Andres Nocioni has questioned the decision to allow Eric Gordon to compete for the Bahamas, even though he had previously played for the USA.
Argentina will not be participating in the next year’s Olympics, marking the first time since 2000. The South American team was eliminated by the Bahamas, a team with a strong NBA core. Deandre Ayton, Buddy Hield, and naturalized player Eric Gordon led the island nation to this significant success.
Nocioni has specifically wondered whether it is fair for Gordon to change his nationality despite having played for the USA and winning the 2010 World Championship.
Andres Nocioni calls out Eric Gordon after Argentina's loss to Bahamas
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) August 22, 2023
“Is it fair what the Bahamas did to nationalize a player who had already competed for the United States (even winning a World Cup) at the last moment? This signing at will is called the club league, not the… pic.twitter.com/kBnT7i86YZ
“In a calm state of mind, I think, Is it fair what the Bahamas did? They naturalized a player who played for the USA at the last moment,” emphasized the former NBA player, and continued, “This kind of signing belongs only in club competitions, not at the international level. This needs to be corrected. I don’t want the essence of representative competitions to be lost,” Nocioni concluded.
The Phoenix Suns player delivered an outstanding performance, contributing 27 points and hitting an impressive six out of seven shots from beyond the 6.75-meter line. The Bahamas defeated Argentina with a score of 82-75, marking their greatest victory in history.
Gordon joined the Bahamas team this summer in a controversial manner. FIBA rules dictate that a player cannot switch nationality if they have already played in a competition under another country’s banner, with some exceptions.
A player can join the national team of another country if that nation is in the process of basketball development. This rule was leveraged by the Bahamas team, which is a key reason for their success. They will be competing in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament next year.