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Quincy Spencer Davis III      

American-Born Taiwanese Professional Basketball Player

Quincy Spencer Davis III is an American-born Taiwanese basketball player. A former United States citizen, he renounced that citizenship in June 2013 to naturalize in Taiwan so that he could play for the Chinese Taipei men's national basketball team in international competition. He currently plays for Taoyuan Pilots of the P. LEAGUE+ (PLG).

After his college playing career at Tulane, Davis first went overseas to play for ETHA Engomis in Cyprus in 2006. The next season, he played in Portugal. In February 2008 he signed with Deportivo Táchira, a Liga Profesional de Baloncesto team in Venezuela. There, he appeared in eight games, averaging 5.5 points per game. The following year, he moved to mainland China to play in the National Basketball League. After his next season in Turkey, he came to Taiwan to join Pure-Youth Construction in the Super Basketball League. In March 2012, he won SBL's Player of the Month award for leading his team to a 6–1 record that month with an average of 20.1 points, 14 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, two assists, and 1.4 steals per game.

The suggestion that Davis might join the Chinese Taipei men's national basketball team was first floated in January 2013 at the SBL 2012 MVP award ceremony. At the time, Davis stated that he was open to the idea of naturalizing as a Republic of China citizen so he could represent Taiwan in international competition. He said that of all the places in which he had played basketball, he felt happiest in Taiwan. However, naturalization would require him to renounce his United States citizenship, as Taiwan allows multiple nationality only for its own citizens who have emigrated, and not for immigrants applying to become new citizens. Furthermore, as Davis did not meet the ordinary residence requirements for naturalization and his case would thus be processed by special dispensation, Taiwan sports officials also had to lobby for the support of the Ministry of the Interior. Contract length and salary negotiations introduced further delays, until in May 2013 it was announced that Davis had agreed to a US $20,000/month, two-year contract and had officially applied for naturalization.

On 25 June 2013, Davis went to the American Institute in Taiwan, the de facto U.S. embassy, to renounce his citizenship. The AIT processed his case much more quickly than would have been done under normal procedures, and he received his Certificate of Loss of Nationality three days later, temporarily making him a stateless person. There remained doubts whether the Ministry of the Interior could complete all the procedures relating to his naturalization by the 12 July deadline for him to register for the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, but in the end he was officially naturalized as a citizen of the Republic of China on 9 July. Taiwanese American players such as Richard Chang had previously joined the Chinese Taipei team, but Davis was the first American of another ethnic background to follow in their footsteps.

Davis stirred up controversy in 2018 when he posted an Instagram photo where he photoshopped “Taiwan” onto his jersey after helping the national squad defeat Japan. The photo was edited to read "Taiwan Taipei" instead of "Chinese Taipei." Many Taiwanese commented that they were moved by his patriotism, identification as Taiwanese and desire to rectify the name. However, he drew strong reactions from Chinese netizens, who said that Davis should be penalized for bringing politics into sports and that “he dare not wear this Taiwan uniform in a game.”

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