It is a fact well-known that the NBA is more international than ever.

The top men’s basketball league has a record-setting 125 international players from 43 countries across its 30 franchises, meaning those foreign-born account for more than 35 per cent of the league’s roster spots.

But it’s not just currently that the players outside the US are dominating the hardcourt: the pipeline of international talent shows that those from abroad are showing no sign of relenting.

Take the 2024 NBA Draft. It marked the second straight season a French player went no.1. with Zaccharie Risacher and Alex Sarr going back-to-back atop the draft to follow in the footsteps of the prodigious Victor Wembanyama 12 months prior.

But it wasn’t the only neat piece of history recorded by French basketball that night.

Five Frenchmen were picked from the draft with four going in the first round. As a result, France is now the only country along with the United States to have three players drafted in the top 10 picks of an NBA draft.

Call it exceptional, but it’s certainly far from over. With the 2024/25 NBA season well underway, eager eyes are already beginning to turn to next year’s draft, and it’s clear from scout reports and draft analysis that there’s going to be another dash of international flavour in this year’s stock, including again, from France.

In the below, Olympics.com runs the rule over some of the young international athletes creating a buzz and who might just leave an impression on the 2025 NBA Draft.