There are already 11 finalists on the 12-man roster for the U.S. Men's Basketball World Cup: Brunson, Anthony Edwards, Haliburton, Reeves, Mikal Bridges, Portis, Brandon Ingram, Jalen Jackson Jr., Cameron Johnson, Kessler, Banqueiro.
Among them, the addition of Banqueiro caused an uproar, as discussions about the moral character of players began to rage.
Banqueiro's father is Italian and his mother is African-American. In 2020, Banqueiro also obtained Italian citizenship. In an interview last June, Banqueiro had said he planned to play for the Italian national team, most likely in the summer of 2023. Last November, Banqueiro verbally promised to represent Italy at the World Cup.
Unexpectedly, after playing in the NBA for one season, Banqueiro's thinking changed. According to sources, Banqueiro's mother played a role in the process. Banqueiro's mother, a former basketball player, was the University of Washington's all-time scoring champion who played for several seasons in the WNBA.
Banqueiro eventually decided to represent Team USA.
Italian Basketball President Petlucci said: "The romance ended when he learned the value of the NBA. Others have been in Milan in recent days and the player himself has been avoiding us despite previous promises from the agency to meet us. Betrayal is a harsh word, but it happens in sports, and I'm personally ready for that, which I find ironic. ”
Recently, according to Croatian media outlet Sportske, Saric recruited Cameron Johnson to join the Croatian men's basketball team, but the latter ultimately chose to play for the US men's basketball team.
Johnson's mother, who is Croatian-American, is eligible to play for the Croatian men's basketball team, but in the middle of this month, he promised the U.S. men's basketball team to play in this summer's men's basketball World Cup.
Both Banqueiro and Johnson have made important choices in their lives, and it seems that any sentiment is fragile under the attraction of the NBA court and the most accessible honors.