Chris Kaman to play for Germany in Beijing

(BEIJING, July 9) -- Los Angeles Clippers' center Chris Kaman successfully received a German passport last week, making him eligible to compete for Germany this summer at the Olympic Games.

Kaman, whose great grandparents were German, will join the team on Wednesday and will try to boost Germany's chances of qualifying for the Olympics at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, which starts on July 14 in Athens. His first match will be a friendly against Canada on Wednesday in Hamburg.

Head coach Dirk Bauermann spoke enthusiastically about Kaman's arrival. "One of the best centers in the world would like to play for Germany, and not only this year, but also in the future," he said. "It's a great thing and certainly does us good in many areas."

Kaman's arrival means that big men Guido Grunheid and Rouven Roessler will no longer be with the team, as Coach Bauermann believes that the two young players are not ready for the grueling qualifying tournament ahead.

Team Germany is grouped with New Zealand and Cape Verde in the Qualifying Tournament and may face strong teams like Brazil or hosts Greece in the quarterfinals. The winners of the semifinal games will qualify for Beijing directly, while the two semifinal losers will face-off to determine the final qualifier.

"I can only stress that it is an enormously difficult hurdle for us," Bauermann said. "I see seven teams with realistic chances of reaching the Olympics and only three of them are going to Beijing."