Great Britain has a new American coach, Chris Finch, who was in Vegas scouting some of his players (such as Portland draftee Joel Freeland and free-agent hopeful Pops Mensah-Bonsu) while also continuing his attempts to secure Chicago's Luol Deng and Ben Gordon as national team teammates.

Deng and Gordon both have London backgrounds and have been invited to join the newly formed G.B. squad as early as this fall as the Brits attempt to climb sufficiently high on the world ladder to claim the automatic bid that awaits them for the 2012 Summer Olympics. The host nation is guaranteed a spot in the 2012 field, but the British Olympic Association and the sport's world governing body (FIBA) will allow Finch's team to use that spot only if the team proves itself to be competitive, starting with a legitimate run at qualifying for the 2009 European Championships.

The World Cup was bad too. Italy had an Argentinian (Camoranesi). Mexico has a Brazilian (Zinho). Sweden had a Bosnian (Ibrahimovic).

International sports are getting ridiculous.

Deng should play for Sudan. Gordon should play for the US.

The World Cup was bad too. Italy had an Argentinian (Camoranesi). Mexico has a Brazilian (Zinho). Sweden had a Bosnian (Ibrahimovic).

I see that Gordon was born in GB but what is Deng's ties? I thought he was from Africa?

His family fled the genocide in Sudan to GB.

International sports are getting ridiculous.

Deng should play for Sudan. Gordon should play for the US.

The World Cup was bad too. Italy had an Argentinian (Camoranesi). Mexico has a Brazilian (Zinho). Sweden had a Bosnian (Ibrahimovic).

If Deng and Gordon do play on the same team... I would root for them

I wouldnt mind if they went all the way

How bout you guys?

Gordon, who has played for the US national team at high-school level, was born in London before his parents separated and his mother took him to New York at the age of one. His father, Howard, still lives in London and, well into his teens, Gordon would visit family in London every summer.

Gordon was born in England right? So than whats the problem with that. Also I wouldnt have a problem if he played for America either since he lives here and everything. Its guys that have never been to a country except on vacation and only tied to it through parents that I think is ridiculous. Which correct me if im wrong is what the Nomar situation was in baseball and was why Ozzie made fun of him.

You also had Piazza playing for the Italian team. I dont' think Piazza spent any time in Italy but at the same time I think that was more about trying to improve baseball in Italy. Hell maybe it was Greece but I think it was Italy.

The Italian baseball team was even worse. Their only requirement was that one of you parents was Italian. I think the Greeks did the same thing.

International sports are getting ridiculous.

Deng should play for Sudan. Gordon should play for the US.

The World Cup was bad too. Italy had an Argentinian (Camoranesi). Mexico has a Brazilian (Zinho). Sweden had a Bosnian (Ibrahimovic).

Here's my thing, you play for the country you have ethnic and nationality ties with.

I'll use myself for example, my entire family is Serbian, I am Serbian but I was born here in the US. Would I ever play for the US? fish no. Would I ever join the US Army? fish no.

So you are born and raised in the US but would not support your country??

Actually, you don't have to answer. I don't want to make it into a patriotism argument.

Anyways, my way of thinking is that you either choose your country of birth or country of residence for 10+ years. I don't like hearing about athletes being made citizens months before events, much less the silly wbc rules...

Yes, I was born and raised in the US, but does that make me American?

If you were born and raised in Eastern Europe, then I'd be able to see where you're coming from.

However, America is all that you've ever known, correct?

Yes, that would make you an American, and a full-blown American at that. You wouldn't qualify as the typical United States mutt like Sleepy, but anyway you slice it, you are a product of American culture.

I'm 75% German, but I don't know Germany from a hole in the wall. I have no loyalty to that country whatsoever. Going there to visit relatives or whatever will not change that.

If you were born and raised in Eastern Europe, then I'd be able to see where you're coming from.

However, America is all that you've ever known, correct?

Yes, that would make you an American, and a full-blown American at that. You wouldn't qualify as the typical United States mutt like Sleepy, but anyway you slice it, you are a product of American culture.

I'm 75% German, but I don't know Germany from a hole in the wall. I have no loyalty to that country whatsoever. Going there to visit relatives or whatever will not change that.

Like Bullies4Life said, everyone has a differenct perception on what they are. I do not consider myself American one bit, and to answer you're question, America is NOT all I have ever known. I have gone to Serbia a few times, speak the language fluently, hang out with other Serbians, go to a Serbian Orthodox Church, and follow a strong Serbian/Orthodox tradition.

You see your one of the people id find it ridiculous if Serbia was in it that you would play for them. You were born here and have lived here your entire life. Yes your whole family is foreign but your not. Now if you were born here but lived a good chunk of your life in Serbia or was living there currently than Id say it wouldnt make a difference between the 2.
For example my dad is from Pakistan but I have lived and was born here my whole life and if I had to choose I would of course pick an american team. And btw you are american.. doesnt matter if you hate it or not but you were born here and lived here your entire life....

If Gordon or Deng play for the GB team, I think that means when they are older and better, they can't play for the US team later down the raod. Tell me if Im wrong but that is what I believe. So I would not want to see either on the GB team, just for the fact they then couldn't play on the US team.

Anyone?

I'm not sure about International Basketball, but I know that in football, a player can change countries if his citizenship changes, or, in some cases, then can change countries depending on ancestry. For example, Zlatan Ibrahimovic could have chosen to play for Bosnia or Sweden, but chose to play in Sweden. He has Bosnian blood but moved to Sweden and was raised there.

Yes, I was born and raised in the US, but does that make me American?

If my entire family was Mexican and I was born in Japan when they went on vacation, should I support Japan? This whole citizenship thing is BS. I'm not American, I was born in America and I am an American citizen, but I am not American and America is not my country. Not 1 drop of Non-Serbian blood in me.

If Gordon or Deng play for the GB team, I think that means when they are older and better, they can't play for the US team later down the raod. Tell me if Im wrong but that is what I believe. So I would not want to see either on the GB team, just for the fact they then couldn't play on the US team.

Anyone?

I'd have to hope that would be the case. I think its a joke if you could go from country to country. I think once you play in international competition with a team you should be stuck with that country.