TNT “Kobe” returns to defend title

Just days before the opening day of the Philippine Basketball Association 49th Season, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson officially returned to the TNT Tropang Giga to defend their Governor’s Cup title.

Hollis-Jefferson will replace Darius Days as TNT’s import.

Rondae was the original choice of TNT as he’s the one who led them to the promised land last year. But he’s not yet available until yesterday (August 14), that's why the team tapped the services of Darius Days.

In the official roster line-up of teams released last night, Rondae Hollis Jefferson is the import listed for TNT Tropang Giga.

With the return of RHJ, the TNT got a big boost as he already know the system of the team and the fans will have another chance to watch the “Kobe look-alike” import.

NLEX Road Warriors will try to tie the series of their best-of-five quarter final series of the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup against the TNT Tropang Giga this Friday night, September 27, at the Sta. Rosa Multi-Purpose Complex in Laguna.

Coach Jong Uichico said that adjustments will be the key on who’s going to win the game and even in the series.

In an exclusive interview with Dribble Report, the nine-time PBA champion mentor shared his assessment of their last game, “Generally, it's okay. They were able to make their adjustments. We didn't react to their adjustments.”

Uichico also said that he hoped they would find the right adjustments and how to react to the opponents as they battle the Tropang Giga anew.

“That's how basketball is. You make your adjustments and then hopefully your adjustments will work. And then us, on the other hand, we try to react to their adjustments. Then, you know, we were not able to do that. So for the next game tomorrow, hopefully we can make the proper adjustments and react to it.,” added the Road Warriors head coach.

Almost the same thing was shared by one of the defense anchors, Enoch Valdez, who also shared his experience with us.

“Even though we lost yesterday, we'll make some adjustments. We'll do some viewing,” said Valdez in Filipino.

He also said he’s sure they will be able to adjust in their next game and will try to limit the production of TNT’s import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson for them to have an advantage.

“You don't have to stop him. You just have to limit the average of 40-30 plus a game. If you limit it to 20 plus, it's a big advantage for us,” said Valdez of RHJ.

NLEX scoring machine Robert Bolick said that in the playoffs everything has been laid down already and all they need to do is play hard and execute what the plays of their team.

“Our game is okay. It’s just the playoffs. Our team knows what to do, we just have to execute well,” said Bolick.

Import Dequan Jones thought that they beat themselves that’s why they lost their first game.

“I think to some extent they didn't beat us. We beat ourselves with turnovers. Even with the amount of turnovers we had and still to only lose by that margin,” shared by Jones.

“I think that speaks to what type of talent and what kind of team we have. I don't think they beat us. I think we beat ourselves,” he added.

Tip-off will start at 7:30 in the evening.

It will be a busy timetable for the Philippine Basketball Association when it opens the 49th Season this Sunday, August 18 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

In the season-opener Governors’ Cup, the league will have six playing dates for at least a month as they pave the way for two major international events that the PBA will play a major part.

The first one will be the second window of the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers while the second one will be the participation of San Miguel and Meralco in the East Asia Super League (EASL) that features a home-and-away format for the second season.

PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial said, "Magiging six times a week na tayo because of Gilas and EASL (We will have six times a week schedule because of Gilas and EASL).”

Game schedule will still have double-headers from Tuesday-Sunday, with Monday being the rest day for the PBA.

The first game will start at 5 p.m. while the main game will be scheduled at 7:30 p.m.

Saturday schedule might vary if there’s an out of town game. It will be set to kick off at 6 p.m.

Marcial also clarified that the six days a week playing dates will only be good for at least a month. 

"Yung six days a week kung hindi ako nagkakamali isang buwan lang naman, tapos balik ulit tayo sa dati (The six days a week  will only last for a month if I am not mistaken. After that, we will go back to the regular schedule)," said the commissioner.

The games will only be held on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday come playoffs time.

Stephen Curry waxed hot in the Olympics men’s basketball tournament finals, tallying 24 points on 8-of-10 shooting from behind the arc to lead Team USA in capturing the gold medal.

The Americans became the Olympic champions for the fifth consecutive time after weathering the 26-point effort of France’s 20-year-old phenom Victor Wembanyama to grind out a 98-87 over the host team on Sunday early morning (PH time) at the Bercy Arena in Paris.

Curry’s 24-point explosion included the four 3-pointers he made in the final 2:43 of play with one sealing the game with 1:19 remaining. It put the Americans up by 93-84. He also put the final nail in the coffin by draining one more with 30 seconds left - with his signature “night night” move where he puts his hands on the side of his face.

“For me to get a gold medal is insane, and I thank God for the opportunity to experience it,” Curry said.

The Americans have now won eight of the last nine Olympic titles in men’s basketball and 17 of 21 overall.

Les Bleus on the other hand failed to get their first Olympic gold after settling for silver once again just like in the 1948, 2000 and 2020 Summer Games. All their losses came at the hands of the United States.

The scores:

USA 93 - Curry 24, Durant 15, Booke 15, James 14, Davis 8, Edwards 8, Holiday 6, Embiid 4, Tatum 2, Adebayo 2, White DNP, Haliburton DNP.

France 84 - Wembanyama 26, Yabusele 20, de Colo 12, Fournier 8, Coulibaly 6, Batum 5, Lessort 5, Strazel 3, Gobert 2, Ntilikina 0, Albicy 0, Cordinier 0.

Nikola Jokic’s triple-double led Serbia to win their first Olympic bronze medal in the men’s basketball tournament when they defeated the reigning FIBA World Cup champions Germany, 93-83.

Jokic scored 19 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and dished off 11 assists to secure the first bronze for their country in the Paris Games.

Vasile Micic backed-up Jokic with his 19 points, and Bogdan Bogdanovic added 16 markers.

Meanwhile, Germany was led by Franz Wagner with 19 points while Mortiz Wagner tallied 16.

The game was a rematch of the 2023 FIBA World Cup finals, which was won by Germany. But this time the Serbians showed their might in the hardcourt and even erected as much as 19-points in the third period, just enough cushion to secure the victory.

