By REYNALD MAGALLON
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is set to work on the naturalization process for San Miguel Beer import Bennie Boatwright according to multiple reports on Saturday, March 30.
A splendid performance in the 2023-’24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup that saw Boatwright steer the Beermen to a championship sparked clamor from fans to add the sweet-shooting forward to Gilas Pilipinas’ pool of naturalized players.
The 6-foot-10 USC Trojans product who is currently playing for Shanxi Loongs in the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) reportedly already agreed to undergo the process set to begin ‘anytime soon’ in the Congress.
Gilas head coach Tim Cone, in February, confirmed that the federation had already sent feelers to Boatwright who endeared himself to Gilas fans with his size and stellar shooting from deep – two factors deemed very much fit for international play.
Should fully materialize, Boatwright gives more options for Gilas in its naturalized player pool that also included Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee, former Ateneo standout Ange Kouame and NBA star Jordan Clarkson, especially in non-FIBA events like the Asian Games and Southeast Asian Games
Boatwright’s naturalization, also according to reports, is not to replace Brownlee in the lone naturalized player spot as the 36-year-old forward remains Gilas reinforcement in the FIBA Olympic qualifying tournament in Riga, Latvia in July.
Brownlee is also set to play the rest of the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup windows in November and February next year as the designated naturalized player in Cone’s 12-man lineup for the four-year program.
Still, Boatwright, only 27-years-old, should be a good addition to the long-term Gilas plans with Brownlee already around 39-years-old by the time of the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Qatar where the country is once more vying to become best placed Asian team to book a spot to the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
