Barangay Ginebra San Miguel vowed to make sure that it will hire an import who will replace Justin Brownlee just in case he gets suspended for the Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup starting 5 November.
But so far, the Kings have no luck.
Ginebra coach Tim Cone admitted to Daily Tribune that they haven’t found an import who will serve as Brownlee’s replacement if ever the International Basketball Federation suspends him for flunking the drug test in the aftermath of the 19th Asian Games.
Cone said they are still looking and he wishes the best of luck to the 35-year-old Brownlee, who is still in the United States to take a breather and to collate the evidence that would be needed in his appeal.
“We’re still looking, but we’re hoping for the best for Justin,” Cone said in a Viber message.
Hiring an import despite the lack of final verdict from FIBA on the Brownlee case is considered as a gambit for the Kings.
Aside from spending additional resources and logistics, tapping a new reinforcement will also prompt Ginebra to make some major adjustments in its game plan with barely two weeks left before the season-opening conference kicks off.
After all, Brownlee knows Cone’s system like the back of his hand after playing for him since 2016 that led to six PBA crowns and three Best Import honors.
Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua, however, believes that having an import — with or without FIBA’s final verdict — is a step that they have to take.
“We don’t want to be caught off-guard,” Chua said.
“No matter what happens or until the bomb has been brought to us, at least we still have an import.”
But Brownlee’s shoes will be hard to fill.
The hardworking forward is a beloved figure in Philippine basketball who led Ginebra — the country’s most popular team — to a handful of nail-biting victories.
He served as the hero when the Kings beat Myles Powell, Andrew Nicholson and the visiting Bay Area Dragons in Game 7 of their best-of-seven Commissioner’s Cup title series last year.
In the international arena, Brownlee powered Gilas Pilipinas back to the Southeast Asian throne in the 32nd edition of the SEA Games last May.
Few months later, he bannered the Filipinos anew, this time in the 19th Asian Games in which he bailed them during their thrilling wins over Iran in the quarterfinals and China in the semifinals before beating Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and the Jordanians in the gold medal match.
Unfortunately, for him, the Swiss-based International Testing Agency found traces of Carboxy-THC in his system, a substance that is linked to the use of cannabis.
Although cannabis is already widely accepted as an alternative medicine, especially in countries like the United States and Thailand, it is still included in the list of banned substances of the World Anti-Doping Agency.
Now, he is facing the possibility of being suspended in all FIBA-sanctioned events for two years, making him ineligible to help the Kings in their title defense in the coming conference.
With Brownlee’s looming absence, the locals of Ginebra have to step up.
LA Tenorio will be back in action after his battle with Stage 3 colon cancer while Japeth Aguilar, Christian Standhardinger, Stanley Pringle and reigning Most Valuable Player Scottie Thompson are expected to step up.
The Kings have also boosted their backcourt with the inclusion of veteran guard Maverick Ahanmisi, who signed with them during the off-season.
