Canadian basketball enthusiasts are following the NBA closely, not solely due to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's remarkable talent, but also because his status as a leading scorer and MVP contender playing in Oklahoma City has significantly heightened the sport's appeal among fans north of the border.

セルビアやギリシャからも多くの人が試合を見ると予想されます。デンバーのニコラ・ヨキッチやミルウォーキーのヤニス・アデトクンポのような有名な選手がいるため、これらの国のファンは特に注目するでしょう。トルコのファンは、アルペレン・セングンを見るために、夜遅くてもヒューストンの試合を見るかもしれません。スロベニアのファンは、ルカ・ドンチッチとレイカーズがロサンゼルスで土曜日の午後5時30分（スロベニア時間では日曜日の午前2時30分）にプレーオフの最初の試合をするのを楽しむでしょう。カメルーンのファンも、パスカル・シアカムとインディアナ・ペイサーズの試合に注目するでしょう。前回の優勝チームであるボストンには、ラトビアのクリスタップス・ポルジンギスやドミニカ共和国のアル・ホーフォードなど、いろいろな国の選手がいます。

Once again, the NBA playoffs are poised to commence, serving as a prominent showcase for international stars.

今シーズン、NBAで初めて、5つの異なる統計部門のトップ選手がそれぞれ違う5つの国から来ました。得点王のシャイ・ギルジアス＝アレクサンダーはカナダ、リバウンド王のドマンタス・サボニス（サクラメント）はリトアニア、ブロック王のビクター・ウェンバンヤマ（サンアントニオ）はフランス、スティール王のダイソン・ダニエルズ（アトランタ）はオーストラリア、そしてアシスト王のトレイ・ヤング（ホークス）はアメリカ出身です。プレーオフも多くの国の選手が出場するでしょう。ギルジアス＝アレクサンダーはすでに出場が決まっています。サボニスとダニエルズ（そしてヤングも）は、もしディフェンスのプレイイントーナメントを勝ち抜けば、プレーオフに進む可能性があります。

NBAコミッショナーのアダム・シルバー氏は、今シーズン初めに「私たちのリーグには、とても多くの海外の選手がいます」と話しました。「シーズンが始まった時、選手の約30%が43以上の国を代表していて、チームはもっと国際的になっています」とのことです。

By season's end, the NBA had reached 44 countries represented by players who had scored points in the league. For the first time in NBA history, players from a single non-US country collectively surpassed 15,000 total points, with Canadian players, led by Gilgeous-Alexander, accumulating 15,588 points.

This season, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander stands out as a strong contender for the MVP award. It is anticipated that either he or Nikola Jokic will receive this prestigious recognition, marking the seventh consecutive year that an international player has been named MVP in the NBA. Giannis Antetokounmpo has claimed the award twice, followed by Jokic who has won it in three out of the last four seasons. The season before that, the MVP was awarded to Joel Embiid, a player from Cameroon who plays for the Philadelphia 76ers.

Reflecting on the Raptors' game against the Thunder, Toronto's coach, Darko Rajaković, described Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as an unstoppable force.

In other words, like many other international players, he is very hard to stop. It's also true that great players like Jokic, Antetokounmpo, and Doncic are truly unstoppable.

Furthermore, this season saw another international first: Dončić topped the NBA's most popular jersey rankings, with his jersey outselling all others on NBAStore.com. While the number change upon his trade from Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers certainly provided a boost, its significance remains considerable.

スロベニア出身のスター選手は、最も人気のあるジャージのランキングで1位になった初めての国際選手です。これは10年以上ぶりのことで、ステフィン・カリーやレブロン・ジェームズを除けば、2012-13シーズンにニューヨークでプレーしていたバスケットボール殿堂入り候補のカーメロ・アンソニー以来のことです。

Despite being a small nation of two million, Slovenia boasts remarkable sporting prowess, as stated by fellow Slovenian Aija Sivka upon being drafted by the WNBA's Chicago Sky on Monday night. When questioned about Dončić and other elite Slovenian athletes, she remarked, "In every discipline, we have at least one exceptional competitor. I am profoundly proud to be Slovenian."

This development unfolds as the NBA demonstrates increasing commitment to expanding its international influence. Last month, the International Basketball Federation (FIBA), the sport's global governing body, and the NBA unveiled a long-anticipated plan to collaborate on a new European basketball league. The initial goal is a 16-team league, potentially featuring several major European franchises like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City.

This season, four NBA players surpassed 2000 points, three of whom were international athletes (Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokić, and Antetokounmpo). Globally, viewership of the NBA League Pass increased by 6% compared to the previous season. Despite Wembanyama's absence in the final two months, more people than ever watched NBA games in France this season, while NBA-related social media views in Canada reached a new record. League statistics also indicate an unprecedented number of fans watching games in the Asia-Pacific region, already a basketball hotspot.

FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis stated that these figures, bolstered by sustained international growth, demonstrate the exceptionally robust state of the current game.

Zagchris stated that the NBA has become more popular and commercially successful worldwide, including in North America.