IN terms of wearing national colors, NLEX guard Jericho Cruz is rare.
For eight years after being with Team Phl in the 2013 Naypyidaw Southeast Asian Games, the former Adamson U Falcon is seeing action in FIBA Asia play donning another national uniform.
He's got the approval of his NLEX Road Warriors team to be with the Guam squad in the FIBA Asia Cup qualifying games on June 16-20 at the Angeles University Foundation Gym in Angeles, Pampanga.
As he grew up in Saipan, Cruz is a dual citizenship holder, making him eligible to play for Guam in FIBA tournaments.
FIBA actually disallows any player to play for two different national teams.
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SEA Games, however, isn't considered a FIBA event.
In Naypyidaw, Cruz was with the Jong Uichico-mentored gold-medal winning Phl team including Kevin Alas, Matthew Ganuelas, Ronald Pascual, Jake Pascual, Bobby Ray Parks, Mark Belo, Roi Sumang, Garvo Lanete, Kevin Ferrer, Kiefer Ravena and Marcus Douthit.
But he has since jumped over to Guam in FIBA play, logging four points, four rebounds and five assists in 26 minutes in Guam's 94-113 loss to New Zealand in February last year.
Ebrahim Enguio Lopez and Bader Malabes are also players holding dual citizenship who had played for another national team.
Lopez, a former UE Warrior who is a mix of Philippine and Indonesian descent, had played for the Indonesian national 5x5 and 3x3 teams while Malabes, a former La Salle Archer, had served duty to Bahrain in the FIBA Asia Cup. (SB)
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