LONDON - Andre Iguodala is competing in his first Olympics here. But he might have been able to play in 2004 and 2008, if he'd wanted to.

Thing is, he wouldn't have been playing with Kobe Bryant and LeBron James. He would have been playing against them.

Iguodala's father is Nigerian. So he was invited to try out for - and in this case, "try out for" means "make" - the Nigerian Olympic squad. That team, which includes Penn grad Koko Archibong, will compete in these Games with nine American-born players on its roster.

This is the first time Nigeria qualified for the Olympics, but with Iguodala aboard, who knows if the team would have made it sooner?

"They've been trying to get here for a long time now," Iguodala said. "They've gotten here and they want to prove that they belong. They even had training camp in Dallas, in the States. It's interesting. I've gotten calls from them a few times about participating."

In 2004, the first time he was called, Iguodala was preparing for his rookie season with the 76ers. But that wasn't what kept him from saying yes to a unique opportunity.

"It was always my dream to play for the USA team," Iguodala said. "That's where I grew up.

"I never gave it any serious thought. It didn't feel right to me. I've never been there. I've never really had a chance to experience their culture, only from the outside looking in because of my father."

Iguodala said he remembers the 1992 Olympic team - the original Dream Team - better than any of its successors. He was only 8, but he remembered Jordan, Magic, and Barkley more clearly than he remembered, say, the 2004 team that lost to Argentina. That defeat sparked the reorganization of USA Basketball under Jerry Colangelo and coach Mike Krzyzewski.

The Americans' record is 54-1 in international competition since then. The Americans are prohibitive favorites to win the gold medal.

They are also virtual rock stars, even among the other elite athletes gathered here. Of course, Iguodala is more like the bass player than the lead singer or guitar hero. During Friday's news conference, James and Bryant sat on a stage with dozens of reporters at their feet. Iguodala shared a small riser in the back with Kevin Love.

The day before, Iguodala and his teammates were mobbed during a visit to the Athletes Village.

http://articles.philly.com/2012-07-28/sports/32907372_1_sixers-iguodala-lolo-jones-olympics#ixzz21wb3lDc8

Thoughts?

It is so difficult attracting them to play for Nigeria unless they are not so good.

He made the right choice actually, considering that it was his dream to play for team USA.

Osaze Odemwingie made the opposite choice in basically the same situation, but he was in a racist country, so I doubt that he ever seriously considered representing Russia. In Iguodala's case, the idea of who is really an American or representative of America is not limited by skin color or what one's last name sounds like (president Obama being a good example).

They always do and even given the choice they always will. It doesn't just apply to basketball but to all sports, Nigeria offers little to know incentive to join their teams. They show no passion or dedication to their athletes and play politics at every angle possible. I was talking about mario recently, even though his probably the greatest player in the world he is constantly disrespected by the italian media, something he will never have faced if he played only one game for ghana. He will have been a demi God! You wonder why these athletes will pass up such opportunities but the truth is these countries are not ready to invest in their people, until they show passion and commitment for potential competitors the good ones will always leave- naturalise for other countries and win gold medals for foreign lands. I'm not always the most patriotic person but I find it incredibly hypocritical countries that fondly humiliate asylum seekers and immigrants taking pride when they win gold medals. Then again I so support athletes who find ways to compete no matter what country, good for them, who cares about the country when all they want is a chance to shine!

Balotelli's case has always confused me because Italy is one of the worst countries a black person could try to represent nationally. I think he did it partially for the money, but maybe he did it just as much to play with and against the world's best in Europe rather than staying local.

Also Andre was born in the US, which makes him an American as well. He can obviously play for Team USA as a born citizen. How does one know whether he claims Nigerian citizenship as well, just because of his surname? In the US, he can play among various NBA stars where he can learn a lot from and develop his career. Arguably, the US is the best place to play basketball. Why would he want to plan anywhere else if he got the chance to play in the NBA with fellow NBA stars, especially Nigeria? Just because his dad is Nigerian doesn't mean he has to play for Nigeria. He is also an American too, as I said before. Andre himself mentioned cultural differences and his experiences of being on the outside looking in to his dad's culture (which happens to be the case for many born abroad, away from their parents' country, not just Nigeria). One naturally assimilates to the place they are born. The US is his home. The Nigerian team is new and has a long way to develop, which is possible with the right training and coaching. Nigeria has a lot of potential. However, Andre made the right decision to wait things out.