Americans star on an Iraqi basketball team. Its owners include forces that attacked US troops

By ABBY SEWELL and QASSIM ABDUL-ZAHRA
Associated Press

BAGHDAD (AP) — A pro basketball team in Iraq is owned by a paramilitary group, and some of its forces recently attacked U.S. troops. But this hostility toward Uncle Sam has its limits: The team is banking on a high-scoring American to help lead them to a championship. Like many former U.S. college basketball players, 27-year-old Uchenna Iroegbu of Sacramento has taken his talents abroad, excelling on teams in Nigeria and Qatar. Now he’s in Baghdad after signing with Hashed al-Shaabi — the Popular Mobilization Forces — just in time for the Iraqi Basketball Super League playoffs. From a basketball perspective, signing Iroegbu was a no-brainer; he led Qatar’s league in scoring. Politically, it’s a little more complicated.