Germany made a late rally in the final canto and trimmed the lead to only eight but Serbia responded with an 11-4 run to push back the lead to double digits.

After winning the medal, Bogdan Bogdanovic said that Serbia was not concerned about repeating history from last year’s World Cup.

“We had more confidence. We know what Nikola is bringing to the table for us,” Bogdanovic said. “We continued to play team basketball. We continued to play our way. And we are unafraid. Our mindset, our mentality, we had a great tournament and we wanted to close it out with a win.”

After two years of waiting, the No. 2 overall pick in the Season 49 rookie draft Sedrick Barefield is now ready to take his act to the Philippine Basketball Association.

Barefield said that he is blessed to finally get going in Asia's first-ever play-for-pay league where he is expected to play a major role in Blackwater’s campaign in the 49th Season Governor’s Cup.

He also credited the Bossing head coach Jeffrey Cariaso and his wards for making the transition smooth for him.

"Coach Jeff is doing a great job for us, and I'm just super blessed and thankful to be getting ready for this season," Barefield said.

In 2022, the Filipino-American guard already applied for the PBA draft but didn’t make it to the final list as his camp failed to produce a hard copy of his Philippine passport.

This time, the 27-year-old Barefield made sure that all the documents he needed to be eligible to play in the league had been completed already.

The tune-up games have been helpful for the Bossing as they build chemistry and camaraderie during those exhibition match-ups where they have been perfect so far with 3-0 slate.

Barefield professional basketball career

Barefield played under NBA champion coach Larry Brown with the Midwestern State University (MSU) Mustangs in the NCAA before transferring later on to Utah.

He went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, but hooked up with the Oklahoma City Blue in the NBA G. League.

He also had stints with Lithuania, Greece, and Africa, and played briefly for the Bay Area Dragons in the East Asia Super League (EASL) and Taipei Fubon Braves in the P.League+.

With all the international accolades written in his basketball resume, Barefield is expected to help the Bossing get another opportunity to be in the PBA playoffs once again which they did two seasons ago as an eighth-seeded squad when the team was still under head coach Ariel Vanguardia.

Team USA stormed back from a potential upset against Serbia to return to the gold medal game in the Olympics men’s basketball tournament.

The Americans defeated the Serbians 95-91 at the Bercy Arena on Friday, August 9 (PH time), after bouncing back from a 17-point deficit.

Stephen Curry showcased his best of the tournament by producing 36 points on 9 of 14 shooting behind the arc while LeBron James recorded his second triple double in the Olympics (first player to do it in history) by scoring 16 points, grabbing 12 boards and dishing off 10 assists.

Entering the fourth period, the Serbians still have a 13-point cushion but Curry and James together with Joel Embiid and Kevin Durant showed their poise in the final canto where they went on a 14-2 run which turned an 84-77 deficit to a comfortable 91-86 lead with 1:41 remaining in the game.

A three-point play from Bogdan Bogdanovic and a short stab by Nikola Jokic got Serbia to within two, the last time at 93-91 with 8.2 seconds remaining but Curry iced the game with his two free throws to finally put the Serbians away.

Team USA will now have a finals rematch against host country France whom they also beat in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics to win their fourth straight gold in the Summer Games.

The gold medal game will be scheduled at 3:30 a.m on August 11, Sunday (PH time).

On the other hand, Serbia will battle Germany for the bronze medal at 5:00 p.m on August 10, Saturday (PH time).

The scores:

USA 95 - Curry 36, Embiid 19, James 16, Durant 9, Booker 6, Davis 4, Holiday 3, Edwards 2, Adebayo 0, White 0, Haliburton DNP, Tatum DNP.

Serbia 91 - Bogdanovic 20, Jokic 17, Avramovic 15, Dobric 9, Petrusev 9, Guduric 9, Micic 8, Milutinov 4, Jovic 0, Marikonovic 0, Davidovac DNP, Uros DNP.

The host country France is heading back to the Olympics men’s basketball gold medal game after narrowly defeating Germany in their semi-final battle, 73-69.

Germany started out strong to take a 10-point lead in the first canto of play but France tied the game heading to halftime. Les Bleus built a 13-point lead of its own with less than seven minutes in the fourth and final period. Germany cut the deficit into two in the final minute but France held on to the lead until the final buzzer.

Guerschon Yabusele led France with 17 points. Victor Wembanyama had 11 points on 4-for-17 shooting, while Rudy Gobert went scoreless in just five minutes of action.

Dennis Schröder scored a game-high 18 points for Germany and Franz Wagner chipped in with 10.

France now awaits the winner of the USA-Serbia match-up to know whom they will face in the finals of the tournament.

In France men’s basketball Olympic history, they have three silver medals in their bags - all three coming at the hands of Team USA and the latest was in 2020 Tokyo Olympics. This is the French’s 4th gold medal match appearance in Olympic basketball.

This year's gold medal game will be held at 3:30 a.m on August 11, Sunday (PH time).

Meanwhile, Germany will be battling for their first Olympic men’s basketball medal against the loser of the USA-Serbia match-up for the bronze medal at 5:00 p.m on August 10, Saturday (PH time).

The Scores:

France 73 - Yabusele 17, Cordinier 16, Wenbanyama 11, Lessort 10, Batum 9, Fournier 5, Ntilikina 5, Gobert 0, Strazel 0, de Colo 0, Albicy 0, Coulibaly DNP.

Germany 69 - Schröder 18, F. Wagner 10, Theis 8, Obst 8, Bonga 7, Voigtmann 6, Weiler-Babb 5, M. Wagner 4, Thiemann 3, Giffey 0, da Silva DNP, Lo DNP.

Quarters: 18-25; 33-33; 56-50; 73-69.

Veteran guard Alex “The Crunchman” Cabagnot has returned to the Philippine Basketball Association by signing a two-conference deal with the Converge last Monday, August 5.

