THE wounds of Barangay Ginebra's Game 7 loss to TNT are still fresh, but there's more bad news for the popular PBA ballclub's fans.
SPIN.ph sources bared Ginebra resident import and Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player Justin Brownlee has tested positive anew for a 'recreational drug' and faces another suspension once the results are confirmed.
The World Anti-Doping Agency and world basketball body Fiba have both been notified of the positive test and will announce the result anytime, the source added.
READ Paul Varilla salutes 'legend' Brownlee for late Game 7 trey
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has yet to make an announcement on the matter.
Once confirmed, this will be the second flunked test for the Ginebra import, who tested positive for 'Carboxy-THC' in a random drug test done after Gilas Pilipinas' victory over Jordan in the Asian Games basketball final on October 6, 2023.
Brownlee was suspended three months for that violation.
READ: Justin Brownlee failed Asian Games doping test, says ITA
Although the full details are still unavailable, sources said Brownlee is unlikely to serve a ban longer than the 2023 suspension since the drug involved isn't labelled as performance-enhancing on the WADA list.
Until an announcement is released, it will not be established if the banned substance found in Brownlee's sample is from a supplement, pain killer, or a recreational drug.
But if there is any silver lining, it is the fact that Gilas has no forthcoming tournament and any ban will most likely be over by the time the national team competes in the Fiba Asia Cup in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia in August.
Brownlee is also slated to undergo for a dislocated thumb in his shooting hand which he sustained during the PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals against TNT, and will likely be healing up in the duration of the suspension.
It is also not known where the flunked Brownlee test was taken since the 36-year old is coming off a busy stretch that saw him play for Pelita Jaya in the Indonesian league, Ginebra in the Governors' Cup and Commissioner's Cup of the PBA, and Gilas in the November and February Fiba windows.
“Hopefully, three months lang ulit ang suspension kasi hindi naman performance-enhancing drug yung nag-positive sa kanya, it was just considered as a recreational drug and may prescription na sa US sa cannabis as pain reliever,” said the source.
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