How Andray Blatche embodies #puso

Andray Blatche received a pass from Gabe Norwood nearly 3 minutes into the opening period of Gilas Pilipinas’ game against Croatia, the country’s first appearance on basketball’s world stage in 36 years.

The 28-year old Blatche, who had been naturalized to help make Gilas’ more competitive in the 2014 FIBA World Cup, then faced the ring and dribbled twice before pulling up for a jumper over Croatian defender Ante Tomic. It was the Philippines’ first two points in a competition of that level in nearly 4 decades, and it was made by a 6-foot-11 center from the USA who had not a drop of Filipino blood.

But the crowd erupted at the sight of two points punched into Team Philippines’ scoreboard in Seville, Spain, not caring that this mammoth of a man is not Filipino at all. In fact, their roars were layered with palpable appreciation, anticipation, and relief for the man we asked to help us.

Yet there were also initial concerns over how Blatche played to start the game against Croatia, which were voiced openly on Twitter or Facebook as the game progressed. They said he was being “buwakaw,” or hogging the ball and not passing it to his other teammates. They said he was forcing the issue instead of being patient. 

But as Blatche began impressing with his timely three-pointers, his aggressive attacks to the basket, and his unselfish kickouts to his shooters on the wing, it was clear he was growing on Filipinos.

We probably just don’t know it, but perhaps there was also a sigh of relief from head coach Chot Reyes and the rest of the Gilas coaching staff seeing Blatche gradually begin to trust his team of just a couple of months. Reyes previously admitted his initial worry over how hard Blatche would play, considering his history of antics in the NBA. 

Reyes was also worried, just like the rest of the nation, about whether or not Blatche embodied the well-known “puso” (heart) mantra that has propelled Gilas to great heights in the past year.

“Coming in, I had my doubts about Andray,” Reyes told Grantland editor Rafe Bartholomew in an interview during Gilas’ training camp in Miami. “I thought he would be always away from us, but he’s actually thrown himself into the process. When people saw that he was a legitimate NBA player who was willing to be just one of the guys… there was a palpable sigh of relief.”

Reyes and the national team took a risk. And it paid off.

As a country known to have mixed feelings over receiving help from foreigners, seeing Filipinos cheer for the New York-born Blatche makes me realize just how deeply in love our culture is with the sport of basketball. There is always the age-old debate of imports playing in our local leagues, whether in the collegiate or professional ranks. But with our national team, despite initial questions about Blatche’s sincerity and commitment, we rounded a corner and embraced the reinforcement. 

I felt the same with Marcus Douthit previously, especially when we affectionately nicknamed him “Kuya Marcus.” I felt the same when we lamented the injury that sidelined him for a couple of games in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships; when we willed him to play and applauded his efforts; and when we thanked him whole-heartedly for his services as he sacrificed his spot in the World Cup roster to give way to Blatche.

In fact, many of us set Douthit as the standard for a naturalized player. 

We demanded, “This Blatche guy should play his heart out like Kuya Marcus.” We doubted, “Will Blatche love the Filipino culture as much as Douthit does and will he fight for every rebound with the same sense of purpose and the same tenacity Douthit did many times for us over the years?”

We were skeptical, yes. But Blatche turned a lot of us into believers.

He did so when he showed the way for Gilas with his 28 points and 12 rebounds. He did so in the way he barreled through the Croatian defense fearlessly and bled for his points. And he did it again when he pleaded for non-calls and complained about unfavorable breaks of the game, the desire to give the Philippines an upset win etched all over his face. 

But that was just the beginning. We would see more of Blatche’s “puso” in Gilas’ second loss to Greece.

Gutting it out

The overtime game against Croatia battered Blatche’s body. In the second quarter of that contest he already banged his right knee and hobbled up and down the court until the final buzzer sounded. But the real effects would not be more evident until Greece.

Before Gilas’ second outing Blatche already bared his right knee was sore and that he would play through it. He did not disappoint.

He gutted it out despite limping as he rebounded or attacked to the hoop, showing he would not let an injury hinder him. He would favor his right knee in a dead ball situation, heading to the free throw line. He would be the last to run back up the court on defense as he tried to preserve his knee to ensure he could play the rest of the tournament. He wanted to be useful for Gilas, yet as an NBA free agent, he is putting his career back home on the line.

