Media person: The naturalization of the Chinese team is full of challenges. We must learn from international experience and base ourselves on local reality.

August 8th, European basketball and NBA draft expert Wang Jian released a long article talking about the impact of naturalization policies on the world basketball landscape. The original text is as follows: The phenomenon of naturalized players has long surpassed the purely basketball competition level and has become a complex issue under the influence of the interweaving of laws, policies, culture and even geopolitical countries. If we simply compare the difficult appearance of Chinese naturalized players with other countries and draw conclusions, we will inevitably ignore the profound institutional logic, historical background and realistic constraints behind it. This article will analyze the essential differences of this phenomenon from three dimensions: Europe, Asia (focused on the Philippines and Japan) and China, combining nationality laws, naturalization policies and sports practices of various countries, and explain the unique challenges and future possibilities of China's naturalization path.

1. The "shortcut" of European naturalization: the dual-nationality policy and the convenience of the EU system

The reason why naturalized players in European countries seem to be "easy" is that their core lies in the loose nationality law and the EU integration dividend. Many European countries recognize and even encourage dual nationality (such as Spain, Italy, France, etc.), and this policy greatly reduces the psychological threshold and legal barriers for foreign players. Naturalized players do not need to give up their original nationality (especially US nationality) to obtain a new identity, which not only retains a retreat but also increases the space for choice.

For example, if an American player reaches an agreement with a European Basketball Association, even if he has never set foot in the country, he may quickly naturalize through relatively simplified procedures such as signing naturalization agreements and submitting necessary materials (such as no criminal certificates, health records). The driving force behind this "transactional" naturalization is often economic interests: European clubs or national teams provide generous contracts, business endorsements and living security to attract players to play for them. The essence of naturalization is more like a career choice than identity.

And the deeper attraction lies in the invisible value brought by the EU passport. Once a naturalized player obtains the nationality of a certain EU member state, he or she will automatically become an EU citizen and enjoy the right to freely move, work and live throughout Europe. In the field of professional basketball, this means that players are no longer regarded as foreign players in the European league (such as Spain ACB, Germany BBL, Turkey BSL, etc.), and can occupy the quota of local players, greatly improving their market value and professional life. For example, a naturalized Spanish player can easily join clubs in other EU countries, with far higher salary and career opportunities than foreign players. This policy dividend not only accelerates the naturalization process, but also forms a "siphon effect" for European basketball to attract global talents.

However, this model is also controversial: the simplification of the naturalization procedure may lead to weak identity, some players join only for economic benefits, and lack a sense of cultural belonging to the naturalized country; at the same time, excessive reliance on naturalized players may squeeze the local youth training space, which is not conducive to the cultivation of basketball foundations in the long run.

2. Asia's differentiation picture: The flexibility of the Philippines and Japan's rigor

Asian countries have significant differences in naturalization policies, reflecting their respective legal traditions and development needs.

Philippines: Fast track and dual nationality advantages

The process of naturalized players in the Philippines is known for being "fast", and it is based on the dual nationality legal framework and special political promotion. Since the dual nationality bill was passed in 2003, the Philippines has allowed players with foreign ancestry (especially one of their parents is Filipinos) to accelerate their naturalization through unconventional channels such as congressional proposals and presidential special approvals. This way, many NBA players (such as Clarkson) complete the naturalization procedures in a short period of time and represent the Philippine national team in this way. For the Philippine Basketball Association, naturalization is a strategy to quickly improve the strength of the national team and compete for the right to speak in Asian games. For this reason, it does not hesitate to invest high funds (commercial contracts, endorsement fees, etc.) to attract top players. Although the Philippine League (PBA) still has restrictions on foreign naturalized players (depending on the lineage), the open policy at the national team level makes it quite competitive in international arena. However, this naturalization driven by "money ability" also faces questions about sustainability - the player relationship that relies on short-term contracts lacks stability, and the local league training system has not been fundamentally improved.

Japan: The paradox of single nationality and long-term integration

is in sharp contrast with the Philippines, which is the rigor and restrictive nature of Japan's naturalization policy. In principle, Japan does not recognize dual nationality (except talents in special fields). Foreign players need to give up their original nationality and meet strict residence requirements (usually need to live for more than 5 consecutive years) and language and cultural examinations (such as Japanese language proficiency tests and Japanese history and political knowledge assessments). The original intention of this design was to ensure that naturalized players were deeply integrated into Japanese society, but in the field of basketball, there was an irreconcilable contradiction: top foreign players (especially NBA or European League players in the golden period of their careers) were often unwilling to settle in Japan five years in advance and give up their original nationality. When they meet the living conditions (usually around 30 years old), the player's status may have passed its peak period and the competitive value is greatly reduced. For example, most Japanese naturalized players are foreign players who have played in the Japanese league for many years (such as Fezekas). Although they meet the conditions, their strength and potential are limited. In addition, strict language and cultural requirements have also increased the cost of communication and management, and some players have difficulty truly integrating into the team system due to adaptability difficulties. The Japanese model reflects the importance of national identity, but also sacrifices the opportunity to improve naturalization efficiency and immediate combat power.

3. China's challenges and breakthroughs: precedents open up paths, coexist with costs and interests

As one of the countries with the highest threshold for naturalization in the world, the institutional obstacles and actual trade-offs faced by Chinese naturalized players are more complex.

The difficult cost of abandoning US nationality

The Chinese Nationality Act clearly stipulates that dual nationality is not recognized, and naturalized players must waive their original nationality (if they are US citizens, they must complete the abandonment procedures stipulated by US law)