Barely a week after Gilas Pilipinas captured a historic gold medal at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, Filipino fans woke up on a Friday the 13th to grim news.
Justin Brownlee -- who played the hero in Gilas' thrilling wins over Iran and China in the knockout stages -- has failed an anti-doping test conducted by the International Testing Agency (ITA), which was mandated by the Olympic Council of Asia to independently handle areas of the anti-doping program at the Asian Games.
Here's what we know so far.
What exactly happened?
In a press release issued late Thursday night, the ITA reported that "a sample collected from basketball player Justin Brownlee from the Philippines has returned an Adverse Analytical Finding for Carboxy-THC, a specified Prohibited Substance, according to the Prohibited List of the World Anti-Doping Agency".
The article further adds that the sample was collected by the ITA on Oct. 7, a day after Gilas beat Jordan for the gold medal, and that Brownlee had already been informed of the finding. Brownlee, who is currently in the United States, has the right to request for an analysis of his B-sample.
Afterwards, the matter will be referred to the Anti-Doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CASS ADD) for adjudication under the OCA Anti-Doping Rules.
Nine other Asian Games athletes, including Philippine cyclist Ariana Patrice Evangelista and Jordanian basketball player Sami Bzai, also returned adverse findings.
Evangelista, who tested positive for erythropoietin, has been provisionally suspended and has denied taking the substance, which is a performance enhancer. Bzai, meanwhile, tested positive for dehydrochloromethyl-testosterone metabolite, an anabolic steroid.
In an online interview on Friday, Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) president Abraham Tolentino said, he had already discussed the matter with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), whose officials explained to him that Brownlee had been on medication to manage his nagging injuries and that was what likely caused the adverse finding.
There was no indication during the interview, though, on what type of medication Brownlee was taking.
What is Carboxy-THC and what does it do?
According to the National Library of Medicine, an official website of the United States government, a positive test result "indirectly indicates that THC, a psychoactive compound in cannabis, has been present in the body".
It does not "identify route of exposure, source of exposure, specific timing of exposure, dose, and intentional or accidental nature of exposure".
While marijuana use is still illegal in the Philippines and banned in international sporting competition, it is legal in parts of the United States.
Some athletes use it for its medicinal benefits, such as reducing pain and inflammation and speeding up recovery.
According to a study published by the U.S.-based National Institute of Health, "evidence for efficacy (of cannabis) is limited but promising for chronic pain management" and that "there is no evidence for cannabis use as a performance-enhancing drug."
That being said, cannabis is still on the list of prohibited substances in the Asian Games, which is why Brownlee's urine sample was flagged.
Is Gilas' gold medal in danger of being revoked?
According to Tolentino, no.
In a press release, the POC president cites Article 11.2 of the Anti-Doping Rule of the International Olympic Committee that states under "Consequences of Team Sports" that "If more than two members of a team in a Team Sport are found to have committed an anti-doping violation, the CAS ADD may impose an appropriate sanction on the team (e.g., loss of points, disqualification from a competition or event) as provided in the relevant International Federation, in addition to any consequences imposed upon the individual Athletes committing the antidoping violation".
So going by this statement, unless two other Gilas players return adverse findings, the gold stays with Gilas.
Neither the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee nor the OCA has issued a statement on the matter.
But what will happen to Brownlee?
Tolentino said that as of now, Brownlee is provisionally suspended and has until Oct. 19 to contest the result "through appropriate procedures set by the International Olympic Committee, ITA and World Anti-Doping Agency."
Tolentino added that "all Brownlee needs is to prove his innocence in contesting the result if he allows testing his B sample."
However, if the B sample also yields a positive result, Tolentino said Brownlee will be suspended from international competition for two years.
This theoretically means that he will not be able to play for Gilas until 2025.
What will the PBA do?
The PBA has yet to respond to a request for comment.
It is possible the league is still waiting to see how all of this plays out before deciding, if any, a course of action.
The last time a PBA player tested positive for a banned substance was in 2018 when Kiefer Ravena returned an adverse finding for a performance-enhancing substance from a FIBA World Cup qualifier. Ravena was suspended for 18 months by FIBA, which the PBA also followed since the ban covered all leagues worldwide.
The Asian Games is not under FIBA purview, but as Tolentino mentioned, Brownlee faces a two-year suspension if his B sample also tests positive. Whether the PBA also suspends Brownlee for the same period is not known at this point.
What does this mean for Brownlee's legacy?
Neither Brownlee nor Barangay Ginebra has issued a statement on the matter, so it's not yet known if he will contest the result or own up to it.
But the SBP's defense of Brownlee will already soften whatever blowback, if any, this generates. This likely won't impact or tarnish Brownlee's legacy, and he will remain beloved by Filipino fans.
Of course, Ginebra fans are also hoping that they will get to see him on the court again once the 2023 PBA season reels off next month.