | Last Name |
| Australia | Cayla | George |
| Australia | Tess | Madgen |
| Australia | Jenna | O’Hea |
| Australia | Marianna | Tolo |
| Belgium | Kim | Mestdagh |
| Belgium | Ann | Wauters |
| Canada | Kayla | Alexander |
| Canada | Miranda | Ayim |
| Canada | Nirra | Fields |
| Canada | Kim | Gaucher |
| Canada | Nayo | Raincock-Ekunwe |
| China | Ting | Shao |
| France | Sandrine | Gruda |
| France | Endy | Miyem |
| Nigeria | Adaora | Elonu |
| Nigeria | Ify | Ibekwe |
| Nigeria | Victoria | Macaulay |
| Puerto Rico | Jazmon | Gwathmey |
| Puerto Rico | Jennifer | O’Neill |
| Serbia | Jelena | Brooks |
| Serbia | Ana | Dabovic |
| Serbia | Sonja | Vasic |
Below please find a complete list of current WNBA players on 2020 Olympic 3×3 rosters*:
*As of July 24, 2021 (all rosters subject to change)
| Country | First Name | Last Name | WNBA Team |
| United States | Stefanie | Dolson | Chicago Sky |
| United States | Allisha | Gray | Dallas Wings |
| United States | Kelsey | Plum | Las Vegas Aces |
| United States | Jackie | Young | Las Vegas Aces |
Below please find a complete list of former WNBA players on 2020 Olympic 3×3 rosters*:
*As of July 24, 2021 (all rosters subject to change)
| Country | First Name | Last Name |
| Romania | Gabriela | Marginean |
* * *
