Ben Gordon 'very excited' to play for Great Britain

Ben Gordon joined the Detroit Pistons from the Chicago Bulls for $55m in 2009

By Michael Da Silva

NBA star Ben Gordon has spoken of his excitement at the prospect of making his Great Britain debut and believes he can have an impact at London 2012.

Gordon, of the Detroit Pistons, hopes to follow in the footsteps of Luol Deng who has represented GB since 2007.

"Luol and I have spoken very positively about playing for GB," said Gordon. "It is something I am very excited about."

"I can bring another offensive option to GB and can take the load off the team with my offensive ability."

The Pistons face Deng's Chicago Bulls in the NBA on Monday, with Gordon looking for revenge after a close defeat to his former club in the last "Battle of the Brits" on Boxing Day.

Gordon, who was born in London and raised in New York, had hoped to play for GB in August's European Championship qualifiers, but was sidelined in July with an ankle injury that forced him out for 20 games.

It is absolutely crucial to have players from the NBA in the GB set-up for London 2012 Ben Gordon

He now has his sights set on a debut sooner rather than later, before representing his country of birth at the 2012 Olympics.

World governing body Fiba recently stated Great Britain must provide a lasting legacy for basketball beyond the 2012 Olympics as well as proving themselves competitive, something Gordon believes it achievable.

"London 2012 will be a memorable event and I'm sure it will have a great legacy for British basketball," said Gordon. "I want to be a part of that and hopefully help the sport grow here."

London plays host to Europe's first regular-season NBA match when the Toronto Raptors face the New York Nets at the O2 Arena on 4 and 5 March, something Gordon is very positive about.

"It is important for the sport of basketball that it continues to grow in Great Britain and around the world," added Gordon.

"It is absolutely crucial to have players from the NBA in the GB set-up for London 2012. The more players we have with that level of experience, the greater our chances of success."