Andray Blatche

Andray Maurice Blatche (born August 22, 1986) is an American-Filipino professional basketball player who last played for the Tianjin Gold Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA). He played high school basketball at Henninger High School and South Kent School before he was drafted in the second round of the 2005 NBA draft by the Washington Wizards.

Andray Blatche

Blatche with the Nets in 2014
Free agent
Position	Power forward / Center
Personal information
Born	(1986-08-22) August 22, 1986 Syracuse, New York
Nationality	American / Filipino
Listed height	6 ft 11 in (2.11 m)
Listed weight	260 lb (118 kg)
Career information
High school	Henninger (Syracuse, New York) South Kent School (South Kent, Connecticut)
NBA draft	2005 / Round: 2 / Pick: 49th overall
Selected by the Washington Wizards
Playing career	2005–present
Career history
2005–2012	Washington Wizards
2005–2006	→Roanoke Dazzle
2012–2014	Brooklyn Nets
2014–2018	Xinjiang Flying Tigers
2018–2019	Tianjin Gold Lions
Career highlights and awards
CBA champion (2017) 2× CBA All-Star (2015, 2017)
Medals Men's basketball Representing  Philippines FIBA Asia Championships 2015 Changsha Team SEABA Championship 2017 Quezon City Team

Born in New York and an American by birth, Blatche became a naturalized citizen of the Philippines in June 2014, enabling him to join the country's national basketball team.[1]

High school career

Blatche spent four years at Henninger High School in Syracuse, New York and then an extra year at the South Kent School in South Kent, Connecticut.[2] He averaged 27.5 points, 16.0 rebounds and 6.0 blocks per game during his fifth-year campaign in 2004–05 as he guided South Kent to a 32-9 record.[3]

Considered a five-star recruit by Rivals.com, Blatche was listed as the No. 2 power forward and the No. 4 player in the nation in 2005.[4]

He declared for the 2005 NBA draft out of high school, and while originally thought of as a first-round prospect, he slipped to the second round and was taken by the Washington Wizards with the 49th overall pick.[5]

Professional career

Washington Wizards (2005–2012)

Blatche was shot in a carjacking on September 25, 2005, and as a result missed training camp.[5][6] He recovered successfully[5] and played his first game with Washington versus Seattle on November 11, 2005, scoring five points in a 137–96 Wizards victory.[7] On December 14, 2005, he was assigned to the Roanoke Dazzle of the NBA Development League. On January 2, 2006, he was recalled by the Wizards. He finished the 2005–06 season only playing in 29 games for the Wizards, averaging 2.3 points and 1.3 rebounds.

With the injuries to Wizards' centers Etan Thomas and Michael Ruffin, Blatche was occasionally pressed into service as a backup center in the 2006–07 season. On August 17, 2007, Blatche re-signed with the Wizards to a multi-year deal.[5][8] During the 2007–08 season, Blatche continued showing improvement, and with center Etan Thomas out with a season-ending heart condition, his minutes increased. At the end of the season, Blatche played in every game for the Wizards, starting 15, averaging 8.2 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.4 blocks.[9]

Blatche with the Wizards

On January 9, 2010, Blatche was fined $10,000 by the Wizards for participating in Gilbert Arenas' mimicking gunplay before a game on January 5, 2010 against the Philadelphia 76ers. Arenas was being investigated for a prior incident involving guns in the Wizards' locker room, but made light of the accusations by pointing his finger at his teammates, as if he were shooting them. His teammates were photographed smiling and laughing with him.[10]

On February 28, 2010, he scored a career high 36 points on 17–31 shooting during the Wizards' 89–85 victory against the New Jersey Nets. Blatche continued to be the starter on the team, and his stats significantly improved. Blatche just missed a triple-double as he had 20 points, a career-high 13 assists, nine rebounds and two steals in the Wizards' 109–99 victory over the New Jersey Nets on April 4.[11] In September 2010, he signed a veteran extension with the Wizards. The 2010–11 NBA season was a career year for Blatche, with 63 starts in 64 games played, and career highs in points (16.8), rebounds (8.2), assists (2.3) and steals (1.5).