The nine-time PBA champion came back to help the young FiberXers to become a much better team especially with the arrival of the 49th Season first overall pick Justine Baltazar who’s also seen as Justin Arana’s potential partner in the paint to form their own twin tower combination.

Cabagnot will also team-up with the much improved Alec Stockton whom he can train to be an elite point guard, team leader and a crunch time scorer just like him.

"I just want to help the team. I recognized having the personal accolades, you don't really admire it until you are fully retired," Cabagnot said.

"It's not for now. We're focused on hopefully, maka-playoff kami. We go to certain places that we've never been before. The milestones na iniisip ko, you will truly admire it when you're fully done,” he added.

Cabagnot’s pro basketball journey

Alex Cabagnot was the second overall pick of the now defunct Sta. Lucia Realtors at the 2005 PBA Draft. He played two seasons with the team before being dealt to Coca-Cola Tigers where he played for two years. 

The Tigers then traded him to Burger King Whoppers. He only played there for several games before being traded to San Miguel Beermen/Petron Blaze Booster where his career blossomed during his 2010-214 stint.

Though the Beermen traded him again for a while at Global Port, they once again got his services in the latter part of 2014 until 2021.

Then he was traded again and suited up for Terrafirma Dyip from 2021-2023 but he didn’t play that much as he suffered from an injury (torn achilles tendon). He was released by the team after his contract expired and became a free agent.

He then played for Goyang Sono in Korea later that year before transferring to the Taiwan Mustangs, which once played Gilas Pilipinas in an exhibition game before the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament

Last run for “the crunchman”

Cabagnot is glad that he’s back with the PBA to play his 20th season and is probably ready to hang up his sneakers at the end of the season.

“It’s kind of surreal because I thought I wasn’t get to finish. I had some offers in other countries – Mongolia, Taiwan. And I said, sana makatapos, my 20th year sa PBA. God is good and I’m here now,” said Cabagnot.

“Sana makatapos ng 20th year ko injury-free, smiling, and playing,” Cabagnot added.

Team USA advanced to the semifinals of the Olympic men’s basketball tournament by dominating Brazil 122-87 on Tuesday, August 6 (Manila Time) at the Bercy Arena in Paris.

The Americans made a 21-2 run and erected a 29-point lead before halftime scoring a total score of 63 points against the 36 of Brazil.

LeBron James, Joel Embiid and Jrue Holiday led the run that held the Brazilians without a field goal in a four minute stretch.

Brazil continued to struggle in the second half of play as Anthony Edwards and Devin Booker took over on what they had started earlier. 

Team USA has once again flexed their depth as they have six players reaching double digit points led by Devin Booker’s 18 points putting his best scoring game in the Olympics while Anthony Edwards added 17. The other players who reached double digits were LeBron James, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant and Anthony Edwards.

James, the team’s captain and leader in assists during the pool phase once again showed his leadership by quarterbacking for the Americans as he dished off nine assists to go along with his 12 points and three steals before heading out the game after receiving an inadvertent elbow from Brazil’s Bruno Caboclo early in the fourth period.

Meanwhile, Caboclo paced the Brazilians with 30 points but the quarterfinals will be the end of the Olympic journey for Brazil who qualified to the tournament by winning the FIBA Olympic Qualifying tournament in Riga.

USA will then meet Serbia in the final four that will begin on Friday, August 9 (Manila Time).

France clinched a ticket to the Paris Olympics men’s basketball tournament final four by defeating the previously unbeaten Canada on Tuesday, August 6 (Manila Time) at the Bercy Arena.

Guerschon Yabusele, who was inserted to the starting line-up together withIsaia Cordinier picked up the slack for a subdued Victor Wembanyama, helping establish an early 23-10 advantage in the first quarter and France never relinquished until the end.

Yabusele led the way for the host team with 22 points and Cordinier added 20 markers. Evan Fournier scored 15 points and Mathias Lessort notched 13 as Wembanyama was limited to seven, while still hauling down 12 rebounds.

On the other side, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had a game-high 27 points for Canada while RJ Barrett contributed 16 markers.

The win set up a rematch against Germany in the semi-finals that is scheduled on Thursday, August 8.

Serbia banked on Nikola Jokic in overtime to eliminate Australia 95-90 and book a ticket to the Olympics men’s basketball tournament semifinals held at the Bercy Arena in Paris on Tuesday, August 6 (Manila Time).

In the first half of play, the Serbians trailed by as much as 24 points but surged back in the second half to have a toe-to-toe game against Australia.

Serbia almost took the game in regulation but Patty Mills, with two seconds left in the game clock made his fade-away jumper to tie the game at 82 and forced the game into overtime.

Jokic hit the go-ahead basket with a minute and seven seconds remaining in overtime before hitting his signature fadeaway shot over the outstretched arm of Duop Reath with 25 seconds left in the extension.

The Boomers had a chance to equalize or just trim the lead to one but Josh Giddey made an inbound error that led to two free throws for Bogdan Bogdanovic that eventually sealed the game.

Nikola Jokic led the way for Serbia with his almost triple-double performance tallying 21 points, grabbing 14 rebounds, dishing off nine assists and having four steals while Patty Mills led the Boomers with 26 points.

Serbia is now waiting for the winner of the USA-Brazil match-up for their semi-finals battle.

In a grueling best-of-seven series in the game of basketball, two-day breaks will always have a huge factor.

First, the breaks rest the tired bodies of the players who grind it all out for 48 minutes of play, making it 53 if the game goes to overtime. The breaks could also give some players the time that they needed to recover from their injuries.

Secondly, those days can also give the coaches the time to huddle and prepare a better game plan for their next game.

As the mentors always say, a seven-game series will always be a long one so a longer preparation will always benefit both teams.

The coaches can also study the game better and they can put a new perspective on their X’s and O’s while preparing their players and everyone on the team to be all out, not just for one game but all throughout the series.

If everybody is healthy and equipped physically, mentally, psychologically, and even emotionally, they can produce a quality ballgame or series that will benefit the league that they are playing and it will bring more interest to the fans of the game.

