WASHINGTON -- Andray Blatche seemed to be relishing his chance to play in front of his old fans again. In a brief interview with reporters before tonight's game, the Brooklyn Nets' forward pretty much invited Wizards fans to boo him throughout the contest.
Here's a transcript:
REPORTER: How do you expect you'll be treated by the fans here?
BLATCHE: They'll act the same way they acted when I was here. The only thing different now is, I don't play here anymore, so I expect it. It's not going to affect me because they're supposed to do it. I'm on another team. So, that's the only thing different.
REPORTER: Have you had a chance to see anybody here, any old friends?
BLATCHE: "I've seen a couple of the staff, a couple of the players. It was good to see them. It's been a while. I'm still friends with a lot of the staff and a lot of the players, so it was good to see them."
REPORTER: Is [your Twitter post asking fans whether the Wizards have won a game] something where the grass is always greener on the other side?
BLATCHE: The grass is not always greener on the other side. It's just, they were going through it and they hadn't had a win. I was just asking about them, and [fans] said they hadn't had a win yet. I was going to chapel.
REPORTER: Are you surprised by the negative reaction you get from fans around here still?
BLATCHE: I just feel like they need to let it go, man. They're being a pest to my life. Let it go. I'm gone. They wanted me gone. I'm gone. They're still not happy that I'm gone. You know what I'm saying? It doesn't make sense. You wanted me out of here, I'm gone, and they're still bothering me. So that's the thing I don't get. It's crazy.
REPORTER: Are you happy now?
BLATCHE: I'm a lot more happy now. I'm on a team with a great bunch of guys that are competing for the playoffs and the championship. We have a lot of goals. We've been doing good, we had a little fall but we're back to winning, so it's been good. Winning is always fun.
REPORTER: Is it different not being one of the faces of the team?
BLATCHE: It's definitely a different feeling, different situation. I know my situation. I know where I came from. I know what I'm trying to get back to. It's just being patient, playing hard and helping the team.
REPORTER: What do you miss about the city?
BLATCHE: Outside of the arena and the court, the place is great. I have no complaints about being here. I have nothing against people I know here, so it was great to come back home and go to dinner with friends, hang out with here.
REPORTER: You see what Trevor Booker said about tonight?
BLATCHE: (Laughs) "Trevor don't want this problem. He can say a lot because that's the easy way out. He doesn't have to get out there to get his wrath."
REPORTER: P.J. Carlesimo joked that he talked to you about shutting you down for tonight.
BLATCHE: Yeah, he came and said the same thing. I told him, 'don't do this to me. This means a lot. I want to hear the boos. I want to hear everything. I want to have fun like you've been having fun.
REPORTER: Do you have any personal goals for tonight?
BLATCHE: No, I'm over that. I'm older. Let it go. I let y'all go. Now let me go. I said my piece. You'll say your piece throughout the whole season. I'm gone. I want to stay gone."