Aust has more in NBA than Spain, Croatia
Australia's status as a rising world basketball power has been confirmed with eight players on NBA rosters for the new season.
The US, not surprisingly, supplies the most players in the NBA, while Australia ranks fourth among non-US nations in a list released by the NBA on Tuesday.
Canada tops the table with 12 NBA players, then comes France with 10 and nine from Brazil.
The NBA includes Melbourne-born Cleveland Cavaliers point guard and All-Star Kyrie Irving as an Australian on its list despite his decision to play for the US at the Olympics.
The other Australians are Andrew Bogut (Golden State Warriors), Matthew Dellavedova (Cavaliers), Aron Baynes (Detroit Pistons), Cameron Bairstow (Chicago Bulls), Patty Mills (San Antonio Spurs) and Utah Jazz duo Joe Ingles and Dante Exum.
Spain and Croatia round out the top five with four NBA players each.
For the second consecutive year, all 30 NBA teams feature at least one international player while the Toronto Raptors lead the league with seven, while the Cavaliers, Spurs, Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves each feature six.
The NBA's 2015/16 regular season tips off on Tuesday (Wednesday AEDT) with Dallevedova's Cavaliers taking on Bairstow's Bulls, and Bogut's Warriors receiving their NBA Championship rings from last season's title win at a ceremony just before hosting the New Orleans Pelicans.