Finally, when the supporters get excited they will be into the game and the teams battling inside the hardcourt can also feel their energy. And when that factor electrifies the coliseum, the game will be more exciting to watch and the quality of the game will not just be better but it can also be the best.

The 32-year-old PBA rookie Caelan Tiongson is ready to bring his bountiful overseas experience to his new team, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, and prove that it’s never too late to pursue his dreams.

During Monday's Media Day at the Le Parc Event Hall of the Metropark in Pasay City, Tiongson told the sportswriters, “You guys saw a 32-year-old rookie last year emerging as a top newcomer, so I don't know if you're forgetting about that so fast, but yeah, I'm excited." 

The seventh pick overall in the recent draft was referring to Stephen Holt, who made an impact last season and helped the Terrafirma Dyip reach the Philippine Cup playoffs.

"I took good care of my body really seriously and feeling ready for the challenge for sure," added Tiongson.

The 6-foot-5 forward will be joined by the eighth pick overall Felix Lemetti, a 6-foot-1 US NCAA Division 1 point guard, who saw action for the Southern Utah Thunderbirds.

Tiongson previously played for the recent William Jones Cup champions, Strong Group Athletics.

He retired from pro basketball in 2019 to attend important family matters in the United States, before making a comeback as he played for the Taoyuan Leopards in the Taiwan T1 League.

Known for - his hustle and defense, Tiongson is ready to prove that he can still pursue his dreams at the age of 32.

Justin Brownlee secured another championship to his accolades after Pelita Jaya reigned the 2024 Indonesia Basketball League (IBL) after subduing Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta, 73-65, on Sunday, August 4, at the Indomilk Arena. 

The well-loved Gilas Pilas naturalized player and Barangay Ginebra import did not have a huge offensive night but he made his presence felt by producing 14 points, including eight in the third quarter alone, together with five rebounds. 

Indonesian team naturalized player Anthony Beane paced the squad with 23 markers, spiked by six triples, while former PBA import KJ McDaniels contributed 14 and seven boards.

Forward Muhamad Arighi had 13 points as well, spiked by three triples, off the bench as Pelita Jaya won its second IBL title after seven years.

With the crown tucked under his belt, Brownlee is expected to fly back to Manila soon to rejoin Barangay Ginebra as he looks to lead his team in the upcoming PBA Season 49, which kicks off with the Governor’s Cup. 

The Philippine Basketball Association Season 49 will open their season with an import-laiden conference. 

Imports are essential for the league as they bring dynamics to each team that they play for and local players will have a glimpse on how to play with international players. In the Governors’ Cup, the usual third conference of the league that allows each team to get one reinforcement, will be the first conference to be held by the PBA this year.

This year, the conference will have a 6’6” height limit for imports - a little difference from the 6’5” limit from last year.

They will also bring excitement to the fans as some of the imports are former NBA players whom they can only watch from television before but now they can have a chance to watch them live in the basketball venues.

Everything set aside, here’s a preview of the imports who will play for the Philippine Basketball Association 49th Season Governors’ Cup.

Barangay Ginebra San Miguel: Justin Brownlee 

Justin Brownlee, the six-time PBA champion and three-time best import will once again don the Ginebra jersey for another tour of duty.

Brownlee will not only bring his PBA championship pedigree in the upcoming season but also his international experience too.

The Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player just recently won another championship when he helped the Perlita Jaya capture the Indonesian Basketball League title.

He also showed his brilliance in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament where he led Gilas upset the host team and world’s No. 6 ranked Latvia.

With all the accolades Brownlee have and the new pieces that Ginebra get in the pre-season, they now have the big chance to get back the Governors’ Cup title - one that they lost last season against TNT Tropang Giga who was then reinforced by NBA veteran Rondae Hollis-Jefferson.

Blackwater Bossing: Ricky Ledo

Ricky Ledo, a former NBA second round pick in 2013 will reinforce the Blackwater Bossing.

Ledo was drafted 43rd overall by the Milwaukee Bucks but he didn’t play with the team. His draft rights were later traded to Philadelphia, and finally to Dallas.

He played for the Dallas Mavericks in 2013 and for the New York Knicks in 2015.

Incidentally, a number of former PBA imports were part of that 2013 draft class including Shabazz Muhammad (San Miguel and Strong Group Athletics), Glen Rice Jr (TNT), Tony Mitchell (Magnolia, NLEX), and Jamaal Franklin (Converge).

The 31-year-old Ledo can play multiple positions. He has great dribbling skills and shooting prowess and he has proven it in one of his games in China where he almost tallied a triple-double when he scored 54 points, grabbed 15 rebounds, and dished off 9 assists.

Now that Blackwater has Ledo on their side partnering with No. 2 pick overall Sedrick Barefield, and two-time MVP James Yap passing the baton to the youngsters, Bossing can become a force to reckon with.

Converge FiberXers: Scotty Hopson

The league might have one more Scotty to watch out for in Scotty Hopson, a 34-year-old NBA undrafted player and a journeyman who played internationally will bring his experience to the Converge FiberXers.

Hopson had short stints for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Dallas Mavericks and Oklahoma Thunder. He also played in Greece, Israel, Turkey, Spain, Croatia, Lebanon, Australia and China.

He last played for Boston Celtics G.League affiliate, Maine Celtics.

Hopson is not just an athletic player but also an all-around one with a deadly perimeter jumper and nice stroke beyond the arc. He is also a hard worker when it comes to defense.

The 34-year-old reinforcement might be the eldest among the new imports coming to the PBA but his experience will make a big impact to the young line-up of the FiberXers led by 2024 first pick overall Justine Baltazar and steady inside presence of 2023 Rookie of the Year, Justin Arana.

Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots: Glenn Robinson III

Glenn Robinson III, the 2017 NBA Slam Dunk champion will bring his solid basketball resume to Magnolia Hotshots.

Among all the PBA imports right now, Robinson is the most experienced when it comes to playing in the NBA. He played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Philadelphia 76ers, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Sacramento Kings and Golden State Warriors where he became a teammate of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green.

