ERBIL, Kurdistan Region – An American basketball player has become an Iraqi citizen specifically to play professional basketball for the country's national team, which is slowly gaining popularity.
"Before I came to Baghdad, I didn't know what to expect," former college basketball player, DeMario Mayfield told NBC News in a report published on Saturday. "I had just all bad expectations. Then I got here and I've met some of the most genuine and nicest people that I've ever met."
Born in Georgia in the United States, the 26-year-old forward added, "It was an eye-opener for me to never judge when you've never experienced anything in their culture."
Mayfield played basketball for three different universities in America but wasn't selected for the popular American National Basketball Association (NBA) draft to play professionally in the US.
In October 2015, he moved to Baghdad to pursue a professional career in basketball and signed with the Oil Club, one of 12 Iraqi teams. Each team is allowed two foreign players as part of the league's strategy to improve competition.
With Mayfield averaging around 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game, he led the Oil Club to its first championship last season and eventually to his invitation to join the national team to play professionally in international competitions.
The only condition was that he had to become an Iraqi citizen.
With his team's support, Mayfield was granted citizenship and just recently received his new passport, although he still maintains his American citizenship as well.
Mayfield is the only American-Iraqi dual citizen to play on Iraq's national team.
Although he misses his family back home in America, he is happy about moving to Baghdad and considers his teammates to be like "brothers."
"The people here have treated me great," Mayfield said. "I don't have any regrets about coming to Iraq."
Tickets to basketball games in Iraq are free since basketball, which is usually considered a popular American sport, is still gaining popularity in a country where the main sport played is football, or as Americans call it, "soccer."
Chairman of the Iraqi Basketball Federation, Husein al-Amdey, was happy that Mayfield had received his citizenship to play on Iraq's national team. He described the 6-foot-5 (196 cm) tall player as "one of the best basketball players in the region."
Al-Amdey believes that Mayfield "is going to be of a great help for the Iraqi team." Iraq currently ranks 85 out of 149 teams by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Mayfield will don the Iraqi jersey for his first international game against Iran on November 24.
"Our team is badly in need of player like him," his teammate Mohammed Dhia said. "The Iraqi team needs someone to lead the team, and the leader is DeMario."
"Before I came to Baghdad, I didn't know what to expect," former college basketball player, DeMario Mayfield told NBC News in a report published on Saturday. "I had just all bad expectations. Then I got here and I've met some of the most genuine and nicest people that I've ever met."
Born in Georgia in the United States, the 26-year-old forward added, "It was an eye-opener for me to never judge when you've never experienced anything in their culture."
Mayfield played basketball for three different universities in America but wasn't selected for the popular American National Basketball Association (NBA) draft to play professionally in the US.
In October 2015, he moved to Baghdad to pursue a professional career in basketball and signed with the Oil Club, one of 12 Iraqi teams. Each team is allowed two foreign players as part of the league's strategy to improve competition.
With Mayfield averaging around 29 points, eight rebounds and eight assists per game, he led the Oil Club to its first championship last season and eventually to his invitation to join the national team to play professionally in international competitions.
The only condition was that he had to become an Iraqi citizen.
With his team's support, Mayfield was granted citizenship and just recently received his new passport, although he still maintains his American citizenship as well.
Mayfield is the only American-Iraqi dual citizen to play on Iraq's national team.
Although he misses his family back home in America, he is happy about moving to Baghdad and considers his teammates to be like "brothers."
"The people here have treated me great," Mayfield said. "I don't have any regrets about coming to Iraq."
Tickets to basketball games in Iraq are free since basketball, which is usually considered a popular American sport, is still gaining popularity in a country where the main sport played is football, or as Americans call it, "soccer."
Chairman of the Iraqi Basketball Federation, Husein al-Amdey, was happy that Mayfield had received his citizenship to play on Iraq's national team. He described the 6-foot-5 (196 cm) tall player as "one of the best basketball players in the region."
Al-Amdey believes that Mayfield "is going to be of a great help for the Iraqi team." Iraq currently ranks 85 out of 149 teams by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Mayfield will don the Iraqi jersey for his first international game against Iran on November 24.
"Our team is badly in need of player like him," his teammate Mohammed Dhia said. "The Iraqi team needs someone to lead the team, and the leader is DeMario."
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