GILAS Pilipinas head coach Norman Black said they considered bringing Quentin Millora-Brown to beef up the Southeast Asian (SEA) Gamess squad to Thailand.
Black furthered Millora-Brown had actually already committed to take part in the SEA Games team this year - until there was a change of plans during the time when he was able to acquire his passport and become a local under FIBA rules.
QMB will still make his Philippine team debut as member of the pool for the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup Asian Qualifiers, the first round of which will be played across three windows.
“To be quite honest with you, his agent might not be too happy with me, but he actually committed to play. His agent committed him to play,” said Black in an interview with Noli Eala during the Power and Play radio program.
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“Things changed when he got his passport. Now, he is committed to play for the men’s team. What can I do about that? I only go by what they say. But in the beginning, he was actually committed to play for this team,” he added.
Challenges even before SEA Games
Black, though, said he doesn’t have any problem with the 6-foot-10 Fil-Am not joining the SEA Games team - or any other player, for that matter.
Player availability has been an issue for the Philippines' SEA Games squad since the biennial meet doesn’t fall on the international calendar and major leagues such as the PBA, Japan B.League, and Korean Basketball League are also ongoing.
“My attitude towards this is I’m going to put together the best team that I can. And I’m going to go there and try to win the championship. That’s my attitude,” said Black.
“Those who want to play, I welcome them. Those who have other plans, I can’t get stuck with that.”
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