Robinson played a total of 304 games in his NBA career. He was even inserted to the starting lineup 105 times.

This might be the first time that Robinson will play as an import but his NBA pedigree might be all the Hotshots need to win another chip for the team.

The last time that Magnolia won a championship was in the 2018 Governors’ Cup when Romeo Travis reinforced them to the promised land.

With Robinson coming to the picture with a mix of steady veterans and quality youngsters added to the team, the Hotshots might have a great chance of getting their 15th championship ring.

Meralco Bolts: Allen Durham

Allen Durham, the three-time best import is back with the Meralco Bolts after four years.

Durham led the Bolts to three finals appearances before only to succumb to eventual champions Barangay Ginebra in those three outings.

The 36-year-old import will try to lead Meralco to the promised land and end his unfinished business with a championship ring in mind.

This time, Durham already had a championship tucked under his belt when he won a championship with the Ryuku Golden Kings in Japan B. League where he became the finals MVP.

The Bolts also won their first PBA title in last season’s Philippine. Cup.

With Meralco and Durham having championship pedigree already, they are now expected to have another ring - this time as one unit.

NLEX Road Warriors: Myke Henry

For a team that has yet to win a PBA title in its history, can Myke Henry be NLEX’s Strongest Man?

Henry, a former Memphis Grizzlies player, will be donning the NLEX Road Warriors jersey as the team’s reinforcement.

Henry last played with Sartria Muda in the Indonesian Basketball League where he averaged 14.2 points, 6.8 rebound and 3.3 assists per game. 

He also played in Team USA’s 3x3 in the 2016 World Championship.

A player with highflying skills and quick release shooting, Henry is expected to make his defenders work hard in guarding him.

The arrival of Henry partnered with the services of a scoring machine in Robert Bolick and a hustle player with veteran smarts in Sean Anthony, the Road Warriors became a better team and can become a playoff contender once again.

Northport Batang Pier: Taylor Johns

Taylor Johns, a seasoned journeyman who will bring his experience to the Northport Batang Pier.

Johns has experienced playing in Slovenia, Greece, Israel, Finland and Slovakia before.

His last stint was in IIndonesia Basketball League (IBL) with the Kesatria Bengawan Solo, whom he helped reach the playoffs but was let go before the postseason. The club eventually lost to Satria Muda Pertamina.

Johns averaged 15.1 points, 10.4 rebounds, 4.2 assists, 2.1 steals and 1 block in 26.5 minutes of play per game in the IBL.

The 30-year-old import is known to be a good pick and roll player. That can play a vital role in the Batang Pier campaign as their newly acquired guard Jio Jalalon can blossom in the same kind of set up just like what he did when he’s still with Magnolia. 

Now that Johns has entered the building, only time will tell if Coach Bonnie Tan has found the right combination of players that he needs to make Northport enter the playoffs.

Phoenix Super LPG Fuel Masters: Jayveous McKinnis

A young Jayveous McKinnis will try to ignite the Phoenix Fuel Masters into playoff contention once again..

In his last stint with Apoel Nicosia in Cyprus League Division 1, the 24-year-old forward averaged 15.6 points, 14.2 rebounds, 1.2 assists, 1.1 steals and 1.8 blocks per game.

McKinnis might be young but having Coach Jamike Jarin on his side to guide him and veteran teammates like Jason Perkins, RJ Jazul and RR Garcia together with sets of youngsters led by Ken Tuffin, he is expected to make his PBA debut to be a good one.

Rain or Shine Elasto Painters: Aaron Fuller

Aaron Fuller, a returning import that will now play for his new team, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters but with his former Coach in NLEX, Yeng Guiao.

Fuller also played with Blackwater and TNT before but his stint with Coach Yeng seemed to bring out the best in him as he averaged 31.1 points and 16.6 rebounds per game.

His defense, hardwork and inside presence will definitely help ROS campaign to have another playoff run this season.

Fuller also helped the Elasto Painters win the Kadayawan Invitation Basketball in Davao where they swept the four-day tournament.

San Miguel Beermen: Jordan Adams

Jordan Adams, the former Memphis Grizzlies will be the import of the powerhouse San Miguel Beermen.

The Beermen brought in Adams to take over the import spot that previously belonged to Lithuanian Tauras Jogela in an early import change.

After his Memphis campaign, Adams played in the NBA G. League before he journeyed overseas where he saw action in Syria. Mexico, Argentina, and Uruguay.

Adams came from his fresh stint with the Indonesia Basketball League (IBL) where he suited up for the Dewa United Banten. 

He was part of the 2024 IBL All Stars and even won the 3-point shootout competition.

Knowing that Adams can shoot nicely from beyond the arc, it will be an advantage for SMB as they still have a threat inside the paint in JuneMar Fajardo. The seventh-time MVP can just easily kick-out a pass to Adams or with another gunner Marcio Lassiter especially since the PBA has introduced the four-point line.

Terrafirma Dyip: Brandon Edwards

Brandon Edwards, a product of NCAA Division 1 program UT-Arlington will bring his decade of vast experience of playing professionally to the PBA.

Edwards spent much of his career in Europe. He started in Spain, then took his wares to Green, then Finland, Israel and France.

The 32-year-old reinforcement has also played in Asia when he suited up for the Macau Black Bears in the 2019-20 ASEAN Basketball League but the stint was cut short due to the pandemic.

He played for 12 games in the ABL and posted averages of 18.0 points, 11.4 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks in 36.0 minutes of action.

Edwards recently played in Kosovo, where he helped Klubi i Basketbollit Trepça win the 2023-24 Superliga crown.

As he brings his talent to the Philippines, he is now expected to help the Dyip go to the next level and make them a playoff contender specially with the arrival of Christian Standhardinger and Stanley Pringle through a blockbuster trade with fan–favorite Ginebra.

TNT Tropang Giga: Darius Days

Darius Days, a 24-year-old former NBA player will reinforce the TNT Tropang Giga to defend their Governors’ Cup title.

