FRA - Marksman Jackson ready if needed

LYON (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - France's Edwin Jackson experienced a variety of emotions in the summer of 2013.

A French League MVP award that he scooped after a dazzling season with Asvel Lyon Villeurbanne filled him with pride, yet that was followed by frustration because for a third straight summer, the 1.90m shooting guard was left off his country's national team.

Failure to be included in one of the most talented national squads in international basketball has cost Jackson a EuroBasket 2011 silver medal, a 2012 Olympic appearance and EuroBasket 2013 title.

Now 24, Jackson is in his prime and already hardened by the realities of being a top-notch French basketball player.

No matter how good he is, especially when it comes to putting the ball in the basket from anywhere on the floor, it may not be enough allow him to represent his homeland on the big stage.

He may not know until shortly before the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup if national team coach Vincent Collet is going to take him to the tournament in Spain.

All Jackson does know is that he is going to put his best foot forward every time he steps onto the court.

Everything else is out of his control.

Jackson gave this interview to FIBA.com.

FIBA.com: Edwin, what about the FIBA Basketball World Cup. What are you chances of being in the squad?
Jackson: We'll see. I don't know if all the guys are going to come (to the national team). At the guard position, there are a lot of players even if they don't play in their teams like Nando de Colo, who doesn't get many minutes with San Antonio but he's a really solid player. I’m talking about Fabien Causeur, who's in Vitoria (Laboral Kutxa). He's a really solid player as well. Depends on how he's (Collet) going to build his team. If he needs another offensive weapon? At the Euro (EuroBasket 2013), he didn't need it. He had (Tony) Parker, De Colo, (Nicolas) Batum can score a lot of points, Mickael Gelabale. I don't know if they're going to the World Cup or going to focus on the Rio Olympics, so we'll see. I hope I'll make the team. It would be a good experience for me.

FIBA.com: Is it just a matter of being patient, knowing your time will eventually come?
Jackson: I don't know. I've played before (2010 FIBA World Championship) with Vincent. It's also a matter of how you play the game, and what he wants his guards to be doing so I can't speak for him or about what's going to happen in the future. I just hope that I make the team and help my country have good results. This is the only thing I can wish for. If not, I'll just keep working hard.

FIBA.com: What was it like watching France win the gold medal at EuroBasket 2013?
Jackson: I was happy because they're all my friends and for French basketball it was great. After that, knowing I could have possibly made the team but missed the event, it's always hard. You can't be mad at other people's happiness. I feel like my turn will come. If I can't accomplish that, maybe I'll accomplish other things that they won't accomplish. If they can be happy for me, like when I won the MVP trophy last year, I can be happy for them for winning the European Championship, even though I wasn't there.

FIBA.com: Do you get advice from others like Tony Parker?
Jackson: Yes, of course. They say, 'You're having a good season, your time will come'. I've been there before. I went to the second league and wasn't always in the bright lights, so I know what it's like to work your way into better situations. So I just keep playing, keep working hard and doing what I'm supposed to do and eventually, I hope good things will happen.

FIBA.com: Do you plan on staying in France forever or might you leave and play abroad, for example in a place like Spain where so many other Frenchman have found success?
Jackson: I don't know. A lot of other people have been asking me that question lately. I really want to play in the best situation for me to be happy of playing basketball. It's got to be a pleasure stepping onto the court. I've got to have fun. I have to love the environment. It has to be a project. I won't just sign for one year just to come and take a little more more than the previous year. It has to really be something that is long-term or building towards something like the NBA.

FIBA.com: Have you set a deadline for yourself in terms of making it to the NBA?
Jackson: No, I feel like especially when you come from Europe, there are guys who are not expected to go who went and guys who were highly expected to go who didn't. I feel like everybody's destiny is different. You can still go to the NBA like (Pablo) Prigioni, who was 35, and have fun. You can go early, go late. Sometimes, I feel like when you go and you are more mature in your game and you get minutes, this can be an interesting plan as well. So, (that's better than) to be lost in the process of like being drafted and then getting traded and you don't get minutes. I feel like if I were to get a shot on a good team with good chemistry, a good organisation and they could know how to use me, that could be good as well.

FIBA