What happens to a player who has played in a main official FIBA competition after their seventeenth birthday?

The correct response indicates that a player who has participated in a main official FIBA competition after their seventeenth birthday cannot represent another national team. This rule is in place to maintain the integrity of national team representation and to prevent player poaching between federations. Once a player competes for a national team in such competitions, they are essentially tied to that federation for future international play.

This restriction ensures that players can't easily switch allegiances and fosters a sense of loyalty to their national teams. It upholds competitive fairness, as players who have already represented one country may have experiences and advantages that would unfairly impact the competition if they could simply change teams whenever they wished. This policy effectively solidifies a player's commitment to their national team once they have reached a certain level of competition.