THERE seems to be no end to import Troy Gillenwater’s misfortune.
After being given the pink slip by San Miguel Beer, the 29-year-old Gillenwater was likewise fined by the PBA for P20,000 after a bump on referee Rey Yante during the Beermen’s PBA Commissioner's Cup game against Rain or Shine on Sunday at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Gillenwater appeared at the league office in Libis, Quezon City on Tuesday where the scope of his infraction, which is tantamount to ‘physically contacting an official,’ was pointed out to him.
The San Miguel import said the incident, which happened at the 2:29 mark of the second period, was ‘an accident.’
He left the PBA office in a huff and didn’t talk about the fine.
Renaldo Balkman is set to take over the spot of Gillenwater in his return stint with the Beermen after five years.
Gillenwater came over in plain shirt and playing short and accompanied by a San Miguel staff.
But it turned out, he was already ordered by SMC management not to attend the team practice early in the morning.
In the two games he played for the Beermen, Gillenwater averaged 15.0 points (11-of-28 from the field), 8.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 3.5 turnovers.
His physical contact of Yante - made as he was running back towards the SMB bench following a foul called on him against Rain or Shine counterpart Reginald Johnson - proved to be the final straw in what had been a short but under pressure stint with the Beermen.
Even before he could play his first game with the proud franchise, Gillenwater was already under the microscope with the subsequent lifting of the PBA ban on Balkman and former Best Import Charles Rhodes just waiting in the wings.
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