ROBERT Bolick makes his Gilas Pilipinas return with higher stakes on the line.
The prolific guard of NLEX anchors a national men's team out to defend the basketball gold in the 20th Asian Games.
Along with Bolick, also with the Gilas team are Don Trollano, Brandon Ganuelas-Rosser, Jerrick Ahanmisi, Sedrick Barefield, Adrian Nocum, Zavier Lucero, RJ Abarrientos, Justin Arana, Justine Baltazar, and Brandon Bates.
READ: Gilas holding on to hope of Brownlee showing up at Asian Games
The 12th spot has been reserved for naturalized player Justin Brownlee, as the Filipinos will leave Wednesday afternoon for South Korea where it will play a pair of friendlies against their Korean counterparts.
The 30-year-old Bolick, who just signed a three-year extension with NLEX last week, suited up for Gilas Pilipinas in the last Southeast Asian Games in Thailand, playing a key role in the country's successful retention of the men's basketball gold medal.
Now, he's expected to lead the national team anew as it bids to defend the gold the country won in the 2022 edition of the Asiad in Hangzhou, China. The conquest ended the Philippines' 61-year gold drough in the quadrennial meet.
From South Korea, Gilas will go straight to Nagoya, Japan on Sept. 7 for the Asiad, where it is bracketed in Pool B along with China, Kazakhstan, and Bahrain.
The Philippines kicks off its campaign on Sept. 11 against Bahrain followed by Kazakhstan the following day.
After taking a rest, Gilas battles China on Sept. 14 on the final day of pool play featuring a rematch of the same team that clashed in the semifinals four years ago won by the Filipinos, 77-76, after rallying back from the depth of a 20-point deficit.
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