« They call me Loydinski! »: Jordan Loyd’s explosive debut as a Pole at EuroBasket
August 29, 2025
Alexandre Lacoste
How is Jordan Loyd’s naturalization viewed in Poland?
EuroBasket - American Jordan Loyd's naturalization enhances Polish basketball's image at EuroBasket, but raises questions about the authenticity of a national team artificially strengthened by foreign players with no historical ties to the country.
Photo Credit : Julie Dumélié
Jordan Loyd has transformed the image of the Polish national team. The naturalized American is shining at EuroBasket with exceptional performances that thrill Polish fans, but this success raises deep questions about the country’s sporting identity. On Sunday, August 31, Polish journalist published an editorial on sport.pl sharing his views on the subject.
Jordan Loyd sprawił, że obraz biało-czerwonej reprezentacji i całej polskiej koszykówki jest lepszy, piękniejszy, bardziej ekscytujący. Ale jednocześnie zakłamany, nieprawdziwy i złudny.
Felieton po felietonie. #plkpl #KoszKadrahttps://t.co/jhL11EaY40
— Łukasz Cegliński (@cegieu) August 31, 2025
Dazzling performances masking a more complex reality
With 32 points against Slovenia and 27 decisive points against Israel, Jordan Loyd has established himself as the undisputed star of the Polish team. These victories, likely impossible without him, put the American at the center of attention. Foreign journalists regularly question his quick integration and adaptation process within the national team.
Less than a month after receiving his Polish passport from President Andrzej Duda, Loyd has become a national hero. On social media, he writes « Dumna Polska » and shares hearts after every Biało-Czerwonych victory. This rapid embrace of Polish identity appeals to supporters, who quickly nicknamed him « Janusz Lojdowski ».
A divisive naturalization raising questions
Despite general enthusiasm, this express naturalization is divisive. Loyd had no prior connection to Poland before his naturalization, effectively turning the national team into a transfer club. This practice, though legal under FIBA rules, questions the authenticity of Polish national sport.
🫶🏾🇵🇱🫶🏾 https://t.co/lB3m7UZYPz
— Jordan Loyd (@mrjloyd) August 30, 2025
Loyd’s impact goes beyond mere statistics. He enhances Polish basketball’s image, making it more spectacular and exciting to the world. However, this transformation hides a less flattering reality: Poland resorted to this naturalization precisely because it cannot develop players of this caliber, with only 80,000 registered players and struggling to improve its sports infrastructure as fast as the country’s rising living standards.
This situation perfectly illustrates modern international sport’s dilemma. On one side, a 100% national team with limited ambitions; on the other, artificial reinforcement enabling success but questioning sporting identity. Jordan Loyd embodies this contradiction: undisputed hero on the court, controversial symbol of a pragmatic yet questionable sports policy.
Sylvain Sultat suit la NBA au quotidien, entre performances individuelles, dynamiques collectives et grandes histoires de la ligue. Sur BeBasket, il décrypte l’actualité américaine avec passion et régularité, toujours à l’affût des tendances qui font bouger le monde du basket.
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