THAI-American guard Tyler Lamb took aim at his host Thailand and its men’s basketball program amid the ongoing controversy over confusing player eligibility rules for the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games.
READ COLUMN: Why Fiba eligibility rules favor Thais in SEA Games basketball
Lamb, inexplicably left out of Thailand’s roster this year despite being an eight-year national team veteran, went on social media to criticize tournament organizers for their last-minute rule changes.
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“This upcoming SEA GAMES looking more and more like a big joke,” Lamb wrote in a post on his official Facebook page.
Ahead of the biennial meet, a rule shift saw a passport-only eligibility rule implemented along with a ban on naturalized players, a move that has heavily affected teams like perennial champion Philippines.
But his frustrations didn’t stop there.
Responding to a Thai sports page that also appeared to be mocking the situation, the 34-year-old guard made an even bolder claim, hinting that the rule changes may have been designed to level the playing field in Thailand’s favor amid the absence of its top players.
As Lamb put it: “If you can’t bring your strongest team, make everybody else weaker, then try to fight.
“Putting on a Thailand national team jersey doesn’t seem as fulfilling as it once was.”
The 6-foot-5 wing was part of Thailand’s last three medal-winning SEA Games basketball squads that clinched bronze in 2017 (Malaysia) and 2023 (Cambodia), and a historic silver in 2019 where they fell to host Philippines in the gold medal match.
'Fans deserve the best'
Given how Thailand has handled both its hosting duties and the composition of its men’s basketball roster this year, Lamb made it clear he isn’t optimistic about their chances on home soil.
“As far as 5x5 [basketball] goes, I think the fans deserve the best Thai team to represent the country,” he said.
“The previous SEA Games in Cambodia might be better than this upcoming one [in Thailand]!”
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