By JONAS TERRADO
Former NBA player Jeremy Lin could end up playing in future FIBA Asia competitions after obtaining a Taiwanese passport recently.
Chung Hsiao-Ping, a city councilor in Taipei, was quoted by local media to have accompanied Lin’s father and agent in securing the passport for the ex-New York Knicks guard.
A photo of Lin’s passport was also shown as proof that the process was already completed.
The legislator was also quoted by Taiwan’s Central News Agency that “the former NBA star is looking forward to playing for Taiwan’s national team in the future” but the report also added that “Lin has yet to make a public statement on the issue.”
The only question now is if the passport rules of world governing body FIBA to determine whether he can suit up as a local or naturalized player will be applicable to the 35-year-old Lin.
FIBA rules state that a player must acquire a passport of the country of his choosing before the age of 16 in order to be considered as a local.
Lin is best known for his rise to stardom in 2012 with a series of spectacular games for the Knicks, prompting many to call it as “Linsanity.”
He had a small part in the Toronto Raptors’ run to the NBA championship last season and was coming off a stint with the Beijing Ducks in the Chinese Basketball Association.
Beijing lost in the semifinals to the eventual champion Guangdong Southern Tigers, with Lin averaging 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, 5.6 assists and 1.8 steals in 39 games.
