Jalen Green has shown that he can dominate the world stage.
Who could ever forget his commanding campaign in the 2018 FIBA Under-17 Basketball World Cup that saw him post numbers of 15.7 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game to win tournament MVP?
What about his impressive outing in the 2019 FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup that saw him average 10.1 points, 2.1 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per contest despite being just 17 years young?
But the Filipino-American did those feats not for Gilas Pilipinas Youth, but for Team USA.
Despite representing the red, white, and blue, the 18-year-old, 6-foot-5 swingman is not closing his doors on possibly playing for Gilas one day.
“It could be a possibility,” he said during the NBA Republika Playoffs online media availability, Thursday.
However, he knows that it will be a complicated process.
FIBA rules state that “A player who has played in the main official competition of FIBA after having reached his seventeenth (17) birthday may not play for a national team of another country.
“However, in exceptional circumstances, the Secretary-General may authorize such a player to play for the national team of his country of origin if he is ineligible to play for such country according to this article and if this is in the interest of the development of basketball in this country.”
Green can also utilize the ruling that states that if two federations (USA Basketball and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas in this case) agree, he may be released to play for another national team since he last played for Team USA when he was just 17.
It is still unknown also if Green, whose mom Bree Purganan traces her roots to Ilocos Sur, was able to obtain his Filipino passport when he played for FilAm Sports USA during the last two years.
The SBP, on the other hand, stated back then that they were in talks with Green.
Well, there is also another path in which he can play for Gilas and that is by applying for naturalization.
Green knows that it is a complicated process. But as they say, never say never.
“I played for USA. I’m not sure it could, but it could happen.”
