WITH defending champion Ginebra expected to miss resident import Justin Brownlee, the Kings will pin their hopes on a “bishop” in their bid to reach the Promised Land anew in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Ginebra has tapped former Meralco reinforcement Tony Bishop as its import in the 48th season opening tilt set to get going on Nov. 5 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Kings coach Tim Cone said their familiarity with the 6-foot-8, American-born Panamanian Bishop and his do-it-all and cool demeanor spelled the big difference in their decision.
“We’re bringing in Tony Bishop, the ex-Meralco import that we played against in the finals a couple of years ago,” Cone said in an online interview. “He’s a guy that we had such a tough time with, such a tough time defending because he was so versatile and so level-headed.
“We couldn’t get under his skin. So, he’s just one of the first guys we thought about,” he added.
Bishop, 34, suited up for the Bolts in the season-ending Governors’ Cup in 2021 when they reached the Big Dance, only to be foiled by the Kings in six games.
Brownlee’s supposed another tour of duty for Ginebra remains hanging after he failed a doping test in the Hangzhou Asian Games. His negative result came out after he led Gilas Pilipinas to the gold medal.
Brownlee, 35, faces a two-year suspension from the World Anti-Doping Agency, which means he will be banned from FIBA-backed tournaments and the PBA.
The length of Brownlee’s suspension, however, has yet to be announced, prompting Ginebra to link up with Bishop.
“I know the SBP, the San Miguel group are doing their very best to give him all the support,” Cone said of Brownlee’s situation.
“The legal support he needs to shorten or remove the possible suspension.”
Cone said they nearly missed out on signing Bishop due to his coming stint as an import for an undisclosed Mexican squad.
“We were fortunate that he was about to get ready to go to Mexico to become an import,” Cone said. “But we caught him just in time.”
The new cage wars in Asia’s first play-for-pay league opens shop with the 47th Season Leo Awards taking place before the formal opening ceremony and followed by the TNT-Magnolia game at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.