Justin Brownlee –MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
The PBA’s all-Filipino tournament is just around the corner.
But a lot of the basketball talk is about Justin Brownlee, the Barangay Ginebra import who is also a naturalized member of the national program.
Brownlee is facing a second doping violation, one that could sideline him from the Fiba Asia Cup penciled in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, this coming Aug. 5.
READ: Gold remains with Gilas despite Brownlee’s failed doping test, says POC
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio confirmed to the Inquirer on Monday that the national federation has indeed received a notice of an adverse analytical finding (AAF) in one of Brownlee’s random tests.
An AAF notification means a positive test for a substance in the World Anti-Doping Agency’s prohibited list.
A media report on Sunday night alleged that Brownlee had flunked another test over the use of a recreational drug. His camp remains tight-lipped on the matter.
A suspension will be Brownlee’s second after testing positive for Carboxy-THC, a compound linked to cannabis, shortly after willing Gilas Pilipinas to the gold medal in the Asian Games in China back in 2023.
Meanwhile, Meralco will help usher in the start of the Philippine Cup this Friday at Ninoy Aquino Stadium, as it seeks to defend its title and derail sister team TNT’s Grand Slam plans.
The Bolts’ quest starts against the Converge FiberXers as Season 49 resumes just seven days after the Tropang Giga won an epic Game 7 over Barangay Ginebra for the Commissioner’s Cup crown.
New moniker
TNT, meanwhile, will have time to savor its latest title run and prepare for the all-Filipino before returning to action on April 23 against NLEX.
By the time they troop to the floor, the Tropang Giga will be carrying a new moniker, the Tropang 5G.
The Philippine Cup formally kicks off with Terrafirma against Phoenix, with lowly Dyip playing their last tournament before completing the formal transfer of its franchise to shipping company Starhorse.
Also getting an early start to the campaign is San Miguel Beer, winner of six out of the last eight editions of the PBA’s preeminent conference, as it battles NLEX this Saturday at the same venue.
Ginebra, losing finalist in the last two conferences to TNT, won’t be playing until April 23 as well opposite Terrafirma.
Meralco completed one of the most improbable title runs in recent memory in the 2024 Philippine Cup, ending years of bitter playoff disappointments to beat San Miguel on Chris Newsome’s baseline jumper.
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Meralco and San Miguel will play on April 9, sporting retro uniforms at Rizal Memorial Coliseum on the PBA’s 50th anniversary. A formal gathering to mark that occasion is set for April 11. INQ
