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.
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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.
Thomas Walkup – Greece
Club: Olympiacos
2022-23 stats: 7.3 points, 2.8 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.9 steals
The Olympiacos guard was this year’s choice of coach Dimitris Itoudis, as the head coach of Fenerbahce preferred him to Tyler Dorsey, who’s familiar with the Greek mastermind from both EuroBasket 2022 and from times shared in Fenerbahce. The latter, however, declared himself unavailable for family reasons anyway, leaving space for Thomas Walkup, who will eventually be the conductor of the Greek national team.
The 30-year-old guard, one of the top players of Olympiacos in the season of the double domestic titles and back-to-back EuroLeague Final Four offers Greece defense, organization, and an excellent assists/turnover ratio. With the absence of both Kostas Sloukas and Nick Calathes, he will be the starting point guard of the white-and-blue expedition.
Jordan Clarkson – Philippines
Club: Utah Jazz
2022-23 stats: 20.8 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.4 assists
Perhaps the most “shiny” name from the list of naturalized players. The former Lakers player, despite having ties from his mother with the Philippines, will finally compete as a naturalized player following a FIBA decision, contrary to the demands of the Philippines federation. His scoring ability, whether from deep or thanks to his natural penetrating ability, gives the co-hosts a valuable offensive solution.
The 31-year-old guard of the Utah Jazz, despite usually coming off the bench, scored 20.8 points per game last year. The host country’s fans are excited, as his participation in a major tournament – he competed in the qualifiers – has been something they have been waiting for years.