Jaxson Hayes is within the midst of getting a Slovenian passport to play for the nationwide crew.
“USA does not do open tryouts,” Hayes stated. “And I really feel like there are guys they invite to the USA [training camp] that should not be there. So, I needed to simply play on that stage … I will do no matter it takes to play on that stage.”
Hayes, who was born in Oklahoma, stated that his and Luka Doncic’s agent had reached out concerning the risk earlier than Doncic was traded to the Lakers.
The Slovenian nationwide crew permits one naturalized citizen on its roster for worldwide competitions.
Anthony Randolph beforehand held the position, with Slovenia successful the gold medal of the 2017 EuroBasket match.
JJ Redick supported Hayes in his pursuit of worldwide basketball.
“I checked out my USA Basketball experiences and I had a bunch of them … they had been all invaluable to me since you’re studying round nice gamers,” Redick stated. “After which, you are additionally studying a distinct approach to play, in some methods. The worldwide sport could be very completely different.”
The following main worldwide match for Slovenia to compete in is the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup.