American basketball player to play for Russia in Beijing?

[USC]

Becky Hammon defends decision to play for Russia

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - In many ways, Becky Hammon feels playing basketball for Russia and not the United States is the most "American" thing she has ever done.

After all, what good is freedom if it is not exercised?

So when the Beijing Olympics begin, the American-bred Hammon will put her basketball skills on display for the red, white and blue -- of Russia.

The 31-year-old was not initially sought by the U.S. team. So Hammon, who has no ancestral link to Russia, accepted an offer to play for the Russian national squad.

She received a passport and naturalized citizenship in February, enabling her participation. Last year she signed a four-year deal worth $2 million to play with the CSKA Moscow professional club.

Long before she ever became a member of the San Antonio Silver Stars of the WNBA, Hammon dreamed of participating in the Olympics. But she never quite saw it playing out like this.

"It was a hard decision. I know I'm doing it for the right reasons," Hammon told Reuters.

"I know how I feel about my country. I love what America stands for and that we're the free world. But freedom has never been free. People have paid for it." Continued... http://www.reuters.com/article/GCA-O...50530820080801

[KUPUS]

She received a passport and naturalized citizenship in February, enabling her participation. Last year she signed a four-year deal worth $2 million to play with the CSKA Moscow professional club.

.................................................. ..........................................

Bravo Russia that is way to go.

Don't restrict immigration to such sexy blond sporty person...let them in be open and world will embrace you.......be part of the world take chance.....don't wait enemy on gate of Moscow like Stalin did go to enemy and fight....

[USC]

Originally Posted by KUPUS

Bravo Russia that is way to go.

Don't restrict immigration to such sexy blond sporty person...let them in be open and world will embrace you.......be part of the world take chance.....don't wait enemy on gate of Moscow like Stalin did go to enemy and fight....

Hammon was most notably lambasted by U.S. women's basketball coach Anne Donovan.

"If you play in this country, live in this country, and you grow up in the heartland and you put on a Russian uniform, you are not a patriotic person," Donovan said.



Hammon is as Americana is it gets. She grew up in a community marked by mid-western values where American flags flew generously.

[KUPUS]

Originally Posted by USC

Hammon was most notably lambasted by U.S. women's basketball coach Anne Donovan.

"If you play in this country, live in this country, and you grow up in the heartland and you put on a Russian uniform, you are not a patriotic person," Donovan said.

They are sick people and world can see it now don't worry tide is on our side...

[USC]

I think she has a Russian boyfriend in Moscow....

"This is basketball, it isn't the Cold War," she says. "I think a lot of things are often blurred with patriotism. (Playing in the Olympics) is more important than taking the heat (for the decision).

"I'm not immune to it, but I've learned to extend people grace."

[KUPUS]

Originally Posted by USC

I think she has a Russian boyfriend in Moscow....

"This is basketball, it isn't the Cold War," she says. "I think a lot of things are often blurred with patriotism. (Playing in the Olympics) is more important than taking the heat (for the decision).

"I'm not immune to it, but I've learned to extend people grace."

She is good girl we can learn lot from her.

World belong to all of us and center might be Moscow just wait a bit.....

[USC]

At least, she's not alone american.





Jr Holden - Basketball - Team Russia
Sunday, 03 August 2008










HOLDEN, JON ROBERT
Team: CSKA Moscow
Height: 1.85
Born: 1976
Nationality: Russia
Number: 10

2007-2008
STATS
PPG
7.7
RPG
2
APG
3
FPG
1.7


Jon Robert Holden
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
Jon Robert Holden Nickname J.R.
Position Point guard
Shooting guard
Height 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m)
Weight 180 lb (82 kg)
League Russian League
Euroleague
Team CSKA Moscow
Number 10
Born August 10, 1976 (1976-08-10) (age 31)
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Nationality United States
/ Russia
College Bucknell
Pro career 1998–present
Former teams ASK/Brocēni/LMT (1998-99)
Telindus Oostende (1999-2001)
AEK Athens BC (2001-2002)
Awards Russian Basketball Super League Player of the Year 2003
Medal record
Competitor for Russia
European Championships
Gold 2007 Spain Russia
Jon Robert Holden (born August 10, 1976 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), also known as J. R. Holden, is a naturalized Russian professional basketball player, originally from the United States. He played NCAA Division I college basketball at Bucknell University (1994-1998). He currently plays for CSKA Moscow of the Russian Super League, which is the current Euroleague champion. He is also a member of the Russia national basketball team.

Contents [hide]
1 Professional career
2 Personal
3 Trivia
4 External links
5 Notes



[edit] Professional career
After graduation from Bucknell, Holden received a call from the basketball club ASK/Brocēni/LMT, located in Riga, Latvia, offering him $3,000 a month to join their team. He accepted and began a long and very successful career in European basketball.[1]

Holden has played for teams in Latvia, (ASK/Brocēni/LMT 1998-99), Belgium, (Telindus Oostende, 1999-2001), Greece, (AEK Athens BC, 2001-2002) and Russia (CSKA Moscow 2002-present). [2] He has won national championships in each country. He was named 2003 Russian Basketball Super League Player of the Year. He earned an Import Players Honorable Mention in the 2002 Eurobasket All-Europe Rankings. [3] Holden won the Euroleague 2005-06 with CSKA. His biggest achievement came in the Eurobasket 2007 Championship game against the Spanish national basketball team, where he scored the winning shot that gave the Russian national team the Championship.


[edit] Personal
On October 20, 2003, Holden became a Russian citizen by decree of President Vladimir Putin. This move was brought about by new Russian Basketball Federation regulations restricting the number of foreigners, and specifically Americans allowable on Russian League teams. In response to the move, CSKA Basketball CEO Sergei Kushchenko hatched the idea of Holden acquiring citizenship. Moscow mayor Yury Luzhkov and the Russian State Sports Committee both wrote letters in support of the decree. Holden currently maintains dual American and Russian citizenship.[1]


[edit] Trivia
Holden started for PBC CSKA Moscow against the Philadelphia 76ers in an exhibition game in October 2006 in Cologne, Germany as part of the EA Sports NBA Europe Live 2006 promotional event.[4]. Coincidentally, Holden played college basketball in the state of Pennsylvania, where the 76ers are based.
He won the Eurobasket 2007 with Russia on September 16, 2007. He scored the final winning basket with 2 seconds left in the game.

[fu2]

Originally Posted by KUPUS

She received a passport and naturalized citizenship in February, enabling her participation. Last year she signed a four-year deal worth $2 million to play with the CSKA Moscow professional club.

.................................................. ..........................................

Bravo Russia that is way to go.

Don't restrict immigration to such sexy blond sporty person...let them in be open and world will embrace you.......be part of the world take chance.....don't wait enemy on gate of Moscow like Stalin did go to enemy and fight....

Hmm, her being a PROFESSIONAL athlete should automaticly dissclacify her participation in any Olimpics.

[Uragan]

I have nothing against Talented Athletic American Women coming to Russia, Russia needs more people like this , not Turkish drug dealers.