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JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche Could Be Reunited For 2014 FIBA World Cup

The Philippines are looking to make a big splash in the 2014 World Cup, and they may have found the perfect pairing to make it happen.

By Jake Whitacre
Jason Miller - USA Today Sports

What if I told you that there was a chance you could see JaVale McGee and Andray Blatche play together on the hardwood one more time? The duo that once got suspended for getting in a fight outside a D.C. club on Christmas Eve and would probably be Shaqtin' A Fool First-Ballot Hall of Famers if such a thing existed. If I told you they were going to get back together, how much money would you pay to see it? Twenty bucks? Five? Would we have to pay you to watch?

Well, it appears like the Philippine National Team wants to give everyone another chance to watch these two play together again. You may recall after a disappointing trial run with Team USA in 2010, JaVale McGee surprised everyone when he announced his plans to become a naturalized Philippine. While the move makes some sense from a marketing perspective (he has a shoe deal with PEAK, a Chinese shoe manufacturer) it's still not all that common to see someone give up a chance of making Team USA to become the alpha dog for another nation.

Now, it appears he might have some company, according to The Philippine Star:

"We're in discussion with Javale. However, he's just found out that he needs to undergo a procedure for his shin injury. With that development, it's prudent also to choose a backup. Blatche agreed to undergo the naturalization process. He wants to play for the Philippines," said Reyes.

In his bills, Puno said "naturalizing McGee and Blatche will strengthen the Philippines' chances in reclaiming its dream as one of the world's basketball greats during the FIBA World Cup."

For what it's worth, Blatche seems to be REALLY excited about possibly joining the team:

The only question is, why stop there: Nick Young isn't on anyone's national squad at the moment and I'm sure the team could use some more scoring. Plus, the team wouldn't even need to make a commercial to get fans excited about their Big 3:


Of course, there are concerns, but we think they're pretty silly. It's just three guys getting back together in Southeast Asia. We've seen this movie before.