LA Lakers’ centre eyes spot on Slovenia’s national team

Los Angeles Lakers centre Jaxson Hayes has hinted that he could soon join his teammate Luka Dončić in representing Slovenia's national basketball team, saying he is in the process of obtaining Slovenian citizenship.

After the Lakers' 121:94 preseason loss to the Dallas Mavericks in Las Vegas on 15 October, Hayes told reporters that he and Dončić had discussed the possibility of teaming up not only in the NBA but also on the international stage, CE Report quotes The Slovenia Times.

"Luka and I are working on me getting a Slovenian passport so we can play together for the national team next year," Hayes said when asked about his relationship with the Slovenian star.

The 25-year-old, 213-centimetre centre joined the Lakers in 2023 after four seasons with the New Orleans Pelicans.

The Slovenia men's national basketball team has been looking for a long-term solution at the centre position for a while.

The Slovenian Basketball Federation (KZS) had previously naturalised American-born Josh Nebo, but he was unable to appear at the 2025 EuroBasket due to previous injuries and scheduling issues, and his availability for future tournaments remains uncertain.

Naturalisation typically requires government approval and federation endorsement before an athlete becomes eligible to compete internationally.

The KZS said that it had been examining the possibility of naturalising a foreign player for the centre position in the long term to ensure the stability of the national team in the years to come.

"We cannot talk about names or details at this stage," the federation told the MMC portal of the public broadcaster RTV Slovenija, adding that the public would be duly notified once all the procedures had been completed.

Photo: Anže Malovrh/STA