SBP says Brownlee good to go for Asia Cup after suspension scare, injury

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Gilas Pilipinas is expected to lean heavily on Justin Brownlee for the FIBA Asia Cup as the team continues to miss the services of big man Kai Sotto

MANILA, Philippines – Justin Brownlee is good to go for the FIBA Asia Cup.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) said Brownlee will see action for Gilas Pilipinas in the continental showdown set in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in August, after facing a suspension scare as he tested positive for a banned substance for the second time in two years.

Brownlee received notice of an adverse analytical finding earlier this year, which put his Asia Cup participation in question given he already got suspended in the past when he tested positive for Carboxy-THC, a prohibited substance linked to cannabis use, following the Philippines’ golden run in the 2023 Asian Games.

That forced him to sit out for three months before he got cleared to play again in February 2024.

“Brownlee will be suiting up for Gilas Pilipinas in the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 after FIBA concluded that the presence of Carboxy-THC in Brownlee’s sample from November 21, 2024 does not constitute an anti-doping rule violation, considering the approved therapeutic use exemption,” the SBP said in a press release.

The naturalized star is also back in the pink of health after he dislocated his right thumb in March in the middle of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals, where he and Barangay Ginebra fell to TNT in seven games.

Brownlee underwent surgery in April.

“He has fully recovered from the thumb injury he suffered during the PBA Commissioner’s Cup finals and has full range of motion already but is still in the process of getting back into game shape,” the SBP said.

The Nationals are expected to lean heavily on Brownlee as they go up against New Zealand, Chinese Taipei, and Iraq in Group D, especially as they continue to miss the services of big man Kai Sotto, who remains out after sustaining a knee injury in January.

Brownlee averaged 21.7 points, 7.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, and 1.7 steals in the Asia Cup Qualifiers, leading the Philippines to 4-2 record.

Gilas ramps up its preparations in the coming weeks as it enters a short camp in Pampanga from July 25 to 27 before it battles the Macau Black Bears in a tuneup game at the Araneta Coliseum on July 28.

Up first for the Filipinos in the Asia Cup is Chinese Taipei on August 6 then New Zealand and Iraq on August 8 and 10, respectively. – Rappler.com