The Utah Jazz is targeting international players.
“We have scouts all over the world — in almost every basketball country around the world,” team CEO and governor Danny Ainge said on CNBC’s “Halftime Report” on Friday.
The two-time National Basketball Association champion and former NBA All-Star emphasized that he has scouts in countries throughout South America, Europe and Asia, as well as in all regions of the United States
“It’s a global sport and we have to find them all,” he said.
His comments came after the NBA announced in October that a record 125 international players – five of them with the Utah Jazz – were on the opening roster of the 2023-24 season. These players came from 40 countries and territories on six continents, with a tally of 26 from Canada and 14 from France.
All 30 NBA teams have at least one international player this season.
According to StubHub, international ticket sales also increased by 120% compared to last season. Fans from a total of 92 countries travel to North American games, up from 68 countries last season.
Ainge joined the Utah Jazz as CEO in December 2021 after leading basketball operations for the Boston Celtics for 18 years.
According to research firm Statista, the Utah Jazz are currently valued at $3.09 billion. This represents a 52.59% increase over last year and a 76.57% increase since the year Ainge joined the franchise.