Andray Blatche on Team Philippines: 'It wasn't a tough decision'

In a press conference Tuesday, Andray Blatche said he was immediately taken with the idea of playing for the Philippines national team and is happy he followed through now that his citizenship is near.

"The opportunity that I'm receiving to come out here to the Philippines is something that you're going to wish for. When they asked me to come I was excited." he told the media at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

He said the first people he called were family members, including his mother, and friends.

"They had my back 100 percent," he said. "I just wanted to be here," he said.

Blatche, who returns to the US on Tuesday night, spent 15-20 minutes with his teammates. "We talked about basketball," Blatche shared. "I could tell by our conversation that we're all on the same page. Our vibe is clicking."

There was no indication Blatche talked much, if at all, about his situation with the Nets or how team officials feel about his foray into FIBA basketball.  Billy King said last week that he had no problem with Blatche joining the Filipino team, that it could help his conditioning.

• Blatche on joining Gilas: 'It wasn't a tough decision' - Jane Bracher - Rappler