Joe McNaull becomes first US basketball player to become a Polish citizen

On Sept. 4, Joseph McNaull became the first American basketball player to receive Polish citizenship, in an effort to help his club and possibly the Polish national team. Thanks to McNaull becoming a Pole, his team, Zepter Slask Wroclaw, will be able to hire another foreign player, as there is a limit of four foreigners per team in the Polish league. It is also possible that the "new" Pole will aid the Polish national team, which could use an effective center such as McNaull. "I don't see any obstacles" , said national team coach Dariusz Szczubial. McNaull, who is married to a Pole, applied for Polish citizenship in April. However, since he did not want to give up his US citizenship he had to obtain approval from the Interior Ministry and the President. (Gazeta Wyborcza, page 35)