Canada will be keeping a close eye on developments, and while Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's prominence as the NBA's leading scorer and MVP frontrunner for Oklahoma City undoubtedly draws in Canadian fans, their interest extends beyond his individual performance.

Anticipate viewership from Serbia and Greece, the native countries of Denver's Nikola Jokic and Milwaukee's Giannis Antetokounmpo, respectively. Alperen Sengun's presence will compel Turkish audiences to tune into Houston games during the late hours. Slovenian enthusiasts will be observing Luka Doncic and the Lakers commence their playoff campaign at 2:30 a.m. Sunday, corresponding to 5:30 p.m. Saturday in Los Angeles. Cameroonian supporters will be keenly following Pascal Siakam and the Indiana Pacers. The reigning champions, Boston, boast prominent players such as Kristaps Porzingis from Latvia and Al Horford representing the Dominican Republic.

Once more, the NBA playoffs appear poised to spotlight the talents of international stars.

This season was the first time in the NBA that the five players who were best in different statistics came from five different countries. Gilgeous-Alexander is from Canada, the best rebounder Domantas Sabonis from Sacramento is from Lithuania, the best shot blocker Victor Wembanyama from San Antonio is from France, the best at stealing the ball Dyson Daniels from Atlanta is from Australia, and the best at assists Trae Young from the Hawks is from the U.S. Because of this, the games after the regular season will also have many international players. Gilgeous-Alexander is already in, and Sabonis and Daniels (and Young, of course) might join him if their teams win in the play-in tournament.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver noted earlier this season that the league boasts a substantial contingent of international players, estimating that approximately 30% of its athletes, representing 43 distinct countries on opening day, foster a more global perspective within their teams.

By the conclusion of the season, a remarkable 44 distinct nations were represented, at least in terms of the birth countries of players who scored in the NBA this season. For the inaugural time in NBA history, players from a single country outside the U.S. collectively accrued over 15,000 points; Canadian players amassed 15,588 points this season, spearheaded by Gilgeous-Alexander, the first scoring champion from that nation.

It is widely anticipated that Gilgeous-Alexander will be named the NBA's Most Valuable Player this season; should this occur, it would mark the seventh consecutive year an international player has claimed the award, following triumphs by Antetokounmpo (twice), Jokic (three times in four years), and Embiid (once).

"Shai falls into the category of being virtually unstoppable," Toronto coach Darko Rajakovic commented after a game between the Raptors and Thunder this season.

Put differently, he resembles numerous contemporary international players; in truth, no one can truly contain talents such as Jokic, Antetokounmpo, or Doncic either.

Furthermore, this season marked an unprecedented international milestone: Doncic's jersey topped the NBA's popularity charts, signifying that NBAStore.com sales of his jersey surpassed those of any other player. Although this was undeniably influenced by Doncic's mid-season trade from Dallas to the Los Angeles Lakers, which necessitated a jersey change, its significance remains considerable.

The prominent Slovenian player is the first international athlete to claim the top position on the most sought-after jerseys list, and the first besides Stephen Curry or LeBron James to achieve this distinction in over a decade, a feat last accomplished by the soon-to-be Basketball Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony during his tenure with New York in the 2012-13 season.

"Despite our modest size, with a population of just two million, our sporting achievements are truly remarkable," stated fellow Slovene Ajsa Sivka upon being drafted by the WNBA's Chicago Sky on Monday evening, when questioned about Doncic and other prominent Slovenian athletes. "Regardless of the sport, we consistently produce athletes of exceptional calibre. I feel a profound sense of pride in my Slovenian heritage."

This development coincides with a period when the NBA appears more committed than arguably ever before to expanding its global presence. Last month, FIBA, the sport's international governing body, and the NBA unveiled plans to collaborate on a novel European basketball league, a concept that has been under development for an extended period. The initial objective envisions a 16-team league, potentially featuring numerous prominent European clubs like Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, and Manchester City.

This season stood out with four NBA players surpassing 2,000 points, three of whom were international stars: Gilgeous-Alexander, Jokic, and Antetokounmpo. Globally, NBA League Pass viewership increased by 6% compared to the previous season. France saw unprecedented numbers of viewers for NBA games this season, despite Wembanyama's absence for the final two months. NBA-related social media engagement in Canada reached record levels, and league data indicates a significant rise in fans watching in the Asia-Pacific region, which is already a fervent basketball market.

FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis said the numbers, which are clearly increasing because the sport is growing internationally, show that the game is very strong at the moment.

"Globally, and notably in North America," Zagklis commented, "the NBA enjoys unprecedented popularity and commercial prosperity."