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Blackwater import George King expresses his desire to become a naturalized player and don the national colors as he concludes his first PBA stint
MANILA, Philippines – Gilas Pilipinas does not need to look far for a foreign standout who is willing to represent the country.
Blackwater import George King expressed his desire to become a naturalized player and don the national colors as he concluded his first PBA stint.
“I would love to play for the national team,” said King on Monday, September 23, after leading the Bossing to a 139-118 romp of Rain or Shine in their final game in the Governors’ Cup.
“If they want to have me, I would love to do it.”
King made a good account of himself as he fired a franchise record 64 points against the Elasto Painters, going a perfect 20-of-20 from the free throw line and making 18 of his 35 field goal attempts for an efficient 51% clip.
According to PBA chief statistician Fidel Mangonon, it is the highest scoring performance by any league player since NLEX import Al Thornton erupted for 69 points in a 131-127 triple overtime loss to San Miguel in 2016.
King led the team to five wins in the seven games he played in after coming in as a replacement import as the Bossing recovered from a poor 0-3 start.
Still, their 5-5 record proved insufficient for a playoff spot, with Blackwater falling short of the fourth and final quarterfinal berth in Group B after losing the tiebreaker to NLEX.
King, though, hopes it will not be his last tour of duty in the Philippines as he seeks to join the growing list of Gilas Pilipinas naturalized players, which includes Justin Brownlee, NBA player Jordan Clarkson, and Ange Kouame.
Bennie Boatwright is also in the process of being naturalized.
“It would be an opportunity of a lifetime for me to do it for a place that I enjoy being in,” said King. – Rappler.com
