Spanish basketball is rife with Schism. Lorenzo Brown’s express nationalization, which will enable him to play in the next Eurobasket against Spain, has drawn criticism from the Association of Professional Basketball Players and international players like Dani Perez, BAXI Manresa, and Dani Perez. Perez has also criticized the “unfortunate, no, the following>>” process that will allow the American player to be under the command of Sergio Scariolo. Jorge Garbajosa (president of the Spanish Basketball Federation) has declared that Lorenzo Brown is “welcome to the Spanish basketball family” as he has included his incorporation in the “strategic lines of expanding the base and talent” of the federative entity. This was done to “raise” the level of the national team and to “continue to raise the Spanish name to the top of international competitions.
After expressing his desire for Spanish citizenship, Lorenzo Brown (Roswell USA, 1990) is granted Spanish nationality. He has been following the career of the national team with admiration over the years. His arrival will immediately solve the injury loss to some of the most charismatic players of our team. He will also be able to expand his role as a player on the court, according to the Spanish Basketball Federation in a statement. He thanked the Higher Sports Council (CSD), for approving the controversial procedure. The Council of Ministers was unable to approve the American’s request because he had no Spanish roots. The FEB adds that “this temporary measure complements and ensures generational changes”
This vision is radically different from that of the Association of Professional Basketball Players (ABP), who considers that Lorenzo Brown’s explicit nationalization sends a “very damaging” message to Spanish players, and has “a negative effect on both the past and the future.” They ask the union: “Is it credible? The current world champion team doesn’t find Spanish players to compete at the highest international level events?”
“The ABP has consistently denounced, for many years, the normalization of marriages in convenience and passports from countries other than the FEB or the CSD now use,” the union explains. They also explain that they understand that this type action “far from helping, they dynamite players’ expectations, alienate fans and eliminate the sporting merit that allows you to dream about playing for the national team>>.”
Lorenzo Brown is a true globetrotter but he has never played for a Spanish-league team. After being selected in the NBA draft in 2013, he was 52nd in the poll. He trained at North Carolina State University and then moved up through the ranks of the Phoenix Suns, Philadelphia 76ers and other teams in the development league. In China, he played for both the Guangzhou Loong Lions and Zhejiang Gold Bulls. His last campaigns were in Europe where he integrated the Red Star (2019-2020), Fenerbahce (2021-2021) and UNICS Kazan (2021-2022). He then signed this summer for Maccabi Tel -Aviv.
