FIBA chief to ‘carefully exercise’ nationality shift honors in wake of Klay Thompson-Bahamas link-up

FIBA secretary-general Andreas Zagklis keenly understands the chatter surrounding Klay Thompson’s potential illustration to the Bahamian nationwide basketball staff.

As he performed his wrap-up press conference for the ultimate day of the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup this Sunday, Zagklis sided with the emotions of many concerning Thompson’s possible entry to The Bahamas’ squad in the worldwide competitions as it might open up leeway for the opposite nations to be part of the engaging shift.

“As a a policy, I try to avoid making comments on individual eligibility cases. But I understand it,” Zagklis stated.

“The rule is if you played after the age of 17, you cannot change unless specific circumstances that justify the change of you go back to your country of origin. There, we will look a number of criteria, and one of them is how long ago you played for the other country.”

During a latest partnership tour with Anta, Thompson made headlines when he declared that he would “seriously consider” enjoying for The Bahamas nationwide basketball staff subsequent yr. The Golden State Warriors star can hint his Bahamian roots to his father, Mychal Thompson.

Thompson already represented the United States on the senior stage of worldwide contests, serving to the celebs and stripes seize prime finishes on the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games.

“I’m indirectly trying to answer your question. But I don’t want to tell exactly how we dealt with that file or that file and how we will deal in future with the other file,” Zagklis added.

“Regarding the other part of your question, yes, we’re concerned in the sense that we can’t use this exception, which lies with the discretion of a general secretary in order to open the Pandora’s box. I have been exercising it very carefully, and I will continue doing so.”

Despite enjoying for the United States already, FIBA honored Eric Gordon’s intent to play for The Bahamas. Under FIBA’s Article 22 of Internal Regulations, gamers can’t change affiliation to one other nation for main worldwide sporting occasions. But the basketball federation can train the ability to change it if the transfer is “deemed in the best interest of basketball” and if the participant will land in a growing nationwide program.

The sudden eligibility of the Phoenix Suns veteran boosted The Bahamas’ marketing campaign to this yr’s FIBA Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament as he aided the Caribbean nation to stamp a ticket to subsequent yr’s Olympic Qualifying Round, besting fellow international locations in the Americas area together with the powerhouse Argentina.

The play of Gordon for The Bahamas rapidly drew lots of questioning and criticism, most notably from Argentinian cager Andres Nocioni.

The Bahamas are set to be pitted with 23 different nations in the Olympic Qualifying tourney for the 4 remaining hoops tickets in subsequent yr’s Paris Games.