Barangay Ginebra -- facing the increasingly-likely prospect of playing in the 2023-24 PBA Commissioner's Cup without resident import Justin Brownlee -- has begun to look for possible import replacements, team governor Alfrancis Chua confirmed Tuesday.
"We're still looking," Chua said. "But I told Justin that, 'As of now, we're hanging. I hope you understand that we have to look for a replacement.'"
Brownlee failed a doping test at the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou after testing positive for Carboxy-THC -- which is found in cannabis -- leaving his stint with the Kings in the season-opening Commissioner's Cup hanging in the balance.
Philippines won its first gold in men's basketball in 61 years, with Brownlee leading the way.
Philippine Olympic Committee president Abraham Tolentino had previously said that he faces a two-year ban.
Brownlee has the right to request to open his B sample but according to Chua, the import will still confer with the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) before deciding whether to make the request or not.
Chua said they will leave it up to Brownlee to make the decision, but added that in his opinion, it wouldn't be advisable to request for a testing of the B sample.
"If you ask me, I wouldn't contest it anymore," Chua told reporters after the PBA's pre-season press conference. "What for if it's the same urine sample?"
Chua said Brownlee was shocked when informed of the positive result, but maintained that it was likely due to medication that Brownlee was taking.
He recalled that when some PBA players in the early 2000s tested positive for methamphetamine, it was later proven that it was due to supplements that the players were taking.
"That's why we always tell our players to always read the ingredients at the back before ingesting," Chua said, adding that there is no way Brownlee would dare bring banned drugs into China for the Asian Games.
Chua said that despite the uncertainty, Brownlee will still fly to Manila to start practicing with Ginebra. The Kings don't play their first game until Nov. 17.
But in anticipation of the worst case scenario, the team is already looking at replacements.
The team still has no idea yet on when a resolution will be reached by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), but Chua said they will just wait for any development. Under the process, the WADA will first inform the SBP, which will then inform the PBA.
Chua said that even if the Commissioner's Cup starts with no resolution yet, he'd rather keep Brownlee on the sidelines, explaining: "For example, we let Justin play, the investigators might think we're defying them and that might hurt our case.
"Or if, for example, Ginebra goes 3-0, then the result comes in and it's bad news, we might forfeit all our games.
"We'll just go with the flow. Justin could use the rest anyway."
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the league will first wait for any official development before commenting or deciding on a course of action or punishment, if any.
"We haven't received any notice yet from anyone," Marcial said. "Let's wait first. We really can't say yet what we'll do.
"Nothing formal has been given to the PBA. Only Brownlee has been contacted, and he hasn't talked to us yet."
PBA chairman Ricky Vargas added: "We have not heard of any sanctions yet for Brownlee. So we'll await those sanctions. If there's an official violation, then that's the time for us to officially respond."