McCarty, who's been playing in Russia for the last 5 years, says it wasn't a hard decision to change allegiances.

He is expected to play a key role for the defending champions, and the Khimki guard says he'll feel very emotional when lining up for the national anthems ahead of Russia's first game with Latvia.

Despite having never played for Russia, at 34 years old McCarty will be one of the senior players for his adopted country.

David Blatt's side has been hit by a combination of retirements and withdrawals, but McCarty says he doesn't feel any extra responsibility. He's well acquainted with Blatt, having played for him with Hapoel Jerusalem and Dynamo St. Petersburg. Russia's head coach says he's delighted to welcome the Khimki guard onto his squad.

There are less than three weeks to go until Russia starts its defense of its Eurobasket title in Poland.

And while Blatt's squad is a long shot to retain the crown, Kelly McCarty will certainly be doing his utmost to bring the Eurobasket trophy back to Russia for another couple of years.