EUROBASKET 2009, POLAND Dates: 7-20 September Coverage:Daily highlights on the BBC Sport website (UK only)  Ben Gordon has left the Chicago Bulls after five years |
NBA star Ben Gordon says he will definitely play for Great Britain in future, despite missing this month's European Championships in Poland. Gordon was born in London but moved to the United States when he was a baby. He withdrew from EuroBasket having just secured a multi-million dollar move from Chicago to the Detroit Pistons. "I'm definitely on board to play for Great Britain [but] this summer to me was about getting situated and moving from Chicago to Detroit," said Gordon. "I didn't want to make a commitment as far as when I was going to play until I felt I was totally committed to that cause. "I wanted to have everything in order in my life before going overseas and representing the country," he told Hoopshype.com.  | If you look at our roster, you see that could potentially have two NBA All-Stars and another NBA player in myself |
In the absence of Gordon and his former Bulls team-mate Luol Deng - who has a leg injury - GB lost all three games in Poland and failed to qualify for the second round. But they could still be given a wild card entry to next year's World Championships in Turkey ahead of the 2012 Olympics. Although there are no formal criteria, the team must still impress world governing body Fiba if they are to qualify for London 2012 as hosts. Forward Pops Mensah-Bonsu, who recently agreed a contract with the Houston Rockets, believes the pieces are there for GB to field a squad worthy of a place in Turkey.  | 606: DEBATE |
"It would be great if they give us the nod because if you look at our roster, you see that could potentially have two NBA All-Stars and another NBA player in myself," said the Londoner. "Then you have four or five other guys that play in mainland Europe and you think maybe that's strong enough for them to give us a nod." GB are also likely to be invited to take part in a tournament in India next summer to coincide with the 2010 Commonwealth Games, although the sport is not on the official Games programme.
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