By Dallas Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving is exploring a dramatic move to represent Australia, the country of his birth, in international competition.
The nine-time NBA All-Star won gold with Team USA at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro but has been overlooked by selectors in recent years and was not picked for last summer’s Games in Paris.
Irving holds dual American and Australian citizenship, having been born in Melbourne in 1992 while his father, Drederick, was playing for the Bulleen Bullets in the South East Australian Basketball League. He and his family returned to the US when he was two years old.
“We’re in the process of that right now, just trying to figure out what’s going to be the best route for me to be eligible,” Irving told reporters after Sunday’s All-Star Game at Chase Center. “There’s a lot of paperwork in between that.
“Team USA still has a decision to make. I’m just trying to do what’s best for me. Honestly, if I can be an Aussie at one point in my career and play for the Australian team, that would be great.”
However, Irving still faces a challenge to prove his eligibility. FIBA rules prevent a player from representing one nation after having already played for another as an adult, unless the Secretary General – currently Andreas Zagklis – provides an exemption in “exceptional circumstances.”
Any such exemption must be “in the interest of the development of basketball in this country,” a definition which may aid Irving’s move given he would likely be the Boomers’ most high-profile player at the Los Angeles Olympics in 2028.
Nonetheless, Dallas teammate and former Team USA guard Klay Thompson failed last year in his attempt to switch allegiances to the Bahamas, the country of his father’s birth.
Were he successful in his bid to play for Australia, Irving would join the Atlanta Hawks’ Dyson Daniels, the Charlotte Hornets’ Josh Green, the Chicago Bulls’ Josh Giddey, the Los Angeles Clippers’ Ben Simmons and Patty Mills, and Mavs teammate Dante Exum as the roster’s best players.
