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.
Mike Tobey – Slovenia
Club: Crvena Zvezda
2022-23 stats (with Barcelona): 5.9 points, 2.9 rebounds
Mike Tobey is expected to be one of the most decisive players for the 2017 European champions’ run at the World Cup. Clearly, the team relies mainly on its big star Luka Doncic, especially considering the absence of Goran Dragic and of the long-time injured Vlatko Cancar, but the American-Slovenian center is still considered utterly important in the rotation of coach Aleksander Sekulic.
The former University of Virginia and Charlotte Hornets, Valencia, and Tenerife player comes off significant performances in the EuroLeague. Last season he played in Barcelona, signing for Crvena Zvezda in the summer of 2023. Despite his height (2.13m), he usually plays away from the basket thanks to his reliable shooting ability, as well as being the perfect P&R partner to the Dallas Mavericks‘ phenomenon.
Kyle Anderson (Li Kaier) – China
Club: Minnesota Timberwolves
2022-23 stats: 9.4 points, 5.3 rebounds, 4.9 assists
Since Yao Ming days, the Chinese national team has struggled to find a new leader to compete in major International tournaments. However, they may have found one in recent times. After obtaining the nationality through his maternal great-grandfather, Kyle Anderson will play for China.
The 29-year-old small forward, known as Li Kaier in China, is coming off a solid season in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves, and will try to make some damage alongside former Houston Rockets center Zhou Qi in Group B with Serbia and South Sudan.
Rondae Hollis-Jefferson – Jordan
Club: Atlético de San Germain (Puerto Rico)
2022-23 stats (in Korea and Philippines): 19.3 points, 8.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists
The 28-year-old guard/forward, a former NBAer, will of course be Jordan’s attraction at the World Cup. The former player of the Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, and Portland Blazers, who in 2021-22 season played in Turkey with Besiktas, received a passport from the Asian country and will strengthen it in the competition.
Hollis-Jefferson played for Jeonju in Korea and Tropang in the Philippines last year and recently returned to Puerto Rico’s Atlético de San Germain. The American player will be the biggest offensive threat to Greece on August 26’s premiere in Manila.
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Kendrick Perry – Montenegro
Club: Unicaja Malaga
2022-23 stats: 12.4 points, 2.1 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.3 steals
The former guard of Panathinaikos is not a rookie with the shirt of Montenegro. His national team may have reliable solutions on the glass, with the presence of Chicago Bulls star Nikola Vucevic and former Valencia veteran Bojan Dublijevic, but there are gaps on the perimeter that Perry is trying to fill.
The American-native sensation had a very good season with Malaga, which led to the triumph in the Copa del Rey and to the semi-finals of both the ACB and the Basketball Champions League. He stands out for his speed on the ball, ability to create his own score off the dribble, and energy in defense. He will be one of Montenegro’s biggest assets at the World Cup.
Thaddus McFadden – Georgia
Club: UCAM Murcia
2022-23 stats: 13.2 points, 1.6 rebounds, 2.1 assists
The 36-year-old McFadden, who has played regularly for the Georgian national team since 2018, is still a valuable scorer despite his age. The experienced offensive player, with his ability to create his own score, the speed with the ball, and shots off the dribble, was Murcia’s top scorer last season.
Coach Ilias Zouro’s Georgia will need the offensive game of the former guard of PAOK, Kymis, APOEL, AEK Larnaca, Nancy, Badalona, and Burgos, who will again try to frame the game of Tornike Shengelia, Giorgi Shermandini, Goga Bitatze, and Sandro Mamukelashvili in the paint.
Omari Spellman – Lebanon
Club: Anyang (Korea)
2022-23 stats: 19.7 points, 9.7 rebounds, 2.5 assists
The 26-year-old guard received a Lebanese passport last April and will compete with the country’s national team at the World Cup. Spellman, who finished his college career in 2017-18 at Villanova, also winning the NCAA title, has played in the NBA with the Atlanta Hawks and Golden State Warriors. From 2021, he earns his living in Korea with Anyang.
Karlik Jones – South Sudan
Club: Chicago Bulls / Windy City Bulls
2022-23 stats: 2.9 points, 0.7 rebounds, 1.0 assists in the NBA, and 26.1 points, 7 assists, and 4.4 rebounds in the G – League
During the season he received a South Sudanese passport and at the end of the year his first basketball “awards”. The 26-year-old and 1.83m tall guard has been a solid scorer since his college years, with three seasons at Radford (20.8 ppg in 2019-20) and one at Louisville (16.8 ppg in 2020-21).
In the NBA, he did not find his opportunities in Dallas and Denver, and from 2022 he has been playing between the Chicago Bulls and Windy City Bulls, being named G-League’s leading scorer and MVP under coach Henry Domerkant, a former Olympiakos guard in 2006-07.
Joshua Ibarra – Mexico
Club: Brampton Honey Badgers (Canada)
2022-23 stats: 14.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists
The departure of Gustavo Ayón forced Mexico to look for their next good tall man. Despite the fact that he was born in the USA, Joshua Ibarra received a Mexican passport in recent years and he will participate in the first World Cup in his career. The 27-year-old and 2.10m tall center of the Brampton Haney Badgers in Canada stands out for his large physique, ability to rebound and finish close to the basket.
PHOTO CREDIT: FIBA