After months of talks between naturalized Filipino Andray Blatche and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, both camps have finally reached a middle ground according to Gilas Pilipinas team manager Butch Antonio.
“Like I said before, we are working with the group of Andray and we have come to terms,” Antonio bared Monday night after Gilas Pilipinas’ fourth Monday practice for the year.
The 30-year-old big man has already fulfilled his commitments to the Chinese Basketball Association, leading the Xinjiang Flying Tigers to the championship. Due to this, the team is giving Blatche time to recover before he returns back home — his first tournament with Gilas since the 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
“Date na lang pinag-uusapan kung kelan siya darating. As you all know, he just won a championship in the CBA. We’ll let him just rest a bit and then just determine when he will arrive,” Antonio, who is also the SBP’s deputy executive director for international affairs, furthered. “Baka late April [he’ll be here].
“But definitely, he will play for us.”
And Gilas Pilipinas is expecting Blatche to be in “terrific shape” heading into the 2016 SEABA Championship.