With former Rondae Hollis-Jefferson not being available for the TNT to defend their crown, the Tropang Texters tapped the services of the former Houston Rockets player.

He is the third former Rockets that will play for TNT after Terrence Jones and KJ McDaniels.

Days might not be explosive in his NBA stint but he tallied monster numbers in NBA D.League where he averaged 29.3 points, 11 rebounds, 3.7 assist, and 1.3 steals per game when he played with the RGV (Rio Grande Valley) Vipers. He also averaged 3.7 3-pointers per outing.

TNT didn’t get much in the recent PBA Rookie Draft but having the services of Darius Days gave the Tropang Giga the boost that they needed as defending champions.

Now that we know who the imports are in the upcoming Governors’ Cup, whose reinforcement do you think will make the largest impact in their respective team?

The answer will be found out as Asia’s first and oldest pay-for-play basketball league resumes action on August 18th.

Team USA dominated the South Sudan Bright Stars 103-86 in the group phase of the Olympics men’s basketball on Wednesday, July 31 at the Pierre Mauro Stadium in Paris, France.

There was no repeat of their pre-Olympic game where South Sudan almost made an upset against the Americans as the game ended at 101-100. Team USA had to overcome a 16-point deficit, with LeBron James scoring the game winning lay-up.

The Americans showed their might this time as they started the game with a 6-0 run and never looked back until the end to secure their quarterfinals ticket in the Paris Games.

Miami Heat star Bam Adebayo led the Americans in scoring with 18 points, 14 of which came from the first half of play. He also grabbed seven rebounds, swatted two shots, dished off one assist and tallied one steal.

Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Devin Booker and Derick While all finished in double figures in scoring too.

It was also the return of Jayson Tatum in the starting line-up after not playing a single minute in their opening game against Serbia.

On the other hand, Noni Omot led South Sudan with 24 points, two rebounds, two assists, and two steals while Carlik Jones added 18 markers, seven dimes, three boards and one steal.

Team USA will still be facing Puerto Rico on August 3 to cap off their group stage assignment while the Bright Stars will face Serbia in a must win situation to advance to the next round.

France prevailed in their nail-biting Olympic men’s basketball clash against Japan 94-90 in a game that went to overtime.

In the closely contested ballgame, the No. 9 ranked Les Bleus was trailing by four points in the dying seconds of game until Matthew Strazel threw a desperation three-pointer that went in and was fouled by Yuki Kawamura of the ranked 26 Japan Akatsuki Five. Strazel converted the bonus free throw that tied the game at 84 and forced overtime.

During the extension, Victor Wembanyama scored eight of the 10 overtime points of France to overcome his game struggles and led Les Bleus to victory.

Wembanyama started the game with eight points, then had his woes for the rest of the game before overtime came. The San Antonio Spurs superstar still led the French team in scoring with 18 markers, added 11 boards, six assists, two steals and two block shots.

Strazel who bailed them out with his four-point play in the regulation that forced overtime tallied 17 markers and three dimes.

Meanwhile, Yuki Kawamura led the Akatsuki Five in scoring with 29 markers. He also grabbed seven rebounds, dished off six assists, and tallied one steal.

Los Angeles Lakers Rui Hachimura added 24 points (7/11 on 2-point shots, 3/5 on 3-point area, and 1/2 on free throws) for the Japanese team. He also grabbed three boards in his 28 minutes of play before his ejection after receiving his second unsportsmanlike foul with 8:31 left in the fourth quarter.

France now has a 2-0 slate in their group while Japan went down to 0-2.

The Akatsuki Five next assignment will be on August 2 against Brazil while the host team Les Blue will face Germany on August 3 to cap off their match-ups in the Group Phase.

Team USA has dominated their Olympic opponents both in the men’s and women’s division

The Americans led by NBA superstars LeBron James and Kevin Durant defeated Serbia 110-84 in their opening game of their group stage.

LeBron James tallied 21 points, nine assists and seven rebounds while Durant scored the game high 23 points coming off a perfect field goal from the first half of play.

On the other hand, Nikola Jokic paced the Serbian team with 20 points, 8 assists, 5 rebounds and 4 assists.

The win placed Team USA on top of Group C after one set of games. Their next opponent will be the uprising and first time Olympian South Sudan team on July 31.
 

The Rain or Shine Elasto Painters swept the 39th Kadayawan Invitational basketball tournament after dominating the De La Salle Green Archers 138-116 during the finals night held last July 28 at the University of Southeastern Philippines gymnasium in Davao City.

Photo: Rain or Shine Elasto Painters Facebook page

RoS’ import in the upcoming PBA Governor’s Cup led the way with 34 points and 11 rebounds while the eventual Finals MVP Andrei Caracut added 21 points, eight assists and three rebounds.

Supporting the two are Gian Mamuyac and Keith Datu. Mamuyac finished with 17 markers while Datu also tallied the same score highlighted by his 3-of-4 shooting from the three-point area.

The Elasto painters were perfect 4-0 from the came at the expense of fellow PBA teams Phoenix Fuel Masters and Converge FiberXers in the single round elimination while defeating UAAP champions De La Salle Green Archers twice - one in the eliminations and one in the finals.

In the finals, UAAP MVP Kevin Quimabao still led the Green Archers with a double-double performance of 19 points and 16 rebounds despite having an ankle sprain. He was supported by Mike Philips who tallied 18 markers and 11 boards.

The reigning UAAP champions might not won the Kadayawan tourney but they still held their heads up high as they defeated two pro teams in Converge and Phoenix during the elimination round and even got toe-to-toe against eventual champions RoS in the preliminaries before bowing down to them in the tournament finale.

Meanwhile, Phoenix defeated Converge 87-81 in their battle for third.

Phoenix import Jay McKinnis led the way for the Fuel Masters by scoring 22 points and grabbing 17 rebounds while star Jason Perkins added 13 markers.

The champion team received P200,000 as prize money.

South Sudan men’s basketball team brushed off all obstacles to get a historic first win in the Paris Games.

