The last time the San Miguel Beermen won the championship in an import-laden conference was in the 2023–24 PBA Commissioner’s Cup, when their reinforcement was Bennie Boatwright. The 6-foot-10 American proved to be a perfect fit with his shooting, playmaking, and unselfishness next to June Mar Fajardo as he averaged 30.3 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 3.5 assists and appeared to have the makings of a resident import.
Bennie Boatwright’s Return Hasn’t Happened
But the Beermen couldn’t bring back Boatwright for the 2024–25 PBA Commissioner’s Cup as the 29-year-old Californian tore his Achilles while playing for the Shanxi Loongs in the Chinese Basketball Association. Now fully healthy, it appears Bennie Boatwright won’t be returning to San Miguel—at least for now. But that doesn’t mean he isn’t on the Beermen’s radar. In fact, Leo Austria himself admitted on Noli Eala’s Power & Play that the sweet-shooting import was the team’s first choice.
“Si Boatwright talaga ang kinausap na namin before he went to Korea. Nung nasa Korea na siya, sabi niya he’s so excited to go back to San Miguel,” Austria told Eala. “But unfortunately, ‘yung kaniyang last game sa elimination sa April 8 pa. Eh ako, usually, as much as possible gusto ko at least three weeks before the tournament [nandito] na para maka-adapt siya sa sistema, sa brand of basketball sa PBA, kaya medyo mahirap.”
Bennie Boatwright, of course, signed with the KBL’s Daegu KOGAS Pegasus in January after a stint with the Taipei Fubon Braves in Taiwan’s P. League+. With the one-time PBA champion unavailable within Austria’s preferred timeframe, it appears San Miguel has pivoted to someone else, although Austria refused to divulge who.
Bennie Boatwright as Backup Plan?
Even so, it looks like there’s at least a chance that San Miguel could bring Bennie Boatwright back in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup if Austria’s choice doesn’t pan out. As of this writing, KOGAS Pegasus are tenth in the KBL and will not make the playoffs. That means the former USC Trojan would be a free agent after April 8, KOGAS’ likely final game of the season.
For a franchise likely gunning for that prestigious Grand Slam after winning the PBA Philippine Cup, having an import of Boatwright’s caliber as a potential backup plan should be a cause for optimism, given the team’s recent run of bad luck with reinforcements.
