BARANGAY Ginebra's import once the season-ending PBA Governors’ Cup resumes remains up in the air until resident import Justin Brownlee shows up fit and ready.
Sources told SPIN.ph the Gin Kings are currently committed to no one but Brownlee after Riley Grigsby's one-month contract was not renewed when the league went on a long break to give way to Gilas Pilipinas' campaigns in the FIBA World Cup qualifiers and the Asian Games in Nagoya.
READ Oftana officially Gilas' 12th man for Asian Games title defense
“Alam naman ni Riley yun na ever since, one-month contract lang siya,” said the source.
For now, there is no word yet on whether Brownlee will be available or not once Ginebra resumes its campaign in the third and final conference of the season, where the Kings hold a woeful 2-4 win-loss record in Group B.
But what if Brownlee doesn't show up in time for Ginebra's match against Rain or Shine on October 9 at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium, just as he kept Gilas waiting before the World Cup qualifiers and later the Asiad?
Ginebra will keep waiting, sources bared.
“Wala pa balita kay Brownlee, basta ang alam ko hinihintay pa rin siya ni Coach Tim, kahit nga sa Gilas sa Japan, naka-reserve sa kanya ang isang spot, di ba? Maybe Tim believes he will suddenly show up,” added an insider, who revealed that Brownlee usually buys his own plane ticket and just seeks reimbursements upon his arrival.
“As far as I know, nag-text lang daw si Justin sa coaching staff at management na, ‘I am not yet fit,'” he said.
The same source stressed that it is Cone who is on top of the team’s roster movements including its import choice, with team governor and San Miguel Corp. Sports Director Alfrancis Chua's approval, of course.
So, who is Ginebra’s import?
“Definitely, hindi na babalik si Grigsby. Hinihintay si Brownlee pero kung di na talaga dadating si Justin, probably at this point, si Tim, on his own, naghahanap na ng import,” he said.
“Pero knowing Coach Tim, nakatutok siya sa Gilas so malamang hindi pa n'ya nahaharap yan. Probably after the Asian Games na n'ya tutukan 'yan. That is kung hindi biglang sisipot si Brownlee sa Japan,” he said. - Snow Badua
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.
