THE Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) board of governors will discuss on Thursday options—and possibly make a final decision—on the composition of the national team to the 18th Asian Games next month in Indonesia.
But according to PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBL) will have the final say on who will make up Gilas Pilipinas in the games that start on August 18.
“We will give what the Gilas needs. But we will talk first with the [PBA] governors,” Marcial said.
The initial plan was to send the TnT Katropa to the Asian Games, but following the suspension of Jayson Castro, Terrence Romeo, Troy Rosario and Roger Pogoy for the Fiba Qualifier brawl with Australia on July 2, SBP President Al Panlilion looked to have dropped the plan because of a “moral question.”
Rain or Shine management offered its entire team, but suggestions arose of reinforcing the Elasto Painters with top PBA players.
Already, San Miguel Beer’s Christian Standhardinger and Arwind Santos, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Greg Slaughter and Alaska’s Vic Manuel have expressed their availability for the national team.
The suspension on 10 players and Head Coach Chot Reyes and Assistant Coach Jong Uichico only applies to Fiba tournaments—and not on other tournaments like the Asian Games.