LONDON (FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers) – Former Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons and Charlotte Bobcats point guard Ben Gordon is hoping to suit up for Great Britain at the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket 2017 Qualifiers, making a belated national team debut at the age of 33.

The London-born NBA veteran has been included in Great Britain's 24-man preliminary squad that coach Joe Prunty announced in late July and is poised to join the rest of the team at training camp in Portugal in the coming days.

"I think there's a sense of pride being born there [in the United Kingdom], having family there," Gordon said in an interview with espn.com. "It feels good to be able to have that opportunity to play where I still have family at and more so just to have a chance to put that jersey on because I never really had a chance to fulfil that commitment. So I'm definitely looking forward to it."

"It's just an opportunity for me to get out there and finally play with Great Britain. I just look forward to that opportunity being that I'd never gotten that chance." - Gordon

Gordon was initially expected to make his international debut at FIBA EuroBasket 2009 in Poland, but he joined the Pistons from Chicago that summer and pulled out from the British team. He also sat out FIBA EuroBasket 2011 in Lithuania because of the NBA lock-out and while it was assumed that he would step out at the 2012 Games in his hometown the following summer, his debut did not materialise at the Olympics either.

"I was supposed to play [for the national team] a couple of different times throughout my career but things always popped up in the summer," Gordon said. "But there really hasn't been a better time [than now] for me to play because I'm not with a team. It's just an opportunity for me to get out there and finally play with Great Britain. I just look forward to that opportunity being that I'd never gotten that chance."

Gordon, who has been unattached since 2015 and spent the last year training individually, hopes that getting into game rhythm at the Qualifiers will enable him to resume his NBA career.

"I would definitely love to get back in the league after being out for a year," the British point guard said. "Obviously, the three-point shot is always a big deal but it seems like just now, more than ever, that shot is being used more and more. So I feel like I can still play at a high level and shoot that three-ball and add that kind of depth to a team that may be looking to fulfil that need."

Great Britain will go up against Hungary, MKD and Luxembourg in Group G of the Qualifiers and the good news for coach Prunty is that Gordon feels comfortable he maintains the shooting prowess that helped him convert over 40% of this three-point attempts during his NBA career.

"I can still hit the shot with consistency," Gordon said. "My shot hasn't left me. I'm still a good shooter. That's one of those skills that you put so much time in over your career, after practice, before practice, that's not something that leaves you easily. I'm still honing that skill. It's still a very important part of the game obviously. It's still something I love to do. So the shot is still there."

FIBA