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Spencer Dinwiddie could be wearing the green-and-white colors of Nigeria next year in the Tokyo Olympics. Shams Charania reported the news.
Sources: Nets‘ Spencer Dinwiddie is acquiring a Nigerian passport to play for the Nigeria national team. Dinwiddie didn’t receive Team USA Olympic invite; now joins Nigeria roster under Mike Bown that includes Al-Farouq Aminu, Josh Okogie, Chimezie Metu, Ekpe Udoh.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) April 18, 2020
ESPN’s Malika Andrews confirmed the report and Dinwiddie tweeted out his own comment.
Well now y’all know lol https://t.co/7FnFAMIbVt
— Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) April 18, 2020
ESPN’s Colin Udoh quoted a Nigerian Basketball Federation official as saying conversations with Dinwiddie had been going on for “ at least a year.”
”His name has been under consideration since last year,” the official told Udoh. “We started talking about two years ago because we had some areas where we have weaknesses and the point guard area was a major one.
”We have a lot of depth in our forwards and centers. It is that playmaker that was the issue.”
Nigeria has been an African power in FIBA competition for years, using a mixture of Nigerian-Americans and local players. It’s already qualified for the Olympics. In addition to those named by Charania, the national team includes Jordan Nwora, a 2020 Draft prospect out of Louisville, former Net point guard Ben Uzoh and former NBA player Ike Diogu. John Hollinger tweeted that the addition of Dinwiddie could be a big help for Team Nigeria...
Well that's interesting. Nigeria NT has been hampered in past by poor guard play. Could possibly be a top-8 team w Dinwiddie. https://t.co/MCFT5yKV5u
— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) April 18, 2020
The Tokyo Olympics, scheduled to take place this summer, have been postponed for a year because of the coronavirus. They are scheduled to start on July 23, matter of weeks after the Nets guard will have to decide whether to exercise his player option or go into free agency.
In addition to the three Nets invited to Team USA camp — Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Joe Harris— four other current Nets have played on national teams other than the U.S. in FIBA competition: Timothe’ Luwawu-Cabarrot (France), Dzanan Musa (Bosnia), Rodions Kurucs (Latvia) and Nicolas Claxton (U.S. Virgin Islands.) No word if John Egbunu, the Long Island Nets 6’11” center, is interested in playing for his homeland. Egbunu was born in Bauchi, Nigeria.
- Source: Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie trying to join Nigerian national team - Malika Andrews - ESPN
- Behind Nigeria’s bid to land Brooklyn Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie for the Olympics - Colin Udoh - ESPN
- Nets’ Spencer Dinwiddie looking to play for Nigeria in Olympics - Elio Velez - New York Post
- Spencer Dinwiddie to play for Nigerian national team - Dennis Young - New York Daily News
- Nets G Spencer Dinwiddie to play for Nigeria in Toyko Olympics: report - Scott Thompson - SNY