Naturalization hopeful Andray Blatche embraces being ‘half-Filipino’

Brooklyn Nets center Andray Blatche shared that he was grateful for the warm welcome he received from the Philippine basketball community, as he prepares to represent the country in the FIBA World Cup this August.

"It's great. It's truly a blessing to come out here," shared a smiling Blatche, who gave a short press conference during the Meralco-Rain or Shine game on Tuesday at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum. "It was no tough decision. The opportunity that I'm receiving to come out here and represent the Philippines is something that people only wished for.

"I'm half-Filipino now," he said. "I talked to my mom and my close friends and they had my back, and I'm excited to be here."

Blatche, who landed in Manila on Sunday, came from a short vacation in Boracay. His naturalization bill is waiting for President Aquino's signature before it is signed into law for Blatche to officially receive Filipino citizenship.

The center said that he's only spent around an hour and a half with his new teammates, but they left with a good impression on him. Blatche is scheduled to play for the team in Spain, and at the Asiad Games shortly after, before returning to the States.

"[Coach Chot Reyes and I] talked a little bit about how the offense works and I met a couple of players," he said. "I can tell from our conversations that we're all on the same page, we've all got the same thing in mind, which is to work together and win."

Blatche and Marcus Douthit, the current naturalized center of Gilas Pilipinas, played in some tournaments on the AAU circuit. However, Blatche said the two of them haven't spoken yet about his national team duties.

He departs for the States again tonight for some personal training and will return in July when Gilas reopens their training camp. "Imma do a little boxing like my cousin [Manny] Pacquiao," he joked. "I'll start working out with the [FIBA] ball so I can get adjusted to the ball."

Besides his height, Blatche promises to bring a lot of experience to the squad on the international stage. "I've been playing against NBA players for the last 10 years of my life, for my entire career since I was 18-years-old," said Blatche.

"I can see that they play with a lot of heart and they're very physical," he said, commenting on the Filipino style of play in the PBA. He added that he hopes to give the same effort on the court for the country. "I owe it to the people who worked very hard who helped me get to this position. I gotta work hard, get wins, and play well." - AMD, GMA News