He'd be a nice addition to Gilas, save for one complication.
Another high-profile player is looking to don the Gilas Pilipinas jersey.
Fil-American point guard Remy Martin, who was among the prospects included in the 23 for 2023 list drawn up by former Gilas coach Chot Reyes back in 2018, apparently wants to play for the national team soon—as in real soon.
The 25-year-old Martin recently posted on his Instagram a series of photos that seemingly indicate his fervent desire to suit up for Gilas. Among the photos he posted was a Gilas Pilipinas nameplate, a picture of him with Gilas mainstay Kai Sotto, and a caricature of himself wearing a white Gilas jersey.
His caption—"IMG_MAKEITHAPPEN?.jpg”—also spoke volumes as to how Martin probably feels about playing for the Philippines.
Take a look:
Martin, who averaged 13.6 points, 3.0 rebounds, 3.7 assists, and 1.1 steals in 147 games played for the Arizona State Sun Devils and Kansas Jayhawks in US NCAA Division 1 basketball, would surely be a noteworthy addition to Gilas should he finally get to play for flag and country.
There is just one minor hiccup: Martin is only eligible to play as a naturalized player, at least in FIBA-sanctioned events such as the FIBA World Cup, the Olympics, and the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers. That’s because the shifty playmaker’s case is similar to that of Jordan Clarkson—half-bloods who got their Filipino passports past the age of 16.
But if Martin really is keen on playing for Gilas, then he would certainly be most welcome in, say, the Southeast Asian Games or the Asian Games, where eligibility rules are laxer as compared to FIBA.
If the US NCAA champion is up for that, then it will be up to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to make things happen—and fast.