PBA: Ginebra taking ‘wait-and-see’ approach on Justin Brownlee
FILE–Barangay Ginebra import Justin Brownlee. —MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
MANILA, Philippines–Barangay Ginebra is still awaiting the official word on the status of its resident Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) import Justin Brownlee.
“We’re just waiting. As of now, we’re on wait-and-see,” team governor and San Miguel Corp. sports director Alfrancis Chua said Tuesday afternoon during the league’s season kick-off presser at Diamond Hotel in Manila.
Brownlee is facing a two-year ban from Fiba-sanctioned basketball tournaments after testing positive for Carboxy-THC, a banned substance in the rules employed during the Hangzhou Asian Games.
A suspension will keep the do-it-all forward from backstopping the Gin Kings in this coming Commissioner’s Cup, and his pet tournament Governors’ Cup.
WATCH: Barangay Ginebra team governor and Asian Games National Team manager @alfrancischua on naturalized ace Justin Brownlee’s doping case: “Wait and see kami.” | @sonrdINQ pic.twitter.com/UcR4LntiMl
— INQUIRER Sports (@INQUIRERSports) October 17, 2023
Worse, Brownlee could be put in the freezer, denying the Gilas program an easily accessible naturalized player for international competitions, including the Olympic Qualifying Tournament set July next year.
“We haven’t heard of any sanctions yet. We will await for those sanctions. Then that’s the time for us to respond,” added chair Ricky Vargas.
Brownlee can invoke his rights and get an appeal.
In motion, which will lead to the opening of his other urine sample. But Chua feels that a positive result will still yield.
Which is why the Ginebra leadership is simply waiting for the official communication as it will open a window for another scenario: Reducing the duration of the ban.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Bambol Tolentino has since said that Brownlee’s ban can be reduced to three months, and even to just a month which should be the rosiest for both Ginebra and Gilas.
