CHINESE Taipei’s national basketball team is getting a big boost, with former NBA player Jeremy Lin acquiring a Taiwanese passport.
A guard for the Beijing Ducks of the Chinese Basketball Association, Lin obtained the passport with the help of Taipei City Councillor Chung Hsiao-ping, according to taiwannews.com, making him eligible for the national team.
The 31-year-old Lin, born in California to Taiwanese-American parents, averaged of 22.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists in the 2019-2020 season in the CBA.
Although the passport won't allow him to play for Taipei in tournaments sanctioned by Fiba, Lin will now be eligible to represent the nation in the Asian Games, Olympics and other events which do not impose the controversial Fiba eligibility rule.
Fiba rules require dual citizens to acquire a passport of a country he hopes to represent before turning 16 to be eligible.
The first American of Chinese or Taiwanese descent to play in the NBA, Lin had regular-season averages of 11 points, two rebounds and four assists in nine seasons in the big league while also having stints in the developmental league.
Lin burst onto the NBA scene in 2012, starring in several games for an injury-riddled New York Knicks. He went on to suit up for the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets, Brooklyn Nets and Atlanta Hawks.
He became the first Asian-American to become NBA champion when the Toronto Raptors claimed the the crown last season.
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