On March 20, 2012, the Wizards announced that they were benching Blatche indefinitely due to lack of conditioning,[12] and on July 16, he was waived via the amnesty clause.[13] Blatche would later be vocal about his treatment by the Wizards organization, stating, "When things weren't starting well, they used me as an excuse." He also claimed that the management deliberately tried to ruin his career: "For them to say, ‘Oh, he's a bad teammate. He's a cancer in the locker room.’ He's this and that. All that was a bunch of lies! A bunch of lies. That's what really made me mad. That showed me, they tried to end me."[14] Coach Randy Wittman responded to the allegations by saying, "I’m not going to get into that. We did everything we could to help him, as we will with every player that ever comes here."[15]

Brooklyn Nets (2012–2014)

Blatche taking a jump shot over Drew Gooden.

On September 12, 2012, Blatche signed with the Brooklyn Nets.[16] After Blatche signed with the Nets, he decided to wear number 0. "Zero reminds of me how everybody gave up on me", he said.[17] When Brook Lopez injured his foot, Blatche was given the chance to start in his absence. Without Lopez, the Nets struggled with a 2-5 record.[18] Despite the Nets' struggles without Lopez, Blatche played well, averaging 18.1 points and 8.8 rebounds.[19] On January 4, 2013, Blatche made his return to the Verizon Center and was playing the Washington Wizards. When Blatche entered that game in the first quarter, he was booed heartily by the fans in attendance. In 19 minutes of game action, Blatche had 13 points and 12 rebounds.[20]

Blatche played in all 82 regular season games in 2012–13, averaging 10.3 points and 5.1 rebounds and set a career high in field goal percentage (51.2%). Blatche also played in seven playoff games for the Nets and averaged 10.3 points and 4.9 rebounds.

On July 11, 2013, Blatche re-signed with the Nets.[21] In December 2013, starting center Brook Lopez went down with a season-ending foot injury, increasing Blatche's minutes. In the first game without Lopez, Blatche had 11 points and seven rebounds in 25 minutes of action in a loss to the Indiana Pacers.[22]

On June 20, 2014, Blatche opted out of his contract with the Nets, thus becoming an unrestricted free agent.[23]

Xinjiang Flying Tigers (2014–2018)

On September 20, 2014, Blatche signed a one-year, $2.5 million contract with the Xinjiang Flying Tigers of the Chinese Basketball Association.[24] Following the conclusion of the 2014–15 CBA regular season, Blatche terminated his contract with Xinjiang on February 1, 2015.[25] In 38 games, he averaged 31.1 points, 14.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.8 steals per game.[26]

In March 2015, Blatche re-signed with Xinjiang on a three-year, $7.5 million contract.[27][28]

In November 2016, Blatche sustained an injury and was subsequently replaced on the roster temporarily by Ben Bentil.[29] He returned to action in late December and went on to lead Xinjiang to the CBA Finals, where they swept the series against the Guangdong Southern Tigers 4–0 to claim the championship.

On January 4, 2018, it was announced that Augusto Lima was taking Blatche's spot on the roster. Blatche was criticized for his poor performance and negative attitude during the early stages of the 2017–18 season. He averaged 12.8 points and 6.4 rebounds in the five games he played, and had a negative impact on the team's defensive efforts.[30] He returned to the team in March 2018 for their playoff series against Guangdong.

Tianjin Gold Lions (2018–2019)

In December 2018, Blatche signed with the Tianjin Gold Lions of the Chinese Basketball Association.[31][32] In 19 games, he averaged 20.7 points, 11.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.

Career statistics

Legend

GP	Games played	GS	Games started	MPG	Minutes per game
FG%	Field goal percentage	3P%	3-point field goal percentage	FT%	Free throw percentage
RPG	Rebounds per game	APG	Assists per game	SPG	Steals per game
BPG	Blocks per game	PPG	Points per game	Bold	Career high

NBA

Regular season

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2005–06	Washington	29	0	6.0	.388	.231	.833	1.3	.3	.2	.2	2.2
2006–07	Washington	56	13	12.2	.437	.148	.612	3.4	.7	.3	.6	3.7
2007–08	Washington	82	15	20.4	.474	.231	.695	5.2	1.1	.6	1.4	7.5
2008–09	Washington	71	36	24.0	.471	.238	.704	5.3	1.7	.7	1.0	10.0
2009–10	Washington	81	36	27.9	.478	.295	.744	6.3	2.1	1.0	.9	14.1
2010–11	Washington	64	63	33.9	.445	.222	.777	8.2	2.3	1.5	.8	16.8
2011–12	Washington	26	13	24.1	.380	.286	.673	5.8	1.1	.8	.7	8.5
2012–13	Brooklyn	82	8	19.0	.512	.136	.685	5.1	1.0	1.0	.7	10.3
2013–14	Brooklyn	73	7	22.2	.476	.278	.742	5.3	1.5	1.0	.5	11.2
Career		564	191	22.1	.467	.237	.725	5.4	1.4	.9	.8	10.1

