Can players switch teams in FIBA?

[Joseph17]

I'm not sure if this is the right place for this thread, but can a player switch teams in FIBA? I was just wondering if Tim Duncan can play for the Virgin Island's FIBA team after he retires from the NBA. He already played for team USA in the past before the Virgin Islands had a national team so I was wondering if he could switch after his NBA career is over.

[Goon]

From FIBA rules:

22. A player who has played in a main official competition (see article 2-1) of FIBA before
reaching his seventeenth (17) birthday may play for a national team of another country if both
national member federations agree; in the absence of an agreement the Secretary General
decides.

23. A player who has played in a main official competition of FIBA (see article 2-1) after having
reached his seventeenth (17) birthday may not play for a national team of another country.
However, in exceptional circumstances the Secretary General may authorise such a player to
play for the national team of his country of origin if he is ineligible to play for such country
according to this article 3-23 and if this is in the interest of the development
of basketball in this country. An administrative fee as stipulated in article 3-305 and decided
by the Secretary General is payable to FIBA.

24. For any player who has two or more legal nationalities by birth or by naturalisation, the
national member federation for which the player wishes to play must obtain written
certification from the national member federation of the country(ies) corresponding to the
player's other nationality(ies), in which it is stated that he has not taken part in a main official
competition of FIBA as a member of its national team. If the request for this certification
remains unanswered, FIBA may issue provisional authorisation to the national member
federation making the request. After a period of one year, this authorisation shall be
considered final.
____________________

Maybe with some lobbying this bolded part could get you enough pulling power to do it, but it would be difficult.

[pohani komarac]

From FIBA rules:

22. A player who has played in a main official competition (see article 2-1) of FIBA before
reaching his seventeenth (17) birthday may play for a national team of another country if both
national member federations agree; in the absence of an agreement the Secretary General
decides.

23. A player who has played in a main official competition of FIBA (see article 2-1) after having
reached his seventeenth (17) birthday may not play for a national team of another country.
However, in exceptional circumstances the Secretary General may authorise such a player to
play for the national team of his country of origin if he is ineligible to play for such country
according to this article 3-23 and if this is in the interest of the development
of basketball in this country. An administrative fee as stipulated in article 3-305 and decided
by the Secretary General is payable to FIBA.

24. For any player who has two or more legal nationalities by birth or by naturalisation, the
national member federation for which the player wishes to play must obtain written
certification from the national member federation of the country(ies) corresponding to the
player's other nationality(ies), in which it is stated that he has not taken part in a main official
competition of FIBA as a member of its national team. If the request for this certification
remains unanswered, FIBA may issue provisional authorisation to the national member
federation making the request. After a period of one year, this authorisation shall be
considered final.
____________________

Maybe with some lobbying this bolded part could get you enough pulling power to do it, but it would be difficult.

Bosnian Emir Preldzic played for Slovenia then for Turkey

[NOODLESTYLE]

He would need to seek release from his former national team, then FIBA will have to approve of it.

Charlie Villuaneva did that.

But Roy Hibbert tried to do that from Jamaica to USA, he claimed he could not play for Team USA which makes sense since they're already one of the top teams.