CHICAGO - Apparently, and thankfully so, the eligibility rules for men's basketball players in the 2025 Southeast Asian Games Games this December will be as loose as baggy pants.
"Only passports are needed to be eligible," sources at the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) told me, a welcome change from earlier reports that the biennial conclave had adopted the more stringent FIBA eligibility rules.
In FIBA-sanctioned events, which the SEA Games isn't, players must have obtained a passport from the country they choose to represent as a local before the age of 16.
The less-stringent requirements imposed by host Thailand opens a myriad of options for Norman Black, the coach appointed by the SBP to lead Gilas Pilipinas' defense of the SEA Games basketball gold medal.
But that's just an appetizer.
"Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame can play together." said the source while pointing out that both naturalized players are passport-holders.
QMB is out
Unfortunately, the news isn't all good as Quentin Millora-Brown, who could have anchored the defense and supplemented the offense, is unlikely to play.
""More likely no," QMB's camp replied when asked if the former UP Fighting Maroon will play in Thailand. "It's not that he wouldn't want to but it will be hard to get the time because it's not a FIBA window,"
READ All these players are willing to play for Gilas at SEA Games
While QMB is potentially a no-go, there is no shortage of guys who expressed willingness to reinforce Gilas aside from Brownlee and Kouame, among them Ray Parks, Remy Martin, Dave Ildefonso, Mike Phillips, Mason Amos and Jason Brickman.
There are a lot more players who sources said have committed to play for Gilas in the SEA Games if asked, including Matthew Wright, Juan and Javi Gomez de Liano, and SJ Belangel as well as other players now based in Japan.
However, Brickman and the Gomez de Liano brothers will likely be playing in the PBA by the time the SEA Games rolls along and will therefore become unavailable.
The PBA, sources said, has made it clear to the SBP that its players and coaches will likely not be made available for the SEA Games.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
