International NBA storylines to watch this season

With the NBA continuing its increasing globalization, here are some things to watch out for involving its international players.

• Eleven international players currently on the NBA's Opening Night rosters have sniffed an All-Star appearance: Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks and Greece), Luol Deng (Minnesota Timberwolves and South Sudan), Goran Dragic (Miami Heat and Slovenia), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers and Cameroon), Al Horford (Boston Celtics and Dominican Republic), Marc Gasol (Memphis Grizzlies and Spain), Pau Gasol (San Antonio Spurs and Spain), Kyrie Irving (Boston Celtics and Australia), Dirk Nowitzki (Dallas Mavericks and Germany), Tony Parker (Charlotte Hornets and France), and Kristaps Porzingis (New York Knicks and Latvia)

• Nowitzki will be playing his 21st season with the Mavericks, which will set a NBA record for most seasons played with a single team, moving past fellow legend Kobe Bryant, who played all of his twenty seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. He joins Robert Parish, Kevin Willis, Kevin Garnett and Vince Carter as the only players to have played 21 seasons in the league. Carter is the only one player other than Nowitzki who is still playing in the league.

• The NBA.com's 2018-19 GM Survey revealed that Antetokounmpo would be the top player that general managers would choose to be their franchise cornerstone. In addition, Murray was the top pick these same GMs believe will have a breakout season.

• A few international basketball icons are moving up the scoring rankings:
• Pau Gasol will need fifteen points to move past fellow San Antonio Spur David Robinson for 38th place in the all-time scoring list, and 105 points to move past Bob Pettit for 37th place overall.
• Tony Parker needs 306 points to move past Bob Lanier for 50th place in the all-time scoring list.

• Currently assigned as a two-way player for the Memphis Grizzlies, BWB alum Yuta Watanabe would be just the second Japanese player to play in the NBA if he gets to get minutes for the Grizzlies, following Yuta Tabuse, who played with the Suns back in 2004-05.