Lakers Center Jaxon Hayes Granted Slovenian Citizenship, Eligible to Team Up with Luca Doncic
lakers-center-jaxon-hayes-slovenian-passport-eligibility
Los Angeles Lakers center Jaxon Hayes has obtained a Slovenian passport, making him immediately eligible to play for Slovenia’s national basketball team alongside NBA star Luka Doncic.
The passport was issued ahead of the summer international window, clearing the 7-footer to join Slovenia for upcoming FIBA competitions. Hayes, currently under contract with the Lakers, had no previous ties to the country and qualifies as a naturalized player under FIBA rules.
Slovenia is permitted to roster one naturalized player in official tournaments, and the addition of Hayes would provide the team with a true interior presence to pair with Doncic’s perimeter scoring. The two could debut together as early as the next round of Olympic qualifying games.
Neither the Lakers nor the Basketball Federation of Slovenia have announced when Hayes will report to national-team training camp.
Source: New York Post
