The Utah Jazz are sending five players to the FIBA World Cup, but is that the most in the NBA?
The FIBA World Cup is coming up soon, and teams around the NBA are watching as their best players head off to take part in the international competition. The Utah Jazz are among the few teams in the league that are watching most of their best players head across the world to take part in a global showdown.
Lauri Markkanen, the team’s star and current face of the franchise, will try and lead a lackluster Finnish team to the promised land. Kelly Olynyk will join a semi-stacked Team Canada team that may have its best squad in decades. Walker Kessler is going to anchor a young, but potent Team USA on defense.
Then there’s Jordan Clarkson taking on the role of Team Philippine’s key playmaker, and Simone Fontecchio looking to lead a new-look Team Italy to success. And while the Jazz are sending five players to five countries, it turns out they’re not the team with the most players going to the games.
The Jazz and Magic are tied, but the Magic only have four teams represented. Their two biggest stars are playing for rival teams, with Paolo Banchero joining Kessler on Team USA, and Frans Wagner joining his brother Moritz with Team Germany. Former Jazz and current Magic player Joe Ingles will once again suit up for Team Australia, and Goga Bitadze will join Team Georgia (country, not the state).
The Mavericks also have five players going to four countries. Former Utah Jazz player Dante Exum will join Ingles on Team Australia, same with current Mavericks player Josh Green. Maxi Kleber will join the Wagner brothers on Team Germany, while their franchise star Luka Doncic will be suiting up with Slovenia. Mavericks big man Dwight Powell will anchor Team Canada’s front-court with Olynyk.
Of all the teams, however, it’s the Oklahoma City Thunder who have the most players going. Aleksej Pokusevski is going to help anchor a competitive Team Serbia, while Josh Giddey and Jack White will play for Team Austalia. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Lou Dort are going to lead Team Canada, and Davis Bertans will play for Latvia.
While the Thunder is sending six players, they’re only going to four different countries, not five like the Jazz.
So while the Jazz are tied for the second-most amount of players going to the World Cup, they have the most countries represented.