Shabazz Napier will be one of three shipowners in Puerto Rico in the next FIBA ​​window

owner Shabazz Napier this afternoon he had his first training session with the national team in order to represent Puerto Rico in the FIBA ​​window, reported the president of the Puerto Rico Basketball Federation.

The practice session is to confirm your intention to participate with Puerto Rico in the FIBA ​​window that begins Wednesday at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum.

“He practices and is very positive, excited to represent Puerto Rico, hungry to show what he can do at FIBA,” said Puerto Rico Basketball Federation President Yum Ramos.

Napier is one of the three goalkeepers who played for the national team today. The other two are Jose Juan Barea e Ivan Gandia.

Napier trained with the national team at one point in the last Olympic cycle, but has not yet made his debut with the team in an international tournament.

If he finally makes his debut in both games this week, he would make his first international engagement in the FIBA ​​environment. The son of a Puerto Rican named Carmen Velázquez, Napier flirted with the role in Puerto Rico after his college career at the University of Connecticut, with which he won two NCAA national championships in 2011 and 2014. However, at the end of his four-year career with in the league, his value has increased as a prospect for the NBA and it seems he has put the game for Puerto RIco on his back.

After his college career, Napier jumped into the NBA as the 24th general pick in the first round of that year’s draft review. Claimed by the Charlotte Hornets on the same night of the draft, he was traded to the Miami Heat, with whom he made his league debut. He then played for Orlando, Portland, Brooklyn, Minnesota and Washington. He no longer has a job in the NBA.

Napier arrives in Puerto Rico as a free agent. Ramos said Napier looked good physically. Other non-NBA agents who will be active here and to play in the window are Joe Johnson and Isaiah Thomas, who will play for the United States.

Ramos reported that he had a meeting with Napier on Sunday, in which he thanked them for their intention to finally start with the national team.

“All the protocol tests have been performed and everything is in order. I thanked him that he came to the country, that we are at your command, that we have a great plan with a vision for the future, that whatever he needs we are there for him “, said Ramos.

Napier’s first games with Puerto Rico will be against the Bahamas and Mexico.

Ramos gave Carlos Arroyo the credit for Napier’s appearance for this window and added that Arroyo has also started talks with the goalkeeper to get him involved in the national team’s calls this summer for the Serbian pre-Olympics. .

Arroyo is a recruiter for the national team between positions.

“The talks took place with Carlos Arroyo imagines substitute, as a recruiter and listener. They talked about this window and about rethinking. Obviously, we’re going tour after tour. Let’s see how it goes. But the plans are for him to be in the playoffs, “he said.

The Olympic play-off will take place in June in Serbia. The national leader, Eddie Casiano, said he expects a wide appeal for the playoffs.

His presence in Puerto Rico is an “achievement” for the Federation, which has spent years by various administrations trying to recruit players of Napier’s profile for the national team, Ramos said.

“It shows the commitment we have with the national program to be among the best 12 or 10 in the world, to raise our level of play,” Ramos said.

And their commitment can serve as a magnet for players with NBA contracts and therefore evasive so far to play for the national team to join the quintet.

“It’s speculative, but you could say we hope so,” Ramos said. “We go step by step with other players who are integrated to have a competitive Puerto Rico, to have a good representation.”

Puerto Rico was behind such players Maurice Harkless, Miami Heat and Jonathan Isaacby Orlando Magic. Devin Booker, from the Phoenix Suns, is another Puerto Rico contact. Markus Howard, of the Denver Nuggets, is also on that list and, in fact, his brother Jordan played with Guayama Brujos in the BSN “bubble”.

Carmelo Anthony he was in contact with Puerto Rico before deciding to play for the United States.