Playoffs

Year	Team	GP	GS	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2007	Washington	2	0	12.5	.667	.000	1.000	3.5	.0	.0	.0	4.5
2008	Washington	6	0	14.8	.429	.000	.333	3.3	.2	.3	1.0	3.7
2013	Brooklyn	7	0	19.7	.500	.000	.824	4.9	1.3	.3	.4	10.3
2014	Brooklyn	12	0	14.3	.448	.000	.833	5.0	.3	.5	.2	6.4
Career		27	0	15.7	.476	.000	.733	4.5	.5	.4	.4	6.7

CBA

Year	Team	GP	MPG	FG%	3P%	FT%	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	PPG
2014–15	Xinjiang	38	38.8	.558	.372	.777	14.6	5.1	2.8	.9	31.1
2015–16	Xinjiang	42	31.8	.545	.401	.726	10.4	4.0	2.2	1.0	23.3
2016–17	Xinjiang	37	29.6	.532	.361	.719	10.4	3.6	2.3	1.5	22.5
Career		117	33.4	.546	.378	.743	10.91	4.3	2.4	1.1	25.6

National team career

Blatche with the Philippine national team at the 2014 FIBA World Cup.

In January 2014, Blatche was asked by the Gilas Pilipinas to take part as a naturalized player for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain and the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea. On May 26, 2014, a bill granting Blatche's Filipino citizenship was approved by the Philippine Senate.[33] On June 11, 2014, Blatche officially became a Filipino citizen upon the signing of Republic Act 10636 by Philippine President Benigno Aquino III.[1]

In August 2014, Blatche was named in the 2014 Philippine FIBA Basketball World Cup and Asian Games squad.[34][35] He was later disqualified to play in the 2014 Asian Games due to eligibility issues cited by the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), as he lacked the required three-year residency in the Philippines.[36][37][38] In five games at the World Cup, he averaged 21.2 points, 13.8 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game.[39] With an 18-point, 14-rebound performance, Blatche helped the Philippines to their first World Cup win in 40 years, defeating Senegal 81-79 in overtime.[40]

In 2015, Blatche played for the Philippines at the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship under new head coach Tab Baldwin. In nine games, he averaged 17.8 points, 9.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.[41] The following year, the team competed in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament, where in two games, he scored a total of 51 points.[42]

Blatche was expected to suit up for the 2017 FIBA Asia Cup but pulled out due to security concerns over the militant situation in the host country Lebanon.[43] He was replaced by Christian Standhardinger as the Philippine team's naturalized citizen.[44]

On July 2, 2018, Blatche was involved in a brawl during the Philippines' 2019 FIBA World Cup qualifier against Australia.[45]

Personal

On the Sunday morning of September 25, 2005, three months after the Wizards selected him with the 49th overall pick in the NBA draft, Blatche was shot in an attempted carjacking that took place near his home in Alexandria, Virginia.[2] Police said Blatche was ordered out of the car by men who emerged from a van and was shot before he could fully exit.[2] Blatche's mother, Angela Oliver, said he was shot once in the chest, but that the bullet did not hit any vital organs.[2] He was released from hospital two days later.[46] As a result of his injuries, he missed the Wizards' training camp,[5][6] although he could walk on his own three days after the shooting and one day after being released from the hospital.[6]

On August 2, 2007, Blatche was charged with sexual solicitation in the Logan Circle neighborhood of Washington, D.C. after allegedly soliciting sex from an undercover police officer. The solicitation charge was dropped after Blatche followed court orders and attended a day-long seminar for men who solicit prostitutes.[5][47]

Blatche was arrested on June 4, 2008, in Virginia on charges of reckless driving and driving on a suspended license for the third time. Blatche was going 86 mph in a 70 mph zone in a Mercedes on Interstate 85. He was released on bond.[48]

In June 2011, Blatche established the Andray Blatche Foundation and went on a charity mission to Jamaica where he donated sneakers, basketballs and gave a $50,000 check to Jamaican schools.[49]

