I totally forgot about Lorenzo Brown earlier this week when I was running through NC State athletes heading to Paris, maybe because his pathway to the Olympics is rather odd. Which is to say that he’s playing for Spain, not the United States.
Brown first began playing for the Spanish national team in 2022—not without some controversy—ahead of the EuroBasket tournament. Spain was in dire need of a point guard at the time, and FIBA rules allow for one naturalized player on a national team roster.
That paid off nicely, as Spain went on to win that tournament, though again, not without grumbling about Brown’s presence on the team. But Brown was hardly setting precedent then, and certainly doesn’t need to feel bad about anything. (For whatever reason, it’s very funny to me that former UVA tall person Mike Tobey has played for Slovenia. What a random combo.)
Now he gets the opportunity to appear in the Olympics, maybe put Spain in position to win a medal. I hope that happens. Regardless, Brown’s had a great summer, as he recently signed a contract with a Greek pro team worth over $5 million.