MANILA, PhilippinesâCoach Tim Cone admitted that Justin Brownleeâs positive doping test after Gilas Pilipinasâ Asian Games gold conquest came as an absolute surprise for him.
Cone, who steered the Philippines to the historic victory that ended a 61-year drought, said there was no indication after Gilasâ win in Hangzhou, China last month that couldâve hinted that Brownlee was going to end up failing the doping test.
âIt kind of blows our mind, and Justin was shocked by it as well. Itâs there, itâs done, we canât bring it back,â said the Ginebra coach in an interview with CNNâs Sports Desk.
âI remember we were having a post-game dinner and we were all waiting for Justin and Calvin (Oftana) because they were left behind at the stadium. They were the ones selected to be randomly tested. We waited two to three hours for them to show up, but we had no clue that anything was going to happen at that point.â
Traces of Carboxy-THCâwhich is linked to cannabis use according to reports, were found in Brownleeâs system, the International Testing Agency announced last October 13.
Whether or not the Gin Kingsâ resident import took THC before the continental meet was not in Coneâs knowledge.
âI donât know where it couldâve happened. It wasnât a performance-enhancing drug, an anabolic steroid, or anything like that. Thereâs no way that he could bring that kind of stuff in China since heâs gonna get in trouble for trying to do that,â explained the veteran tactician.
Brownlee was provisionally suspended from basketball, ruling him out of Ginebraâs PBA Commissionerâs Cup campaign. Gilas Pilipinas, though, kept its gold medal.
When asked about Brownleeâs fate moving forward, Cone said that he has no inside knowledge on the matter.
âYour guess is as good as mine⊠I know that the SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas) and SMC (San Miguel Corporation) are trying their very best to give him the legal support he needs to shorten or remove the possible suspension.
âIn the meantime, we have searched out another import, weâre bringing in Tony Bishop.â
Bishop will have time to gel for the Gin Kings as their Season 48 run begins on Nov. 17, Friday, at Araneta Coliseum.