Dalembert Needs Papers!

It looks like the “Haitian Sensation,” Samuel Dalembert is absolutely dying to play with Steve Nash. No, the Sixers young center isn’t demanding a trade to the Suns, he’s actually butting heads with the Canadian government, trying desperately to play for team Canada alongside Nash and Jamaal Magloire. (And possibly Michael J. Fox)

Dalembert is trying to become a Canadian citizen. Sammy was born in Haiti, but moved to Montreal with his parents when he was 13. Dalembert has spent most of his time in the U.S. since he was 15, and the law says to become a citizen he has to have spent close to 1,100 days in Canada in the past four years. But it wouldn’t be Canada if there weren’t laws on top of laws on top of stipulations, covered with red tape and enforced by bureaucrats, so there is a chance.

Sammy is in the centre of Canadia today, Toronto, pleading his case to play for Team Canada in the FIBA Americas Olympic qualifying tournament from Aug. 22 to Sept. 2 in Las Vegas. I believe this means he's only 1,091 days shy of the 1,100 minimum.