CHICAGO - Key players in the Gilas Pilipinas roster to the August FIBA window are dropping like flies.
First to declare out was Quentin Millora-Brown, whose agent, Tod Siedel, told me on Tuesday that his client “won’t be cleared by then” following hernia surgery.
And then on Wednesday, Ben Phillips informed me that his brother, 'Motor Mike' Phillips, will also miss action because he is one of the best men in Ben’s August 29 wedding in Ohio.
But the most worrisome piece, arguably the difference between Ws and Ls, is feared to be absent again for the second straight window.
KAI SOTTO.
“Gilas wants him to play and Kai wants to play but he is waiting on things that might, schedule-wise, prevent him from playing,” a source with knowledge about the situation told me.
No kidding, with Jordan and Iran looming, Gilas is desperate for the 7-foot-3 center to carry the flag.
“The hope is that he (Kai) can still join us. This window is pretty much a do-or-die for us in terms of qualifying for the World Cup,” Gilas coach Tim Cone said via text message.
Optimism is free but I have a gut-feel that it’s a no-go, a situation akin to waiting faithfully for a package to arrive in the mail until weeks pass and you are struck with the realization that nothing will ever arrive.
Now pushing 25. a newly-wed and about to enter a new phase in his life called fatherhood, Kai wants another swing at making it to the NBA.
CHASING THE NBA DREAM.
This time, the bridge to a lifelong dream is the US NCAA where he is awaiting word if his request for an eligibility waiver is approved by the league.
The opportunity to earn around $1 million in NIL (Name, Image and Likeness) money while auditioning for NBA teams via college basketball’s grandest stage, is the hook.
And that, rightly so, appears to be Kai’s top priority.
Meanwhile, the Gilas rister had been significantly cut down to size and made extremely vulnerable against the Jordanians and Iranians.
Hope springs eternal, but at this point, prayers are the better option for our national team.
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