The semifinal round of the NBA playoffs got off to a rousing start this weekend, and we'll spend plenty of time over the next few weeks in Axios Sports breaking down the on-court matchups.
The big picture: For now, though, I wanted to take a few minutes to appreciate all the international talent in the playoffs. It's truly remarkable how global the game of basketball, and the NBA, has become. It wasn't always like this.
By the numbers:
- 31: The total number of international players on the playoff rosters of the remaining eight teams, an average of just under four players per team.
- 7 out of 20: The number of international players in the starting lineups of the four remaining Eastern Conference teams.
- 5: The number of Australian citizens on playoff rosters: Ben Simmons, Kyrie Irving (born in Melbourne, has dual citizenship), Aron Baynes, Andrew Bogut, Jonah Bolden.