October 20th - Lakers center Jaxson Hayes spoke in an interview today, during which he discussed his ongoing process of applying for a Slovenian passport.
Hayes said he approached his agent, Bill Duffy, about the idea of playing for the Slovenian national team before Luka Dončić was traded to the Lakers last season.
In the interview, Hayes said his motivation stemmed in part from the USA Basketball tryout process.
"The USA team never does open tryouts," Hayes said. "I feel like they invite some guys to the national team camp who shouldn't be there. So, I just want to play on that stage, and I'll do anything to get there."
The 25-year-old center said the Slovenian national team has a roster spot open for international competition, and he's currently applying for a passport to fill that spot.
"Obviously, I'd love to represent my country, but they don't have open tryouts, that's just the way it is," Hayes said.
