10 American NBA Players Who Were Naturalized To Play For FIBA

According to FIBA ​​regulations, every country has the privilege of having a maximum of one naturalized player on its roster. For this reason, some countries are using the opportunity to strengthen their roster by naturalizing foreign players.

Some notable nations that did this were powerhouse Spain, a nation that took advantage of Bucks big man Serge Ibaka and former NBA player Nikola Mirotic. Naturalized Hakeem Olajuwon, Tim Duncan and others.

Given that Team USA is often home to many NBA stars, some US NBA players find themselves representing other countries on the international stage. Some of these players have traced their roots to the country they play in, but a few have become naturalized because of their basketball skills and desire to play for their country. However, the latter has received some criticism. In this article, we take a look at his 10 American NBA players who have been naturalized and recruited to play in other countries.

Jarvis Hayes

Country of Naturalization: Qatar

Drafted in the same class as LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, Hayes was drafted in the first round by the Washington Wizards in 2003. Bounce back in the league by playing for the Detroit Pistons and New Jersey Nets.

At the 2013 FIBA ​​Asia Championship, Hayes represented Qatar as a naturalized player. Qatar finished sixth in the tournament, with Hayes averaging 16.7 points, 6 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game.

Marquez Bolden

Country of naturalization: Indonesia

Many people remember Marquez Bolden playing for Duke. After leaving Duke, Bolden went on to play two seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Although he currently plays in the NBA G League, Bolden also represents Indonesia in his FIBA-sanctioned tournaments.

Boden’s presence helped Indonesia win its first gold medal at the Southeast Asian Games.

Sam Young

Country of Naturalization: Lebanon

Sam Young had a long NBA career and was prominently seen backing up Rudy Gay when he was with the Memphis Grizzlies. I finished my NBA career.

After his stint in the NBA, Young continued to play in various leagues abroad. He eventually became a naturalized Asian powerhouse, Lebanon. Young last represented Lebanon in his 2019 Asian qualifiers, where he tallied 15.5 points and he had eight rebounds per game.

dj strawberry

Country of Naturalization: Cameroon

DJ Strawberry is a name that rings a bell for some NBA fans. He is the son of legendary baseball player Darryl Strawberry. Additionally, young Strawberry also played in the NBA for the Phoenix Suns.

Despite his short NBA career, Strawberry found a new home in Cameroon. He last represented Cameroon in his 2021 FIBA ​​AfroBasket, averaging 12 points per game and his 4.5 dimes.

Trey Johnson

Country of Naturalization: Qatar

Apart from Jarvis Hayes, Qatar also naturalized NBA veteran Trey Johnson.

Johnson never played in the NBA, but he did play for the Qatar national team in the 2015 FIBA ​​Asia Championship. He averaged 21.1 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game.

Shane Larkin

Country of Naturalization: Turkey

During his time in the NBA, Shane Larkin proved he could be a spark plug off the bench. In his NBA career, he averaged 5.5 points, 2.9 assists and 1.9 rebounds per game in four seasons where he played for four different teams.

After choosing to play in Europe, the Turkish national team decided to naturalize Larkin. Since then, he has become the national team’s best scoring guard.

Lorenzo Brown

Country of Naturalization: Spain

Spain was heavily criticized on the EuroBasket scene for naturalizing Lorenzo Brown. Many believed the big country had plenty of local talent to compete internationally.Moreover, Brown had no family ties in Spain. But despite that, with the injury of Ricky Rubio and the retirement of the Gasol brothers, Spain decided to use NBA veterans.

Brown was the bane of the opposing team in Eurobasket 2022. He averaged his 15.2 points per game and his 7.6 dimes, helping Spain win the gold medal. with his numbers some even claimed That he deserves the tournament MVP trophy.

Lorenzo Brown definitely should have been Eurobasket MVP

— David Logan (@DatDude12) September 18, 2022

Nick Fazekas

Country of naturalization: Japan

Nick Fazekas had a stint in Nevada before jumping into the NBA. During his short career in the NBA, Fazekas sat on the bench for his Clippers in Los Angeles and his Mavericks in Dallas.

Fortunately, he found a home in Japan. Playing as the team’s naturalization center, he stars alongside his current NBA stars Rui Hachimura and Yuta Watanabe.

Anthony Randolph

Country of Naturalization: Slovenia

Anthony Randolph was a player with enough ability to be selected by the Golden State Warriors in the first round of the draft. Unfortunately, after six seasons, Randolph can no longer find a home in the NBA.

Luckily for Randolph, he was recruited by Slovenia. This allowed him to run the show in his 2017 EuroBasket alongside NBA stars Luka Doncic and Goran Dragic. This trio will help Slovenia win the gold medal.

Andrei Blach

Country of Naturalization: Philippines

NBA fans may remember Andray Blatche as a big talent. Blatch had all the tools for his NBA success, but his attitude issues and discipline were the main causes of his career decline.

Since 2014, Blatch has found himself playing abroad professionally in China, representing the Philippines in international tournaments. At the 2015 FIBA ​​Asia Championships, Blatch helped the Philippines win a silver medal.