Greg Monroe debuts for Minnesota Timberwolves, setting NBA record for number of players in a season

CORRECTION: In an earlier version of this story, Monroe was referred to as a former No. 1 pick in the NBA draft. Monre was actually the No. 7 overall pick in the 2010 draft.

With the 2021-22 NBA season hardly past the 30-game mark, the league has already set a record – for number of players to play in one season. 

Former first-round draft pick Greg Monroe signed a 10-day contract with the Minnesota Timberwolves on Monday and that night made his first appearance in a NBA game since 2019. In the process, Monroe became the 541st player to log a minute this season. The previous record of 540 was set last season.

Monroe was the No. 7 overall pick by the Detroit Pistons in the 2010 NBA draft. He last played in the league in the 2018-19 season.

According to ESPN, 172 players have entered the league's COVID-19 protocol in the last two weeks. Rosters across the league have been decimated by the virus. For example, the Hawks currently have 13 members of their roster on the list.

That created a need for teams to sign reinforcements from the G League, and led to the record being set in the first half of the season.

Follow Chris Bumbaca on Twitter @BOOMbaca.