Following their midseason transactions involving a series of veteran players, the New Orleans Pelicans now have two international players on their roster during the second half of the 2021-22 season, both centers. Jonas Valanciunas (Lithuania) and Willy Hernangomez (Spain) represent the two Pelicans who were born outside the United States, part of a contingent of 100-plus current NBA players who fit that description.
The 29-year-old Valanciunas discussed his initial experiences in basketball and his path to becoming an NBA player from across the globe a decade ago with Pelicans.com:
Pelicans.com: When did you know that you could play professionally in the NBA specifically?