It's safe to say that basketball players switching allegiances internationally isn't as common compared to soccer. However, in rare cases, they do happen. In fact, the Dallas Mavericks' latest acquisition Klay Thompson recently teased the idea of playing for Bahamas in its quest to qualify for the Olympics despite having won medals with Team USA in the past. Let's look at 10 NBA players that switched national teams.

Marques Bolden

Marques Bolden is a familiar name among Duke Basketball fans. He currently plays for the Golden State Warriors at the NBA Summer League. Prior to his university days, Bolden was a part of the player pool for the 2015 USA Men's Junior national team. He also represented Team USA at the 2016 Nike Hoop Summit.

Fast forward to 2021, Bolden was naturalized by Indonesia. He stirred Indonesia to a gold medal at the 2022 Southeast Asian Games.

Mike Tobey

It's safe to say Mike Tobey had a relatively short career in the NBA, having only played two games with the Charlotte Hornets. But nowadays, he runs the floor with Luka Doncic while playing for the Slovenia national team.

It's worth noting that back at the 2013 FIBA U19 World Championships, Tobey was still representing Team USA and helped them win gold. With Tobey making the switch, he has helped Slovenia reach new heights, including winning the 2021 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament and placing fourth place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Thon Maker

A lot of NBA fans will be familiar with the name Thon Maker. He was one of the highly touted prospects coming into the NBA for his length and athleticism. But while he was playing in the NBA, Maker also represented the Australia Boomers internationally as a naturalized player.

In fact, the former Bucks big man recently helped the squad win the 2022 FIBA Asia Cup. But with the 2024 Paris Olympics just around the corner, Maker will be making his much-anticipated debut with South Sudan, his native country.

Paolo Banchero

Prior to the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Italy was keen on getting the services of Orlando Magic star Paolo Banchero. According to reports, Banchero initially gave a verbal commitment to play for the Italian national team a year prior.

But when the Team USA training camp came calling, Banchero infamously changed his mind, which triggered Italian basketball fans and the federation. The Italian Basketball Federation even dubbed it as a “betrayal.”

Joel Embiid

Another star player that caused quite a stir was Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid. The former NBA MVP was even naturalized by France with the intention of fielding him at the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, the Cameroonian center changed his mind recently by opting to suit up for Team USA. Just like Banchero, Embiid drew the ire of French basketball fans.

Serge Ibaka

As a teenager, Serge Ibaka played for the Republic of Congo and represented them at the FIBA Africa U18 Championship. After a dominant stint and taking his wares to the NBA, it was reported that the NBA champion was naturalized by Spain in 2011.

For several years, Ibaka served as Spain's naturalized player, helping the team win gold at the 2011 FIBA EuroBasket and silver at the 2012 London Olympics.

Charlie Villanueva

NBA fans will remember Charlie Villanueva, having played for four different teams in the NBA. Back as a teenager, Villanueva actually played for Team USA's youth team at the 2004 FIBA Americas U20 Championship, where they won gold.

In 2009, Villanueva made the switch to play for the Dominican Republic, acknowledging his Dominican Republic roots. With Villanueva, Dominican Republic won silver at the 2010 Centrobasket and bronze at the 2011 FIBA AmeriCup.

Jahlil Okafor

There's no doubt that Jahlil Okafor was once a promising NBA prospect. In fact, he won three gold medals as part of Team USA's youth national teams, which helped him get drafted with the third overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft by the Philadelphia 76ers.

But nowadays, Okafor no longer represents Team USA. Instead, Okafor switched to Nigeria. With Nigerian roots, Okafor was given the green light to suit up for the national team at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Eric Gordon

The most recent player to change allegiances internationally is Bahamas national team star Eric Gordon. As fans remember, the Sixers guard won a gold medal with Team USA at the 2010 FIBA World Championship.

With FIBA allowing a player to change national teams in certain cases, Gordon's move to the Bahamas was surprising and unexpected. While Gordon did have Bahamian roots, it's not so often that FIBA gives the green light. Nonetheless, Gordon will play for Bahamas once again at the 2024 FIBA OQT.

Hakeem Olajuwon

The most successful player to ever change national teams was Hakeem Olajuwon. Prior to making the NBA, Olajuwon was part of the Nigerian youth national team at the All-Africa games, according to reports.

In fact, it was a huge reason as to why Olajuwon was nearly denied by FIBA to play for the Dream Team. But after a probation period, Olajuwon was given the green light, helping Team USA conquer the gold medal at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.