The NBA is loaded with Canadians - here's who to watch this season

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The 2025-26 NBA season tipped off Tuesday night with a pair of marquee games.

Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder raised their championship banner before beating Kevin Durant's Houston Rockets in overtime after SGA sank two free throws with 2.3 seconds left to finish with 35 points. Then, Jimmy Butler scored 31 points to lead Golden State past the Los Angeles Lakers, who got 43 from Luka Doncic while LeBron James sat out with sciatica, delaying the start of his record-breaking 23rd season in the league. Both games were televised by NBC, which marked its first NBA broadcast in almost a quarter century by reintroducing the beloved Roundball Rock theme music from the '90s.

The Toronto Raptors open Wednesday in Atlanta, hoping to challenge for a playoff (or at least play-in) spot after going 30-52 and failing to advance to the post-season for the second straight year. Toronto is currently trading at 39.5 wins in the betting markets, suggesting they'll be right in the mix for one of the four play-in berths in the Eastern Conference.

Canadian basketball fans will also be happy to know that our country remains, by far, the largest foreign supplier of NBA players (maybe we should tariff them?). According to the league, 23 Canadians (plus another two "with ties" to Canada) are currently rostered by NBA teams, including those signed to two-way contracts with a G League affiliate. That's more than triple the exports from any other country — a list led by France, Australia and Germany with seven players apiece.

Here's a look at the top Canadians