Steve Nash was born in South Africa, lives in the United States most of the year and works for a Cuban, but he is all Canadian.

As expected, the two-time NBA all-star point guard will play for Canada at the Americas Olympic qualifying tournament later this month in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and will join the national team at training camp next week in Toronto.

Coach Jay Triano long expected Nash to play for Canada at the tournament, and his participation was confirmed this week -- a huge boost for the national team which must finish in the top three in San Juan to qualify for next summer's Athens Olympics.

Nash, who grew up in Victoria, B.C., led Canada to the quarter-finals at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was the toast of the Canadian team at those Games with his play and leadership.

"We're ecstatic, as you can well imagine," Leslie Dal Cin, Canada Basketball executive director, said of Nash's decision to don the red and white again.