On Thursday night, two major events of global import happened. British voters decided to break away from the European Union, in part because of mounting frustration with unchecked immigration. Ironically enough, professional basketball appears to be embracing them.
Across the Atlantic at the NBA Draft in Brooklyn, foreign-born rookies played a large role in shaping pro basketball's class of 2016. The league selected a record 26 international players out of a total 60 draft picks. That broke the previous record of 21 foreign players, set all the way back in 2003.
Of the 26 international players drafted, 14 of those were in the first round, including six of the first ten picks. Players came from countries that included Australia, Croatia, Bahamas, Canada, Austria, Greece, Spain, France, Turkey, Cameroon, and Haiti.