Ex-Gilas center Marcus Douthit asks: when will PBA let naturalized players play?

Marcus Douthit at courtside during a PBA game. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net

MANILA, Philippines—After Andray Blatche tweeted his desire to play in the PBA, another former Gilas center in Marcus Douthit wanted to know when they are going to be allowed to suit up in the league.

In a tweet, Douthit on Tuesday asked the PBA when it will allow naturalized players to play as a local just a couple of days after Blatche said he wanted to play in the league.

“@pbaconnect, when [will] the PBA let the naturalized players play In the PBA?” posted Douthit.

Naturalized players are only allowed to play in the PBA as an import with the league requiring its local players to have Filipino ancestry.

The 6-foot-11 center was the national team’s naturalized player in 2010 and also played in the PBA as an import for Air21 and Blackwater in 2012 and 2015, respectively.

Earlier, Blatche said he wanted to play in the PBA.

“I wanna come play,” posted Blatche as a reply to PBA’s tweet featuring one of the highlights in the Governors’ Cup matchup between Rain or Shine and TNT.

Blatche was Gilas’ naturalized player from 2014 to 2019 having played in two Fiba Basketball World Cups, the 2015 Fiba Asia Championship, and the 2016 Olympic Qualifying Tournament.