Phoenix Suns guard Eric Gordon scored 12 points in Bahamas debut in exhibition win over Kansas
Eric Gordon and Deandre Ayton will have an opportunity to play with each other before sharing the court for the Phoenix Suns this 2023-24 season.
Gordon and Ayton are on the Bahamas national team set to compete in the Olympic qualifier along with fellow NBA players Buddy Hield (Pacers) and Kai Jones (Hornets), who was listed on the roster.
Team Bahamas will play in the FIBA Americas Olympic pre-qualifying tournament August 14-20 in Santiago del Estero and La Banda, Argentina.
Gordon scored 12 points in his debut in helping Bahamas defeat Kansas Jayhawks, 87-81, Monday in an exhibition in Puerto Rico. Hield led the Bahamian national with 19 points, going 5-of-11 from 3.
Hield scored 18 points in a half in an exhibition Saturday against Kansas the Bahamas lost, 92-87, in Puerto Rico. Hield starred at Oklahoma in college as he once scored 46 points in a triple overtime loss to Kansas in Lawrence back in January 2016.
Ayton didn't play in either game.
Argentina, Bahamas, Cuba and Panama are in Group A while Chile, Colombia, Virgin Islands and Uruguay are in Group B. The top two teams from each group advance to the semifinals with those winners advancing to the finals.
The Bahamas open Aug. 14 against Cuba, face Argentina on Aug. 16 and round out pool play Aug. 17 against Panama.
The semifinals are Aug. 19 and the championship game is Aug. 20 in Santiago del Estero.
The five teams that win the pre-qualifying tournaments advance to next year’s FIBA Olympic qualifying tournaments July 2-7, 2024 with the winners of those tournaments earning a spot in the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Gordon, 34, signed a two-year deal for $6.5 million with the Suns with a player option the second year.
The veteran guard selected seventh overall in the 2008 draft averaged 12.4 points last season as he was traded from Houston to the Los Angeles Clippers right before the Feb. 9 trade deadline.
Gordon was born on Christmas Day in 1988 in Indianapolis, Indiana, but his mom is Bahamian. He represented the United States in the 2010 FIBA World Championships.
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Team USA won the tournament, defeating Turkey in the gold medal game. Suns forward Kevin Durant averaged 22.8 points and 6.1 rebounds in leading the American squad while Gordon averaged 8.6 points.
Gordon shot 45.8% from the field, going 19-of-42 from 3.
USA Basketball granted Gordon’s release and FIBA approved “his change of country representation due to Article 22 of its internal regulations,” 10thyearseniors posted on its Instagram account.
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Article 22 of the FIBA Internal Regulations explains an exception in which a player can play for another national team in another country “if the change is in the best interest of basketball."
The following are considered when making this decision.
The impact of the change in the development of basketball in the countries or territories involved.
The level of basketball in the countries involved, such as their world and continental ranking and recent results.
The potential effect of the change in the competitive balance of FIBA official competitions.
The circumstances of the participation of the player with the previous national team.
The Bahamas have never participated in the Summer Olympics in men’s basketball.
Have opinion about current state of the Suns? Reach Suns Insider Duane Rankin at dmrankin@gannett.com or contact him at 480-787-1240. Follow him on Twitter at @DuaneRankin.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Suns' Eric Gordon scored 12 in Bahamas debut in exhibition win over Kansas
