Egypt's World Cup squad given major boost with US-based Gardner, Moussa

Patrick Yousef Gardner has had an eventful summer but it is about to get more intense as he prepares to suit up for Egypt at the FIBA Basketball World Cup, which is being hosted by the Philippines, Indonesia and Japan from Friday Aug. 25.

The 24-year-old center, who was born in Merrick, New York, to an Egyptian mother and American father, did not hear his name called out in the 2023 NBA Draft but bounced back with an NBA Summer League appearance for the Miami Heat before agreeing on a deal with the Brooklyn Nets. This would see him join the team in training camp and potentially play for their G-League affiliate Long Island side.

But before he turns his attention to the Nets, Gardner gets to check an important item off his bucket list as he joins the Pharaohs in their first World Cup outing since 2014.

It is a dream opportunity for the 2.10-meter Gardner, who gets to connect with his Egyptian roots while helping the team tackle a tricky Group D in Manila that includes Lithuania, Montenegro and Mexico.

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“It’s a dream come true. I’ve always wanted to play for this team but I never thought it was possible until this year. So I’m just so excited to be a part of this and I’m ready to compete with this amazing team,” Gardner told Arab News in Abu Dhabi, where Egypt held a one-week training camp and participated in games during International Basketball Week.

Gardner recalls the trips he made to Egypt with his family when he was younger, which included visits to the Pyramids, Red Sea, and vacation at the North Coast by the Mediterranean.

“My mom really loves her country which kind of spread to us and that made us really appreciate where she’s from and we try to embrace it as