[Time] Chinese officials want Lin on National Team

Pathetic, but I wouldn't be surprised if Xinhua follows this up by "renouncing" the call for Lin to do this. Maybe an editor got ahead of himself.

 

This kind of rumor is disgusting.

It is unbelievable that someone with any amount of intelligence would bite it.

 

I really hope China is not threatening his family behind the scenes.

 

Lol have you guys seen their PGs for Team China? Not sure but I think Liu Wei, whos been like their only PG ever, is still point and they have that Chinese Iverson guy. At this point they would probably take Lin's brother.

 

If I was China I would also ask LeBron the same thing.

You never know.

 

Then you probably don't have a very firm grasp of global affairs or much interest in history.

 

C'mon now it's not Lin is a perennial allstar.
He hasn't finished the season and it's a hot start yes.

 

You do realize China was a huge violator of human rights for the past century right? Something like this could entirely be plausible.
EDIT: The heading threw me off though. I thought China was demanding Lin drop his US citizenship...

 

I don't think any country would do it.... It's a team's game. If they have a glaring hole at the 1, they should address it long term. Lin is just a short term fix.
Anyway this is coming out of nowhere, c'mon RR don't throw in politics so blatantly.

FIBA basketball is less star oriented and more team based. Lin wouldn't score that much.

 

It would be far from the first time.





Sometimes folks who are pretty good but would never get a US invite play the "grandparent" loophole card and play mercenary for someone else so that they get an Olympics experience they'd otherwise never have.

 

That is standard procedure for any player playing for any country not his born country. Scola has both Spanish and Argentinian passport. He could play for both countries.
China happens to prohit dual citizenship.

 

Exactly, this is done in soccer all the time, team USA had many European players over the last few decades. I don't know if it will make sense in Lin's case, but if he is able to get huge endorsements from China, who can blame him if he decides to switch?

 

You have to understand the history between Taiwand and China to understand that, these countries have been in conflict for years.

 

Yeah... but Chinese Taipei's BBall team is inferior to Mainland's
They did improve throughout the years tho.
China should groom its own guards otherwise hope for Lin's choice. It's his.
If he can't crack Team US team, he should consider playing for China in the Olympics.
At some point China was in the Quarterfinals.... that meant among the 8 best teams. Taiwan is never going to do that in the near future.

 

He's never going to make it on Team USA with all the good PGs that have been produced.

Dwill and Paul are probably going to be mainstays and Colangelo will probably always use a vet in there. Oh yeah also you have Westbrook and Rose...Rondo...and even Wall if he gets his stuff together... That's some tuff competition at PG.

 

this happens a lot in soccer.

And basketball.

 

In the end money talks. China will acquiesce to get a player of his renown on their team.

People complaining about basketball defections need to look at soccer, where if you don't make your native soccer team then you're basically a free agent for the other countries out there to claim, regardless of your background. Hell I believe that if Kyrie Irving can't make our team initially, then he should go play for Australia where he was born. It's not like he can't come back and play for us four years later when he really will be the best PG in the world.

 

I know China would be a better choice from a sports perspective, but the main point here should be pride and independence from China. Majority of Taiwanese people don't symphatize with China and would never play for that crude government. Lin didn't grow up in Taiwan so he maybe doesn't feel that way.
It's his choice, but I doubt he would pick China given the history of the countries.