In the first battle from the Group Phase C, the world’s No. 33 ranked team shocked world’s No. 16 Puerto Rico by winning their first foray in Olympics men’s basketball 90-79 at the Pierre Mauroy Stadium on July 28.

Carlik Jones led the South Sudan in victory by tallying 19 points, 7 rebounds and 6 assists while Marial Shayok added 15 markers.

The team overcame an 8-0 start from Puerto Rico and only managed to taste the first lead of the game in the 7:13 mark of the 3rd quarter of play when Noni Omot made a three-pointer to give them a two-point cushion 56-54.

From there, South Sudan never looked back and got their first ever Olympic win. The African nation qualified for the Paris Games after qualifying as Africa’s top finisher in last year’s world cup.

Anthem Blunder before game

Before the game began, an anthem blunder was made by the Paris Games organizers. They inadvertently played the neighboring Sudan’s anthem - and they later apologized for their mistake.

The nation of South Sudan has gained independence from Sudan after a referendum in 2011 but violent clashes between the two nations continued to spark as the dispute over borders, natural resources and political power.

Before their win, the organizers inadvertently played the anthem of neighboring Sudan – and later apologized for the mistake.
South Sudan gained independence from Sudan after a referendum in 2011 but disputes over borders, natural resources and political power have continued to spark violent clashes between the two.

No indoor basketball courts

In South Sudan, there were no indoor basketball courts according to NBA All-Star Loul Deng, who’s also the president of the South Sudan Basketball Federation.

Deng was instrumental in putting the Bright Stars together to form the South Sudan men’s national basketball team.

He also said that South Sudan has some of the tallest people in the world. Height usually is always might in the game of basketball as it gives a huge advantage.However, the country lacks resources to even have an indoor basketball court.

Olympic basketball in the 2024 Paris Games has been off to a hot start, with ball clubs from different nations slugging it out for a chance to qualify for the medal rounds and call themselves the world’s best.

Australia and Spain will open the men’s tournament in the Group Phase A while Group Phase B will begin with the battle between Japan and Germany to be followed by Brazil meeting the host team France in the main game.

Australia wins opener versus Spain

Australia opened the Men’s Basketball tournament with a bang by defeating world’s No. 2 Spain 92-80 in the Group A phase.

NBA veteran Patty Mills opened the scoring for the No. 5 ranked Aussie team by converting three free throws followed by Jock Landale three pointer to have a 6-0 lead early in the opening frame.

The Boomers erected a double-digit lead in the 1st half of play but Spain refused to give up and even took the lead for a while before the Aussies put the game away during the final frame.

Josh Giddey, Jock Landale and Patty Mills combine for 56 of Australia's 92 points in their Group A win.

The debuting Giddey wrote himself into the record books by becoming the first player to combine 15+ points, 7+ rebounds and 7+ assist in his first game at the Olympics, putting his name alongside the legendary Drazen Petrovic who made the same feat in 1984 against Italy.

Germany dominates Japan

Germany showed their might against Japan to secure their first Group Phase B game in the Paris Olympics.

The No. 3 ranked Germany dominated the No. 26 Japan 97-77 led by NBA-based Wagner brothers, Franz and Moritz, with the former the game's top scorer with 22 points. Ever-reliable veteran Dennis Schroeder also chipped in 13 points and 12 assists.

A combined 36 points from Rui Hachimura and Yutanabe (who both played in the NBA) were not enough to give Japan a win over the reigning World Cup champions.

In the first two quarters of play, the Japanese managed to hold the lead of the Germans into single digit but was unable to sustain the pace in the second half as the Die Mannschaft flexed their might.

Germany is hoping to secure a first Olympic medal in men’s basketball after winning its first world title in 2023.

Host France defeated Brazil

Host team and world’s No. 9 ranked France defeated No. 12 Brazil 78-66 in full-pack Stade Pierre Mauroy where fans cheered and sang to the rhythm of 'tambour' drums in support of Les Bleus.

San Antonio Spurs star Victor Wembanyama who’s a first time Olympian scored 19 points to lead his team to victory while another NBA veteran Nicolas Batum added the same number of points for the team.

The NBA sophomore nicknamed “The Alien” because of his 7-foot-3 inches (2.22 m) frame, added nine rebounds, four steals, three blocks and two assists in his debut game as an Olympian. He also shot 7-of-13 from the field.

The opening game win for Les Bleus tied them with Germany to lead Group Phase B in the standings.
 

The Samahan ng Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio might be disappointed that Gilas Pilipinas men’s basketball team failed to qualify for the Paris Olympics but still optimistic that they can work on to reach the ultimate goal of making it to the Los Angeles Games in 2028.

Earlier this year, Gilas head coach Tim Cone said that “The ultimate goal for the SBP is to make it to the LA Olympics, I think that’s the ultimate goal. That’s what they are looking for,”

They have tried to reach the Olympic goal this year in the Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) held in Latvia. They upset the host team and FIBA’s No. 6 ranked team during their match-up in the group stage.

Gilas was defeated by the No. 23 ranked Georgia narrowly in their next assignment ending in a three-way tie at their group but superior quotient points gave Latvia and the Philippines the advantage of moving to the next round. In the crossover Semis, the No. 37 ranked Philippines bowed down to No. 12 ranked Brazil who overcame a double-digit lead in the first half. Brazil eventually won the OQT in Latvia after defeating the host team in the finals.

Panlilio might be disappointed that the nation’s pride team didn’t make it to Paris but he has seen a glimpse of hope for the team’s future endeavors especially in targeting the ultimate goal of making it to the LA Olympics.

“In the OQT in Latvia, we proved we can compete with the best in the world,” said Panlilio. “Our vision is to go to LA through the World Cup by becoming the highest Asian finisher. In Latvia, I felt we had a 50-50 chance against Brazil in the semis if only Kai (Sotto) played and even if only for five to 10 minutes to make an impact like Willis Reed (with the New York Knicks in Game Seven of the 1970 NBA Finals). Kai was cleared by doctors to play and joined the shootaround but just before the game, he told (coach) Tim (Cone) he couldn’t play because he was still in pain. If only we had (AJ) Edu, June Mar (Fajardo) wouldn’t have had to extend himself. If we had Jamie (Malonzo) and Scottie (Thompson), maybe we would’ve gone to the final, who knows? But we showed we can compete with the big boys.”

