Player naturalisations

[MZT Skopje]

If I was born in New York, can I be American?

Cedi Osman's father is Turkish. How can you call him naturalized?

In that case, how can Lukovski be Serbian, even born in Skopje.

Even Osman father is Born in Macedonia. I am a man who care littel about orgin. If you ask me whole Osman family are Macedonians. Dzaner even playd for us.

How can you not be Macedonina if you hold a MKD passport.

To me even Ataturk is part Macedonian since born in the Macedonian region.

[Dirtyh]

What does it have to do with tolerance? What's a point to have national teams if you can buy players from other countries? In that case it's no longer national team, but simply a club and wins the ones who have more money, but not more talented players, better basketball system/school and so on.

Calm down, I agree with you. Althought Wilson had to live almost 10 years in Finland and marry Finnish girl to get citizenship. And he does not get paid for playing in our NT. There for his case is diffenrent than McCaleb's etc.

But there's lot of people in Finland that thinks that everything that comes from abroad is making only good things to Finnish culture. Including American point guard who surprisingly seems to be most popular player among Finnish spectators.

[INTEGRAL]

In that case, how can Lukovski be Serbian, even born in Skopje.

Even Osman father is Born in Macedonia. I am a man who care littel about orgin. If you ask me whole Osman family are Macedonians. Dzaner even playd for us.

How can you not be Macedonina if you hold a MKD passport.

To me even Ataturk is part Macedonian since born in the Macedonian region.

Lolllllll

[Hepcat]

Basketnews posted a list of naturalized foreigners by team to which I've now added a couple:

Belgium - Matt Lojeski
Bosnia and Hercegovina - Alex Renfroe
Croatia - Dontaye Draper
Czech Republic - Blake Schilb
Finland - Jamar Wilson
Georgia - Jacob Pullen
Germany - Anton Gavel
Israel - D'or Fischer
Macedonia - Richard Hendrix
Netherlands - Mohamed Kherrazi
Poland - A.J. Slaughter
Slovenia - Alen Omić
Spain - Nikola Mirotić
Turkey - Ali Muhammed(Bobby Dixon)
Ukraine - Jerome Randle

[MZT Skopje]

Did Dixon choose that name by him self haha. The boxer Ali. Is not sure yet if Henrix will play for us since he suffered an injury a few days ago during practise. Will be known in the days.

[Joško Poljak Fan]

Hepcat, you can add Alen Omić to that list

[Hepcat]

Done!

[Hepcat]

Did Dixon choose that name by him self haha.

You'd think he would have picked a Turkish-sounding name if he wanted to masquerade as a Turk.

[Mindozas]

Also Kherrazi from Netherlands. Dutch team even was penalized with 2 losses in qualifiers cause he and another naturalized player Cunningham were both in roster

P.S. Hepcat, it's Randle, not Randall

[Hepcat]

Done again!

[Ashtrusis_dantis]

Calm down, I agree with you. Althought Wilson had to live almost 10 years in Finland and marry Finnish girl to get citizenship. And he does not get paid for playing in our NT. There for his case is diffenrent than McCaleb's etc.

But there's lot of people in Finland that thinks that everything that comes from abroad is making only good things to Finnish culture. Including American point guard who surprisingly seems to be most popular player among Finnish spectators.

Where did you get the idea that I am not calm? No matter that he lives in Finland - he is product of american basketball system and shouldn't play for Finland (because of reasons i wrote earlier). If Lithuanian NT would naturalise someone i would stop supporting it for a time of that player carier in our NT. I have nothing against naturalised players personally (most of them are great persons), but these decisions are simply wrong. There are sports where i wouldnt be so strict (for example couples - dancing and so on.), but if talking about team sports or individuals it clear and simple.

[Dirtyh]

No matter that he lives in Finland - he is product of american basketball system and shouldn't play for Finland (because of reasons i wrote earlier). If Lithuanian NT would naturalise someone i would stop supporting it for a time of that player carier in our NT. I have nothing against naturalised players personally (most of them are great persons), but these decisions are simply wrong. There are sports where i wouldnt be so strict (for example couples - dancing and so on.), but if talking about team sports or individuals it clear and simple.

I agree 100% but I don't want to stop supporting our team because of this but I also think this is not good thing. Basketball have just started to get little attention in media and our youth teams did great. So our future is looking even better.

What really surprised me was that Wilson seems to be really popular.

[Upi]

If someone came to your country when he was 5-6, lived here for decade or more, got citizenship, you can't even call it naturalisation

Actually I think that is exactly what you do call naturalization.

[Ashtrusis_dantis]

Actually I think that is exactly what you do call naturalization.

No I don't. I talk about giving pasport to some professional like in Holden or Bo McCalebb cases and so on.

[lemo]

How can Finland play with two naturalized players ; Erik Murphy and Jamar Wilson ???!!! Both gain the Finnish citizinship after being 16 of course.
And Erik Murphy officially was their naturalized player at FIBA World Cup.