Record 133 Former NBA Players Set to Play in EuroLeague for 2026/27 Season
A record 133 former NBA players are competing in the EuroLeague for the 2026/27 season. Hapoel Tel Aviv and Maccabi Tel Aviv feature prominent squads with extensive experience.
The connection between the NBA and the EuroLeague continues to grow stronger. According to a BasketNews analysis ahead of the 2026/27 season, no fewer than 133 players with at least one regular season or playoff appearance in the NBA are registered in the EuroLeague this season, setting a new record for the competition's current format era.
This marks an increase of 11 players compared to last season, when 122 former NBA players were counted. Together, they have accumulated 20,494 regular-season appearances in the world's top league, compared to 18,016 the previous season—a 13.8 percent increase in total accumulated experience.
Tel Aviv Clubs Feature Prominently
Both Tel Aviv representatives hold a prominent place on the list. Hapoel Tel Aviv ranks near the top with nine players boasting NBA experience—only Real Madrid and Dubai, with 11 each, boast more. Among the nine are Tomas Satoransky with 388 NBA games, Amir Coffey with 369, Tyler Ennis with 186, Ish Wainright with 116, Vasilije Micic with 101, Antonio Blakeney with 76, Daniel Oturu with 33, Jacob Toppin with 31, and Elijah Bryant with one regular-season game. In total, Hapoel players have accumulated 1,301 NBA appearances.
Maccabi Tel Aviv features seven players with NBA experience, who together collected 925 regular-season appearances. Leading by far is Daniel Theis with 411 games, followed by Oshae Brissett with 233, T.J. Leaf with 146, Keaton Wallace with 84, Jaylen Hoard with 39, Bonzie Colson with eight, and Iffe Lundberg with four.
NBA Champions in Europe
The two Tel Aviv clubs also feature representatives on an even more exclusive list—players who have already won an NBA championship. Brissett was part of the Boston Celtics team that won the title in 2024, recording 55 regular-season games and another 10 playoff appearances that season.
"Bryant won the championship with the Milwaukee Bucks in 2021, after recording one regular-season game and 11 in the playoffs," noted the report regarding the rare dual champion.
In total, this season features nine EuroLeague players who have already won an NBA championship ring. Alongside Brissett and Bryant are Jordan Nwora, Mamadi Diakite, Talen Horton-Tucker, Jordan Loyd, Damian Jones, Cory Joseph, and Patty Mills.
