Know More About the Basketball Career of Bennie Boatwright
Good news for Gilas Pilipinas fans: a player many want will soon be suited for the Philippine National Team. This development says that former San Miguel Beermen import Bennie Boatwright has already agreed to be naturalized in the country. Reliable sources have confirmed the news.
The 6-foot-10 big man had shown his game-long brilliance while playing with San Miguel in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup. He towed the Beermen to the championship crown by dispatching Magnolia in the sixth game.
The former USC Trojan plays for the Shanxi Loongs in the Chinese Basketball Association and has agreed to be Gilas’ next naturalized player. The process is expected to be launched soon in Congress. Despite his addition to the team, Boatwright will not replace Justin Brownlee but will be added to a pool of naturalized players for new Gilas coach Tim Cone.
The pool will give Cone more options heading into tournaments, especially in non-Fiba events where Gilas can field more than one naturalized player. Last February, Cone confirmed that the SBP had invited Boatwright to be part of a ‘comprehensive naturalization program’ for Gilas laid down by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio.
Despite the impending naturalization of Boatwright, SBP made it clear that Brownlee, who will turn 36 on April 23, is still designated to play for Gilas in the Olympic Qualifiers in Latvia in July, as well as the remaining window for the year of the Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers in November.
Besides Brownlee, Gilas has many naturalized player options, including France-based Ange Kouame, NBA standout Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz, and other Filipino-Foreign players who failed to secure their Philippine passports before turning 16.
Bennie Boatwright’s Career
Bennie Boatwright attended college with the USC Trojans. He averaged 11.5 points and 5.2 rebounds per game during his freshman year, making 60 3-pointers. As a sophomore, he accumulated a team-high 15.1 points per game and helped the Trojans to two wins in the NCAA tournament. After his stellar campaign, he declared for the NBA draft but returned to school. His junior season was shortened as he missed the final nine games.
He still averaged 13.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game as a junior. In the offseason after his junior year, Boatwright underwent knee surgery. In his final year with the Trojans, Boatwright averaged 18.2 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 2.5 assists per game. With this, he was named to the First Team All-Pac-12.
In the 2019 NBA Draft, he put his name on the board but went undrafted and joined the Detroit Pistons’ Summer League roster. On October 18, 2019, Boatwright signed with the Memphis Grizzlies but was waived the following day. He was named to the roster of the Grizzlies’ NBA G League affiliate, the Memphis Hustle. Boatwright missed his rookie season due to a knee injury.
Boatwright signed with the Memphis Grizzlies on December 15, 2020. He was subsequently waived again on December 19 and rejoined the Hustle.
On September 10, 2021, the Fort Wayne Mad Ants acquired Boatwright’s returning player rights from the Memphis Hustle. However, he was waived on February 19, 2022, after suffering a season-ending injury.
On September 16, 2022, Boatwright signed with the Indiana Pacers. He was then later waived. On September 26, he re-signed with the Mad Ants but was waived on February 8, 2023. That paved the way for him to play for San Miguel to replace the ineffective Ivan Aska as the team’s import.
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