Germany's bid to reach the Beijing Games via the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament just got a lot stronger following the news that NBA center Chris Kaman can now play for the country.

The Los Angeles Clippers big man, who is coming off a campaign in which he averaged 15.7 points, 12.7 rebounds and 2.8 blocks, received his German passport at the country's consulate in Los Angeles this week and should join the national team in the coming days to bolster a frontline that already includes one of the best players in the world in Dirk Nowitzki.

The challenge for Germany coach Dirk Bauermann is to blend Kaman into the team before the qualifying tournament tips off on July 14.

"Chris has a tremendous quality and has strengthened our team certainly very significantly," Bauermann said in a statement on the German Basketball Federation website.

"We will now in a short time try as well as possible to integrate him into the team so he can give us help in the Olympic qualifiers in Athens."

Germany will take on New Zealand and Cape Verde in Group B, with a quarter-final against hosts Greece, Brazil or Lebanon.

Kaman will also be eligible to play for the country at next year's EuroBasket in Poland.