By NIKOLE JAVIER
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) anxiously awaits the coming week for FIBA’s ruling on Justin Brownlee’s substance issue.
The basketball body is hoping to have the naturalized Filipino player back in the fold for the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers this February.
The Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player has been serving a ‘provisional or voluntary suspension’ since failing his doping test at the conclusion of the Philippines’ historic gold medal victory in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
Since then, Brownlee hasn’t seen action both in local and international tournaments which leads SBP to believe that there’s a good chance he will be given a lighter sentence and eventually the green light to play for Gilas this year as his inactivity on the court already counts as part of its supposed suspension.
The 6-foot-7 Ginebra import carried a bulk of the load in Gilas’ title run in the continental meet, something that the squad will surely miss should FIBA uphold a stricter decision.
“Wala pa [kaming replacement]. As much as possible, we would want Justin Brownlee to play. But we have yet to wait for the decision from FIBA. We were told that it would come in anytime this week, so we’re hoping that he gets the lowest level of suspension which is a three-month period that would end on Feb. 8, just in time for the first window. ‘Yun ‘yung hino-hope natin,” said SBP Executive Director Erika Dy.
The basketball body, which reveled its 12-man pool on Monday, Jan. 29, has high hopes that there would be no necessary replacements to be made once Brownlee receives his clearance from FIBA.
Naming Tim Cone as its head coach for the upcoming tournament, SBP has also called up Scottie Thompson, June Mar Fajardo, Jamie Malonzo, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez along with collegiate star Kevin Quiambao and Japan B. League Filipino imports Carl Tamayo, AJ Edu, Dwight Ramos and Kai Sotto.
Keeping the lineup small and intact, SBP faces another hurdle as one of its reinforcements in Edu has been nursing a torn meniscus since November last year.
While SBP can only speak in optimism as the ruling nears, fingers are crossed for the national team hoping to reunite soon with its resident naturalized big man.