References

1. "Andray Blatche now eligible to play for Gilas as President Aquino signs naturalization papers". Archived from the original on October 31, 2014. Retrieved June 11, 2014.
2. Blatche in good condition after being shot in carjacking
3. "Andray Blatche Stats, Video, Bio, Profile". Archived from the original on August 16, 2014. Retrieved August 17, 2014.
4. Andray Blatche Recruiting Profile
5. Wizards re-sign forward Blatche to multiyear deal
6. Blatche to miss training camp after being shot
7. Arenas scores 32 as Wizards look Super against Sonics
8. Wizards Re-Sign Forward Andray Blatche
9. Andray Blatche 2007-08 Game Log
10. Wiz fine Blatche, McGee, Foye, Young
11. Andray Blatche 2009-10 Game Log
12. Wizards plan to sit Andray Blatche until he gets in better shape
13. WIZARDS WAIVE BLATCHE
14. Highlights from Andray Blatche's crazy radio interview
15. Lee, Michael (November 27, 2012). "Andray Blatche on Wizards: "They tried to end me"". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved November 27, 2012.
16. "Brooklyn Nets sign Andray Blatche". Archived from the original on March 21, 2014. Retrieved September 13, 2012.
17. Lee, Michael (October 15, 2012). "Andray Blatche: 'I'm blessed to be here with a second chance'". WashingtonPost.com. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
18. Kline, Brandon (December 14, 2012). "Brook Lopez injury update: Nets' center could return tonight vs. Pistons". SBNation.com. Retrieved December 14, 2012.
19. Cacciola, Scott (December 12, 2012). "Don't Blame Blatche For the Nets' Descent". WSJ.com. Retrieved December 12, 2012.
20. "Andray Blatche returns to Washington, receives boos as expected (VIDEO)". NBCSports.com. January 4, 2013. Retrieved January 4, 2013.
21. Nets Re-Sign Andray Blatche
22. "Brook Lopez injury could be fatal blow to Brooklyn Nets season". nydailynews.com. December 23, 2013. Retrieved December 23, 2013.
23. Agent: Blatche opts out, is a free agent
24. Andray Blatche officially signs with Xinjiang Flying Tigers
25. The complete list of players available from China
26. Henson, Joaquin (February 8, 2015). "Andray back to NBA?". PhilStar.com. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
27. Feldman, Dan (March 23, 2015). "Report: Andray Blatche signs three-year deal in China". NBCSports.com. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
28. "Gilas star Andray Blatche's new contract in China reportedly worth $7.5M". InterAksyon.com. March 24, 2015. Archived from the original on March 26, 2015. Retrieved March 24, 2015.
29. Former Celtic draftee Ben Bentil signs with Chinese team Xinjiang
30. "CBA side Xinjiang to replace Blatche with Brazilian center Augusto Lima". xinhuanet.com. January 4, 2018. Retrieved January 4, 2018.
31. "Andray Blatche signs at Gold Lions". asia-basket.com. December 19, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
32. "官宣！布莱切加盟天津男篮 顶替阿尔德里奇". sina.com.cn (in Chinese). December 27, 2018. Retrieved December 28, 2018.
33. Senate grants Filipino citizenship to NBA center Andray Blatche
34. Lee, Dillinger, Blatche named to Gilas Asian Games team
35. Blatche says Philippines will continue to impress in FIBA World Cup
36. Why Andray Blatche might not play in the 2014 Asian Games
37. It’s final: Blatche out of Asian Games
38. Andray Blatche officially disqualified from Asian Games
39. 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup – Andray Blatche
40. Philippines gets 1st World Cup win in 40 years
41. 2015 FIBA Asia Championship – Andray Blatche
42. 2016 FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament – Andray Blatche
43. Catacutan, Dodo (July 24, 2017). "Andray Blatche unlikely to join Gilas in Fiba Asia Cup owing to Lebanon security concerns | SPIN.PH". spin.ph. Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
44. Catacutan, Dodo (July 25, 2017). "Blatche, Maliksi out, Standhardinger, Cruz in for Gilas team bound for Fiba Asia Cup | SPIN.PH". spin.ph. Sports Interactive Network Philippines. Retrieved August 9, 2017.
45. Andray Blatche on FIBA brawl: 'When u see a brother hit from the back of his head what do u do'
46. Blatche out of hospital after attempted carjacking
47. Blatche To Attend 'John School'
48. Wizards' Blatche Arrested
49. Andray Blatche to go on charity mission to Jamaica

External links

• Career statistics and player information from NBA.com, or Basketball-Reference.com
• Official website