The 2018 NBA playoffs have kickstarted with its usual bevy of intriguing storylines. However, this year's postseason features one notable characteristic.

It goes without saying that the NBA has seen an influx of players come from outside the U.S. The playoffs have now become reminiscent of that diversity.

According to NBA Redditor u/mindthenew, this postseason will feature record number of international players:

This will be the Playoffs with most international presence ever: an NBA record of the number of non-american players and nationalities. In total, 62 players born outside the United States and 33 different nationalitites. The previous mark was on 60 players (2007 Playoffs) and 30 nationalities (2014 Playoffs)

The most international teams are the Utah Jazz and the Philadelphia 76ers with 7 players, followed by San Antonio, Boston and Toronto (6).

The most represented countries are France and Australia (7 players), followed by Canada and Spain with 4 (the NBA does not recognize Mirotic and Ibaka as Spanish).

Finally, more than the 50% of the total European players will be in the Playoffs (36/64).

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Not only have international players started to make their way over in abundance but they have clearly started to make an immediate impact on their respective teams. Furthermore, it has ultimately resulted in plenty of regular season success.

Teams like the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Raptors have long been a hot bed for players from overseas or neighboring countries. As a result, it seems a number of other teams like the Philadelphia 76ers and Boston Celtics have started to mirror this blueprint and it has paid huge dividends for them.

However, perhaps the most intriguing aspect of this statistic is how it challenges the supremacy of  U.S. basketball for years to come. It goes without saying that the men's national team is expected to take Gold with each event. However, it has become evident that other countries such as France and Australia have the potential to become powerhouses in their own right.