Bonner denied quick citizenship

[Spurs Brazil]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/bonner-denied-quick-citizenship/article1680946/

JOE FRIESEN

Globe and Mail Update
Published on Friday, Aug. 20, 2010 11:56PM EDT

Last updated on Saturday, Aug. 21, 2010 12:34AM EDT


Despite two years of service off the bench for the Toronto Raptors, American-born NBA player Matt Bonner will not be granted quick citizenship to play for Canada at the world basketball championship.

Bonner's request for a speeded-up approval process was rejected for a second time this week by the ministry of Citizenship and Immigration. Wayne Parrish, chief executive officer of Canada Basketball, accepts that Bonner's Canadian debut will have to wait until after the world championship, set to start in Turkey Aug. 28.

The decision is a blow to the Canadian team. Bonner has made a name for himself in the NBA as a terrific outside shooter and would have been a steadying influence on a Canadian team that has achieved mixed results in warm-up matches. Canada scored impressive wins over China, Serbia and France, but also lost badly to Slovenia and Greece.

Bonner, who plays for the San Antonio Spurs but owns a home in Canada, married a Canadian woman in 2008 and was granted permanent resident status in 2009. Normally he could apply for citizenship only after living in Canada for three years after becoming a permanent resident. In 2006, another aspiring Canadian, bobsledder Lascelles Brown, was granted accelerated approval ahead of a big international competition. But doing so required convincing the federal government of his exceptional service to Canada.

Parrish compared the situation to a Catch-22.

“Matt cannot play for Canada at the world championship until he acquires his citizenship,” Parrish said. “However, he cannot acquire his citizenship until he plays for Canada and thus demonstrates his extraordinary value.”

[Obstructed_View]

Well he can always renounce his contract and apply for political asylum.

[Bruno]

extraordinary value :lmao


Someone has smoked too much maple leafs...

[Chieflion]

Canada: We are not going to allow Matt Bonner a quick citizenship because we are going to lose anyway.

[beachwood]

Obviously this Parrish guy has never watched a Spurs playoff game.

[Russ]

Looks like Bonner ran afoul of the Canadian tea-partiers trying to secure the border.

[ElNono]

This is bad news for all the other teams in the WC also...

[TDMVPDPOY]

lol guys a hater just like most bonner haters on this forum lmao

at leasts his smoking the same blunt as the haters

[Libri]

Maybe Bonner should try to prove his extraordinary value as a sandwich hunter.

[DPG21920]

Have you seen the Canadians players? An NBA player of any sort would be great for them. Especially a starter on a contender.

I honestly think Bonner is one of those guys that would have the same impact in the NBA as he would at the rec center. He just has a skill set that helps him in the NBA, but he is very limited.

He is not some player that is clearly levels above those good players not in the NBA.

Most NBA players, if you put them in a real competitive pick up game, would dominate. For example a Corey Maggette or Chase Budinger. They would stand out because their skills and athleticism are far better than most.

Bonner would be about the same in a great pick up game as he would in an NBA game. The impact would not change imo. He is not going to be some guy that is a normal NBA player that if you put him on your team at the Rec he would easily carry you to a victory.

[duhoh]

so, anyone think that the canadian government might be spurs fans?

[Chieflion]

I honestly think Bonner is one of those guys that would have the same impact in the NBA as he would at the rec center. He just has a skill set that helps him in the NBA, but he is very limited.

He is not some player that is clearly levels above those good players not in the NBA.

Most NBA players, if you put them in a real competitive pick up game, would dominate. For example a Corey Maggette or Chase Budinger. They would stand out because their skills and athleticism are far better than most.

Bonner would be about the same in a great pick up game as he would in an NBA game. The impact would not change imo. He is not going to be some guy that is a normal NBA player that if you put him on your team at the Rec he would easily carry you to a victory.
I think that's what makes Bonner so deceptive. Although his role is to get in the game, hustle and make a couple of 3s, swing his arms around like it means anything to confuse the defender, he surprisingly has a running hook after faking from the 3 point line, driving in for it. As awkward as it looks, he somehow gets it to fall.

[G-Dawgg]

Canada: We are not going to allow Matt Bonner a quick citizenship because we are going to lose anyway.

Nah, more like this,
Canada: "We will not grant Bonner a quick citizenship because he is too good for this team. Bonner is San Antonio's savior, not ours.

[E-RockWill]

I honestly think Bonner is one of those guys that would have the same impact in the NBA as he would at the rec center.

:rolleyes

[BlackSwordsMan]

can america denounce his citizenship here too so he can't play with the spurs?

[kaji157]

If he wants to play for canada so bad we can always trade him to the Raptors

[EmptyMan]

That's what happens when you are 7' and have no post game. Canadia has to balance risk v. reward.

[SenorSpur]

I'm of the opinion that Bonner would've done well for Team Canada - that is until they reached the qualifying rounds.

[EmptyMan]

When you are 6'10 and someone calls you 7' it's really not that big of a deal.

[ducks]

yeah it is called 4 inches
but those 4 inches would not help his sorry rebounding

[TIMMYD!]

I think Bonner could still beat anyone on ST easily even if he is one dimensional.

[ducks]

I bet I could hit as many threes as he does
I can shot from downtown

[Obstructed_View]

When you are 6'10 and someone calls you 7' it's really not that big of a deal.

It is when 6'6" DeJuan Blair has a longer standing reach than Bonner.

[slick'81]

poooooooooooor bonner someone get him a sandwich

[will_spurs]

I bet I could hit as many threes as he does
I can shot from downtown

Yeah right.

[ceperez]

No it's not but he's not correctly listed in the first place.

There isn't much of a difference between 6'10" and 7 feet but there's a big difference between 7 feet and 6'8"

agree.

[Latarian Milton]

no country gives someone a citizenship so easily as america does.

[alchemist]

no country gives someone a citizenship so easily as america does.
:lol Arizona says otherwise.

[Leonard Curse]

can america denounce his citizenship here too so he can't play with the spurs?

:lol

on a serious not i'd be willing to trade citizenship with bonner before obama starts another war while he still has house. :makemyday

[ohmwrecker]

I bet I could hit as many threes as he does
I can shot from downtown

But can you shoot?

[ohmwrecker]

:lol

on a serious not i'd be willing to trade citizenship with bonner before obama starts another war while he still has house. :makemyday

Take it to the political forum, wingnut.

[Dunc n Dave]

I bet I could hit as many threes as he does
I can shot from downtown

Back up a few feet off the line (to the NBA 3pt line) and shoot 3's at a 40% clip there, then we'll talk....

[EIC]

I honestly think Bonner is one of those guys that would have the same impact in the NBA as he would at the rec center. He just has a skill set that helps him in the NBA, but he is very limited.

He is not some player that is clearly levels above those good players not in the NBA.

Most NBA players, if you put them in a real competitive pick up game, would dominate. For example a Corey Maggette or Chase Budinger. They would stand out because their skills and athleticism are far better than most.

Bonner would be about the same in a great pick up game as he would in an NBA game. The impact would not change imo. He is not going to be some guy that is a normal NBA player that if you put him on your team at the Rec he would easily carry you to a victory.

Great post. :toast

[Em-City]

Sky Hook!~

[hater]

so looks like Canada is looking to compete

[Agloco]

It must be the rate of hoagie consumption. There's a terrorist money-laundering connection in there somewhere. :lol

[Agloco]

:lol

on a serious not i'd be willing to trade citizenship with bonner before obama starts another war while he still has house. :makemyday

Cool story brah.

I wasn't aware that he had started any in the first place. Thanks intel.