CHICAGO - As first reported by SPIN.ph in a breaking news story two days ago, former San Miguel Beer import Bennie Boatwright has signed a contract to play in Taiwan in this upcoming season.
Today we found out which team: The Taipei Fubon Braves of the Taiwanese P. League.
The Braves are one of the most popular teams in Taiwan with four championships under their belt. Among the team's notable alums include former NBA player O.J. Mayo and former Magnolia import Tyler Bey.
COLUMN: As Boatwright returns from injury, will naturalization proceed?
Per multiple sources, Boatwright's deal, non-guaranteed given that he has been off for more than a year following Achilles surgery, is worth between $25,000 to $30,000 a month.
Had Bennie been fully healthy he would have received no less than $40,000 a month I was told.
A non-guaranteed agreement means the former USC Trojan can be dismissed as soon as after 30 days. Which means he can be available to play for the Beermen in the next Commissioner's Cup.
ROOTING FOR BENNIE.
But if Boatwright does well and shows no signs of ill-effects from a major injury, he could stay in Taiwan up until the duration of the league's 40-game regular season which is followed by the playoffs in June.
What does this mean to Senate Bill 2646 filed by former Senator Sonny Angara seeking to naturalize Boatwright as a Filipino citizen and allow him to play for our national team?
Multiple messages sent to Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Erika Dy were unanswered as of posting time. But since Tim Cone took over the coaching position over Chot Reyes last September 2023, the federation has given him a free hand in personnel decisions.
I guess it's fair to say that Cone will adopt a wait-and-see attitude on how Boatwright is performing in Taiwan before making any decisions.
Boatwright first appeared in the stream of Filipino hoops fans' consciousness back in December of 2023 when he replaced Ivan Aska at San Miguel in the Commissioner's Cup.
The 6-foot-10, 235-pound Boatwright then went on a tear and averaged 30.3 points, 12 rebounds and 3.5 assists to lead the Beermen to the championship.
Now 29, and with an Achilles on the mend, it remains to be seen what the future holds for him in both the PBA and at Gilas Pilipinas.
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