Los Angeles Lakers guard D’Angelo Russell recently expressed interest in representing the Lithuanian national basketball team. Despite being born and raised in the United States, Russell has a personal connection to Lithuania through his wife, Laura Ivaniukas, and their children. This relationship potentially opened the door for him to join the national team via naturalization, and Russell even fueled speculation by commenting, “Let’s make it happen,” on social media.

However, the Lithuanian Basketball Federation (LBF) has put an end to these plans, stating that the process for his naturalization has not been initiated. The LBF clarified that Russell would not be eligible to play for Lithuania due to the federation’s regulations and broader considerations surrounding naturalizing players for the national team. This decision effectively closes the chapter on Russell’s hopes of representing Lithuania on the international stage.

LFK President Mindaugas Balciunas addressed the matter, stating, “The basketball-related decisions are handled by the coaching staff, led by head coach Rimas Kurtinaitis, and the national team program manager, Linas Kleiza. Their approach is clear: we aim to achieve success using our own talent pool.” Balciunas emphasized that the decisions made by the head coach and manager are highly respected, and the federation does not intend to include players through naturalization.

He further explained a significant obstacle: Lithuania’s Citizenship law. According to the law, a foreigner can only be granted citizenship by exception, requiring the approval of Lithuania’s president. At present, there are no grounds for Russell to qualify for such an exception. Initially, Russell had set his sights on debuting for Lithuania in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, but this aspiration now appears to be out of reach.

Is D’Angelo Russell’s Olympic dream over?

D’Angelo Russell, a native of Louisville, Kentucky, has had an impressive career in the NBA. From winning an NBA Championship to earning an All-Star selection, his journey is marked by significant achievements. However, one notable accolade that has eluded the 28-year-old Lakers star is an Olympic appearance. Despite being invited to multiple Team USA camps, Russell has yet to secure a spot on the final roster for the Olympics.

With veteran stars like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry expected to step away from international basketball, new spots are anticipated to open up on Team USA. However, D’Angelo Russell does not seem to be in contention for these opportunities. Seeking an alternate path to fulfill his Olympic aspirations, Russell explored the possibility of representing Lithuania, the country of his wife Laura Ivaniukas’ heritage.

This idea reportedly gained traction when the parents of Chicago Bulls prospect Matas Buzelis pitched it to the Lithuanian President. Yet, Russell’s hopes were dashed due to a combination of legal hurdles, cultural resistance to naturalizing foreign players, and FIBA’s regulation permitting only one naturalized player per team. These barriers have seemingly closed the door on his Olympic dreams from both ends.