WHO would not want a naturalized player like Bennie Boatwright?
Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone certainly does but is staying patient as the 6-foot-10 former USC Trojan goes through the naturalization process.
“He’s (Boatwright) in a process. I don’t know the full process of being naturalized, but he’s been handed to the House and Senate, and he’s going through the process,” Cone said. “As far as I know, it’s like a six-month process at least to go through the whole process of being naturalized.
“We know there’s a lot of sports aficionados in the Senate. They are excited about having Bennie just as we are,” he added.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Erika Dy said things are running well regarding the naturalization process of Boatwright, who was presented before the senators during a consultative meeting last May.
A replacement reinforcement for Ivan Aska, Boatwright powered San Miguel Beer to the last Commissioner’s Cup Promised Land last February.
While the prospects of having Boatwright, 28, suiting up for the Nationals in the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers are still unclear, Cone said they will be ready with or without Boatwright.
“He can come in some five or seven days before the next window and work with us. That would be great,” Cone said.
“It’s something we can explore, but again, he could be playing in Greece, or Japan or China, or could be playing somewhere else, and he’ll not be able to do that.”
The Filipino cagers will see action in a pair of home games against New Zealand on Nov. 21 and Hong Kong three days later both at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay.
What makes Cone relieved is the fact that he still has Justin Brownlee as the main naturalized cager–and then there’s still Ange Kouame as part of the pool.
“Justin is healthy, 100 percent right now, and he’ll definitely be the guy to play in November,” he said.
“But if not (healthy), hopefully, Bennie will be naturalized (already because) then we use Bennie.”
Gilas fell two victories short of a Paris Games slot after a surprise semifinal stint in the Olympic qualifying tournament in Riga earlier this month but with Cone manning the steering wheel, the country’s two big targets–a slot in the World Cup in Qatar in 2027 and in the Los Angeles Olympics four years from now–are within reach.
