Spain striker Usman Garuba is looking forward to teaming up with Lorenzo Brown at the upcoming EuroBasket.
lawrence brown
| Crew: |
UNIKS Kazan |
| Position: | SG |
| Age: | 31 |
| Height: | 198cm |
| Lester: | 90 kilograms |
| Place of birth: | Georgia, United States of America |
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The Houston Rockets player has shared his thoughts on the controversial subject of Brown’s naturalization.
The Maccabi leader has obtained Spanish citizenship and will join Sergio Scariolo’s team this summer.
This provoked strong reactions from the Spanish basketball community, including the captain of the national team, Rudy Fernández.
The statement from the Spanish Players Union condemned the decision, stating that ‘itexpresses the Spanish naturalization of a player without any roots in Spain sends a very harmful message message to national athletes and has a negative impact on both the present and theand the future.’
Spanish NT captain Rudy Fernandez also feared that he had “discovered through the media that they had nationalized the player who had no connection to the country.”
But Garuba, 20, who made his national team debut at the 2022 Tokyo Olympics, shared a different take on the situation.
“Basketball is going global” Garuba told BasketNews at the Las Vegas Summer League. «I think we have a lot of players in that position who can help. But I understand why the federation is doing this. Maybe some people like it and some people don’t. But as long as he beats us, everything else doesn’t matter.”
The president of the Spanish Basketball Federation, Jorge Garbajosa, has defended his decision.
“Lorenzo gave up his US passport to play in Spain. He left a lot behind and is appreciated », Garbajosa pointed out through COPE.
“If you have a player who wants to play so much, it would be a mistake to let him go,” he added.
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Credit ZUMAPRESS.com-Scanpix
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Garuba believes that Lorenzo Brown will bring a lot of quality.
«Lorenzo is a very good defensive player and passer. I played against him several times. I think he is a great guy. We must learn to play with him for the next EuroBasket through friendly matches. I am delighted to have him,” added Garuba.
The 23rd pick in the 2021 NBA draft is coming off an injury-plagued season.
In 24 games with the Rockets, Garuba averaged 2.0 points and 3.5 rebounds in 10 minutes per game.
He was also forced to sit out the rest of the Summer League due to an ankle injury.
But he is eager to join the Spanish team this summer.
“I will play. I plan to play. Obviously I’m not in the Summer League because I’m injured. But I’m training to be in the best shape for the national team,” Garuba confirmed to BasketNews.
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