By Meliksah Bayrav / info@eurohoops.net
FIBA has permitted each national team to use a naturalized player and in some cases, this can help a player who was born in one country, but then grow up in another, to adopt the nationality he likes to represent.
In some cases, this rule has permitted players who were born in one country and then played for another in the junior or even the senior level, to change their basketball nationality. This happens in Lithuania with Ignas Brazdeikis, who was born in Kaunas, moved as a child to Canada and played as a teenager for the national team of his adopted country, and then changed back his basketball nationality to Lithuanian.
In recent years, however, with the trend – or even the many practical necessities – of naturalized players, this unexpected present is also important to fill up specific roster needs even with players with limited ties with their adopted country. Last year’s example of Lorenzo Brown, a star – and for many the real Eurobasket MVP – of the European champion Spain is obviously both big and recent.
Many national teams are forced to add or even recruit naturalized players due to injuries or simply a small stock of athletes at the given time. Greece is also included in this list this year, after the “Greekization” of Tomas Walkup. Largely absent, however, is Lorenzo Brown, who this time will not support the Spaniards in their attempt to defend the World title they won in 2019.
Watch the upcoming World Cup on the official streaming service of FIBA! Join Courtside 1891 and never miss a second of the action!
Eurohoops presents the list of those players who are all expected to have a pivotal role in the tournament, with countries that you may not be expecting to see them play for.