JOR – Wright expected to have the right stuff in FIBA World Championship

KAYSERI (2010 FIBA World Championship) – Rasheim Wright guided the Jordanian national team to a Bronze medal in the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship, which catapulted his team to the 2010 FIBA World Championship for the first time.

Wright, who was born in Philadelphia in the United States, played college at the University of DC and has also played in international leagues like Argentina, Lebanon, Mexico, Bosnia, among many other countries.

He obtained the Jordanian citizenship in 2007 and has helped his team reach their biggest tournament to date.

In 2009, during the FIBA Asia Championship Bronze medal game against Lebanon, Wright made 28 points to guide his team directly to the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

During the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship, Wright averaged 20.7 points per game, leading the tournament in scoring.

Despite not having Jordanian blood, Wright already feels part of this country and national team program as they hope to reach new heights this summer. His scoring will be key in this new challenge, which will be the biggest in the history of Jordanian basketball.

FIBA: When did you start playing for the Jordanian national team?

Wright: It was in 2007 right when I got my Jordanian citizenship I played in the William Jones Cup and then in the 2007 FIBA Asia Championship which was the qualifier for the 2008 Olympics.

FIBA: How big was making it to the FIBA World Championship?

Wright: Man it was big, after three years working hard, at the end of the game you could see the emotion in us. I even had tears in my eyes as we celebrated after winning the Bronze medal. Personally it was the biggest achievement in my career. I have been MVP, won championships but nothing compares to this. I have been very fortunate to have the opportunity to play against the best of the best.

FIBA: How high are the expectations for Jordan in the FIBA World Championship?

Wright: I think that we will be the underdog in this tournament but we will surprise a lot of people. Our team is pretty good. We play a lot of team basketball and we have a lot of chemistry since we have the same group of guys since 2007. Everyone understands their role on the court by helping each other rebound, scoring and doing other things that will help us win.

FIBA