CJ Fulton says he is expecting “a bit more pressure and attention on me” when he makes his first Ireland appearance in over two years in Friday’s FIBA EuroBasket 2029 pre-qualifier against Azerbaijan (19:45 GMT).
It has been a whirlwind year for the 23-year-old after signing for NBA side Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Belfast native is now focused on helping Ireland advance in the qualifiers for the European Championships following defeats by Luxembourg and North Macedonia.
“It’s hard to believe it’s almost been three years since I last played in the green jersey, but [I’m] looking forward to it,” Fulton told BBC Sport NI’s Thomas Kane.
“Very important, must-win games if we want to have a chance of qualifying for the EuroBasket.
“I am very excited to be back.”
The first round of qualifying for the EuroBasket consists of three groups with the winners of each and the best-ranked second-placed team advancing to the second round.
Then, those teams will be joined by eight more from the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 European qualifiers in the second round of qualifying.
“I think I can definitely come back and help the team,” added Fulton.
“The European style of basketball is what I grew up playing, I’ve been out of it for a little bit, but I’m excited to try and get back into that style of basketball.
“We’ve got a lot of talented guys on the roster.”