Veteran guard Ben Gordon eyes return to NBA via Great Britain

10:52 PM ET

Ben Gordon will spend the next few weeks playing for Great Britain’s men’s national basketball team — with an eye on an NBA return.

Gordon, 33, will suit up for Britain for the first time during qualifiers for Eurobasket 2017 next month. The 11-year NBA veteran hopes to help the British qualify for Europe’s biggest tournament while showing talent evaluators that he can still play at an elite level.

Gordon, who did not play last season after appearing in training camp with the Golden State Warriors, spoke recently with ESPN.com about his decision to suit up for Great Britain and his hopes to land back in the NBA.

The conversation with the veteran shooting guard has been edited for length:

Q: What are you looking forward to about suiting up for Great Britain in the Eurobasket qualifiers?

A: Just getting back into a competitive atmosphere like that. I was supposed to play a couple of different times throughout my career. But things always popped up in the summer. But there really hasn’t been a better time [than now] for me to play because I’m not with a team. It’s just an opportunity for me to get out there and finally play with Great Britain. I just look forward to that opportunity being that I’d never gotten that chance.

Q: Are you still looking for a chance to return to the NBA?

A: Yeah, definitely. I would definitely love to get back in the league after being out for a year. Just watching the way the game is being played, up and down. Obviously, the 3-point shot is always a big deal but it seems like just now, more than ever, that shot is being used more and more. So I feel like I can still play at a high level and …

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