To reach the goal of making it in the 2028 Olympics, there are two ways the Philippines can earn a ticket.

The first way is to finish as the highest-placed Asian country in the FIBA World Cup to be held in Qatar on August 27-September 12, 2027. The second route is to top one of the four FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. Both paths will require qualifiers that will make the route difficult. But the more doable path is to clinch the slot in the FIBA World Cup.

Gilas Naturalized Players

As for Gilas naturalized players, Panlilio said the 36-year-old star Justine Brownlee continues to shine in donning the Philippine colors.

SBP is in the process of naturalizing the 28-year-old and 6'10" forward/center Bennie Boatwright, for the future. Meanwhile, ex-Ateneo big man and UB Chartres Métropole player Ange Kouame, 26, is available as a backup.

In tournaments like the SEA Games where only a passport is required for eligibility, it’s an option to enlist more than one naturalized player.

Coaching Duties

In the SBP’s lined up a four-year program, Cone’s term as Gilas coach is year-to-year. He has put together a 12-man team that he intends to keep for the next four years, but is open to minor tweaks throughout the build-up.

“But ultimately, in the fourth year, we want to be playing in the Qatar World Cup. We have to qualify first but we want to be playing in the Qatar World Cup and we want to be finishing first in Asia, and get that berth in the LA Olympics. That’s been clear to me. That’s the goal of the SBP,” said Cone.

Part of the build-up for the long term is the coming first window of the Fiba Asia Cup 2025 qualifiers. Gilas Pilipinas won their first two games of the said tournament, the first was against Hong Kong last February 22 and the second was over the Chinese Taipei team last February 25. The next one will be a battle against world No. 21 ranked New Zealand on November 21.

Newly-elected PBA vice chairman Alfranchis Chua is pushed to take over the national basketball team executive duties as success has been inevitable to Gilas when he took over the chores.

Chua as an executive in-charge for the national basketball team took the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year after the 61 year drought of the country in claiming the championship of the quadrennial meet.

Leading the call are PBA chairman Ricky Vargas, SBP president and Gilas head coach Tim Cone.

Vargas said he witnessed himself on how Chua provided hand-on leadership that eventually led to the victory of the team, “A strong Gilas team benefits PBA and a strong PBA benefits Gilas so it’s mutually beneficial,” said Vargas who’s also SBP vice president. He added , “About 70 percent of Gilas is from PBA. We’re recruiting better players and now, naniniwala na tayong lahat that we can compete against the best in the world. We proved that in the OQT in Latvia. We’ve observed that when Gilas players return to the PBA, they’re more confident, they’re better because of the experience. A clear example is Chris Newsome who led Meralco to the Philippine Cup championship after a stellar performance in Hangzhou. We’re changing the Gilas culture and we’re earning a different respect from our opponents.”

The PBA chairman also pointed out that Gilas is ranked No. 37 in the FIBA rankings but has recently defeated No. 6 Latvia, almost upsetting No. 12 Brazil and No. 23 Georgia. The national team also defeated No. 27 Iran in the Asian games classification round, upsetting the host team and No. 29 China in the semis, and beating No. 32 Jordan in a defensive-oriented finals to win the gold.

Panlilio on the other hand said Gilas missed Chua in Latvia and he would’ve surely made an impact if he was present in that OQT (Olympic Qualifier Tournament). “We need my tokayo with Gilas,” he said. “He knows basketball more than I do. I told Alfrancis that I’ll be there for him, I’ll be on the admin side and he can take charge of the team like he did in Hangzhou. He knows how to encourage and motivate the players like nobody else. Alfrancis treats everyone equally, walang lumalamang, there is parity and a real sense of brotherhood.”

Chua couldn’t join Gilas in Latvia because of his work commitments at San Miguel Corp. where his responsibilities are beyond sports as he also assists chairman Ramon S. Ang in special projects like the NAIA rehab, building a new airport in Bulacan and streamlining of tollway operations. But he said there will always be a big place in his heart for basketball.

“Gilas is valuable to our country,” said Chua. “The team is about national pride and brings happiness to our countrymen. In recruiting players, walang pilitan, sama-sama lahat at ramdam sa PBA ang impact ng performance sa international competitions.”

PBA winningest coach and now Gilas head coach Tim Cone said the team missed Chua’s boost in Latvia. He also asked Chua for a meeting to try to persuade him to go back to Gilas. When Cone was given a People of the Year award by PeopleAsia last March, he said “I think Alfrancis deserved it more.” When Gilas plays in the next FIBA Asia Cup qualifying window against New Zealand on Nov. 21 and Hong Kong on Nov. 24, both at home, Vargas, Panlilio and Cone hope Chua will be back at the helm.

San Miguel Corporation has gone all out in its support for Gilas Pilipinas’ FIBA World Cup campaign by allowing Ginebra head coach Tim Cone to be part of the national team’s coaching staff, and it has also allowed its sports director Alfrancis Chua to be an executive advisor to both the national team and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

Boss Al, as most of the SMC players call him, has 16 PBA titles as the SMC sports director. Seven titles were with Team NSD (never-say-die) Barangay Ginebra and the latest was the 2023-2024 Philippine Cup title won by the winningest PBA ball club San Miguel Beermen.

He was also named PBA Executive of the Year in 2018 and 2021.

Aside from being a successful executive, he was once a PBA All-Star Game head coach in 1999, and 2x PBA champion as assistant coach (2021 Governor’s Cup and 2008 Philippine Cup). He was also a 7x champion head coach in the amateur ranks when the now defunct PBL (Philippine Basketball League) was still active.

Chua’s list of accomplishments in the PBA and in international competitions as an executive validate the clamor for him to take charge of the basketball national team.