Welcome back, JB
Justin Brownlee is returning home to his adopted country after a four-month wait in Los Angeles wondering when FIBA would hand out its decision on his suspension for testing positive in a drug test after the Asian Games final in Hangzhou last October. It wasn’t a performance-enhancing drug (PED) that Brownlee took but a cannabis compound that showed up in his urinalysis. In the NBA, cannabis isn’t a prohibited substance. But in the Asian Games, it is.
Brownlee was in so much pain during the Asian Games that he sought relief from the cannabis compound for medicinal purposes. Remember that he underwent arthroscopic surgery to remove bone spurs in three points of his foot over a month before the Asian Games. That was why he couldn’t be available for the FIBA World Cup. If Brownlee was advised to list the cannabis compound as a medicine prescribed by his doctor prior to the start of the Asian Games, he would’ve been spared the embarrassment of testing positive.
An athlete who tests positive for a banned substance is given a penalty of up to two years. But that would be for a PED. NBA player Jordan Bell tested positive for cannabis after playing four games in the FIBA World Cup Americas qualifiers and was slapped a three-month suspension that ended last Aug. 23. Another athlete was dealt a one-month suspension after providing evidence that a doctor prescribed cannabis for medicinal purposes.
SBP president Al Panlilio said the federation was in constant communication with FIBA regarding Brownlee’s case. There appeared to be a delay in issuing FIBA’s decision because the Asian Games are under the supervision of the Lausanne-based International Testing Agency (ITA). FIBA employs World AntiDoping Agency (WADA)-accredited labs while ITA is an IOC initiative to create a unified anti-doping program.
Two samples were extracted from Brownlee and the first produced the positive finding. Brownlee could’ve contested it and asked for an analysis of the second sample but if it also turned out a positive result, the penalty would be severe. So upon SBP’s advice, Brownlee held back and when informed of the positive result last Nov. 9, he signed a provisional or voluntary suspension even without a FIBA decision. “Justin committed in writing that he will refrain from play even if not yet suspended,” revealed Panlilio.
As expected, FIBA handed down a three-month suspension and notified SBP last week. But because of Brownlee’s voluntary action, the suspension was made retroactive to when he received notice of the positive finding or last Nov. 9. The suspension, therefore, will end on Friday, Feb. 9. Brownlee will likely fly in after Friday and is expected to report for Gilas practice on Feb. 15. The wait could be a blessing in disguise as the rest gave Brownlee more time to recover from his foot injury. Will Brownlee be in tip-top shape for the coming FIBA Asia Cup qualifying window? Two games are scheduled, one against Hong Kong at the Tsuen Wan Sports Centre on Feb. 22 and the other against ChineseTaipei, likely to be reinforced by Jeremy Lin, at home on Feb. 25. Brownlee’s presence alone will be a huge boost for Gilas.