Is it difficult for overseas Vietnamese player Hassan Thomas to attend the 32nd SEA Games with the Vietnamese basketball team?
Personnel in the middle position has always been a difficult problem to solve for the Vietnamese basketball team, especially in the 5x5 basketball content for many years.
Despite the appearance of overseas Vietnamese players with superior physique and muscle mass compared to domestic soldiers, this is still not enough to quench the thirst for a quality bigman to compete with countries in the region.
But then the name Hassan Thomas suddenly appeared as a Vietnamese-born player of Saigon Heat Club, playing extremely impressively in the Southeast Asian Professional Basketball Tournament - ABL 2023.
This 2m03 tall, 98kg weight is currently averaging 10.7 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game. In addition, he also has 1.5 steal and 0.5 block, accompanied by an aggressive defense that is difficult to show with statistics.
With his industrious, fiery, active fighting style and not afraid to collide, Hassan Thomas brings a lot of hope to Vietnamese fans about a striker they have always dreamed of.
However, this scenario seems unlikely, at least at the 32nd SEA Games to be held in Cambodia in May.
According to information received by Basketball TV, Hassan Thomas is unlikely to complete the procedure in time to wear for the Vietnamese basketball team at the 32nd SEA Games.
Thomas himself aspires to represent the red flag warriors with yellow stars and still has hope for "Hai Son" to play for the national team, but things are not too positive at this time.
If Hassan Thomas cannot participate in the most important regional arena of the year, this will be a big loss for him personally as well as for those who love the Vietnamese basketball team.
This year, the SEA Games basketball arena promises to be even more fierce than 2022 taking place in Hanoi. Many teams are in an arms race like the Philippines or Indonesia. Besides, well-prepared countries such as Thailand, Singapore or Malaysia also aim to have medals in the regional arena.
In case of stalemate with Hassan, the Vietnamese basketball team will have to return to existing options. First is the 2m03 high striker Nguyen Huynh Phu Vinh and Duong Vinh Luan, then the hope is to convince other Vietnamese-born players like Chris Dierker to return.
