Jaxson Hayes got Slovenian passport, could play with Luka Doncic

Team USA basketball has been thoroughly challenged in the last few Summer Olympics, even though it has won the last five gold medals in five-on-five basketball competition. While it will likely be favored again to win the gold during the 2028 Olympics, the competition is likely to be fairly tight once again.

The Slovenian national team, of course, will boast the talents and skills of Luka Doncic. In the 2020 Summer Games (which were played in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic), Doncic played sensational basketball, but Slovenia failed to medal after losing to Australia in the bronze medal round.

In 2028, Doncic could have a familiar face alongside him in the Olympics: Los Angeles Lakers teammate Jaxson Hayes. The backup center told the media on Monday that he has received his Slovenian passport, which makes him eligible to play for the Slovenian national team as a naturalized citizen. He joked that he only knows a few words in the Slovenian language, and that they're words not suitable for use in public.

This is something that has been in the works for months. Hayes said back in October that he wanted to suit up alongside Doncic for the Slovenian national team. The fit would potentially work very well, since Hayes can run the floor, turn lob passes into easy baskets and also rebound and protect the rim.

The 2028 Summer Olympics will happen to take place in Los Angeles. It will be the first time they have played in the City of Angels since 1984.

But first things first. Hayes, Doncic and the rest of the Lakers will face the Houston Rockets in Game 2 of their first-round playoff series against the Houston Rockets on Tuesday. Los Angeles won Game 1 by nine points, and another victory in Game 2 would put it in excellent position to win the series, something that seemed improbable before the opening tip of Game 1.

This article originally appeared on LeBron Wire: Jaxson Hayes got Slovenian passport, could play with Luka Doncic