Blatche was sacrificing his body for the cause of a country he only visited once.

It was to a point that Reyes considered sitting Blatche out and just resting him, along with the rest of the Gilas starters, to preserve them for Argentina, which they would play only 19 hours later.

“To be very honest we were thinking of just really playing a 2-3 zone game and just holding up token resistance but in our conscience we couldn’t do it not with all these fans here,” Reyes admitted after another close loss to the world’s 5th team in the FIBA rankings. 

“We wanted to kind of find a way to basically preserve minutes and guys for Argentina tomorrow but, you know, we talked about it, I thought about it long and hard, but in the end I don’t think I can live with myself if we did that. ”

Remember the way Marc Pingris endured a hamstring injury and played fueled only by determination against South Korea last year? Blatche was pretty close to that against Greece. He did not ask to be subbed out. In fact, he wanted to slug it out until the very end, just like every man on the Gilas bench.

“I kept asking my players, even looked into their eyes, even into the last 4 minutes, 5 minutes when we were down 12, 14, the players were saying last 5 minutes, last push, including Andray. That’s just the kind of spirit they have, so the spirit that we have and the way we play the game would not allow us to slack it off,” Reyes explained.

Only when the game was definitively out of reach even by miraculous standards did Reyes sit out Blatche, who did his part with 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 3 steals.

“That might be a foolish thing, but that’s who we are. At the start we were foolish enough to dream that we can compete with these teams so, we’ll just be foolish all the way.”

Blatche’s efforts were appreciated. His dedication was recognized, especially within the team who naturally had their fears about him starting out.

“I think he proved himself,” defensive specialist Gabe Norwood said of the big man. “Got a little banged up (against Croatia) and picked up a little bit more (against Greece) but he played through.”

He added, “You wouldn’t expect anything less. His heart is with us and he shows it out there on the court. He plays every possession as hard as he can.”

In Gilas’ third game against third-ranked Argentina, doubt resurfaced over the importance of having Blatche. He was in foul trouble early and had to sit out for most of the first half. Yet the locals hung tough and found a way to lead by as much as 10 points twice, even ending the first period on top.

June Mar Fajardo – who is currently second in the World Cup in efficiency rating at 44.92 – was holding his own against Argentina’s frontline, scoring and tracking down rebounds, even hustling for loose balls like a guard would. Once Blatche re-entered the game, it seemed the offense had slowed down and people clamored for the Kraken’s return.

Yes, Gilas may have established a rhythm without Blatche on the floor during that game. But think about it, we never really could have put ourselves in positions to win against these top teams if we didn’t have Blatche. He was a threat within and beyond the arc. The defense closes in on him, giving just enough space for our shooters outside.

We forgot his contributions to Gilas in the first two games and how he fought through pain to give Team Philippines a fighting chance. We forgot the value he brings to a severely undersized team. It’s one slightly subpar game compared to his previous showings. But that doesn’t mean we don’t need him. It would be foolish to think we can go far without him. Because if we could, then we also wouldn’t have needed Douthit as well in the first place, right?

In many ways, as Filipinos, it is easy to relate to Blatche. We, too, try to fit in and find our niche in worlds we are completely unfamiliar with. Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) take a chance abroad in search of a better life or fulfilling a greater purpose. Our OFWs, like Blatche, also start out as strangers in foreign cultures, working hard to prove themselves worthy of acceptance.

Back home, we are also like Blatche during that first day of school or at that first day in a new job. We are like him when we join a new clique or meet the family of somebody special. We, too, yearn for acceptance, every day.

And just like the rest of us who exemplify “puso” in everything we do, Blatche won the hearts of many in just a short amount of time, even when we questioned him.

If you haven’t yet, all it takes is little, sometimes barely noticeable, moments on the court for you to see Blatche as one of our own. In the fire in his eyes each time he fights to score in the paint, in the dedication he displays with every attempt from the three, and in the commitment he lives up to with every possession, you know that Andray Blatche already embodies “puso.” – with reports from Rodneil Quiteles/Rappler.com