EuroBasket: Spain nationalizes Lorenzo Brown, who will play the next Eurobasket

The BOE has made the point guard’s passport official, recently signed by Maccabi. Ricky Rubio’s injury and Sergio Rodríguez’s withdrawal have accelerated an unprecedented process

• Ibaka offered for selection
• selection intense summer

lorenzo brown (Georgia, USA, 1990) will play the next Eurobasket with Spain. This Tuesday the express nationalization of the US base has been made official in the BOE (Official State Gazette), which will reinforce the team of Sergio Scarioloan unprecedented event in the national team.

Because Brown, a manager with experience at the top European level and who recently announced his signing for Maccabi Tel Aviv – last season he played for UNICS Kazan until his contract was terminated after the Russian invasion of Ukraine – has no connection with Spain, a country that only knows about his visits to play Euroleague and Eurocup matches with his different clubs (Fenerbahe, Red Star…). Yes, he was under the command of Scariolo in the Raptors.

The Spanish Federation had chosen to activate the option to nationalize a point guard a few months ago. The coach himself spoke of “inventing something” -“we will have to make an effort of imagination“- to alleviate the difficulties in the organizer’s position. There where the selection was always the envy of the world, all the stars aligned so that, suddenly, it became a real problem. The withdrawal of Sergio Rodriguez and serious injuries Ricky Rubio and Carlos Alocn They started the process.

Ibaka and Mirotic

And that, despite the inconveniences and the controversies. Because Spain never chose to nationalize a player without any connection to the country. Serge Ibaka and Niko Mirotic, the last to obtain the passport by naturalization certificate, were trained in the Manresa and Real Madrid youth academies, respectively. But from the Federation, for which the incorporation of Brown has not entailed any extra economic cost, they understood that the exceptional circumstances of the moment made it necessary to take the step.

Lorenzo Brown, who has had to renounce his nationality, will not only be in the Eurobasket that starts on September 1 (Spain plays the first phase in Georgia, the final phase will be in Berlin). Also in the next phase of the Qualifying Windows for the 2023 World Cup, whose first and decisive matches Spain play just before the continental tournament (against Italy, Iceland or Holland). Despite being the current champion, the team does not have a ticket for the championship that takes place in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia.

Brown’s presence definitely closes the doors to Serge Ibaka, who a few weeks ago applied to return to the Spanish team, eight years after his last game. The pvot has just renewed his relationship with the Bucks.