FOR Scottie Thompson, there are big expectations for members of the Gilas Pilipinas national men’s basketball team to live up to going into 46th season of the Philippines Basketball Association.
The experience that the players got for winning the gold in the 2023 Asian Games in Hangzhou will be valuable to their mother teams’ campaigns when action begins on Nov. 5.
“Malaking experience namin ang madadala coming from the Asian Games, coming into the season. Pero nasa amin na ‘yun kung paano maha-handle ang mga expectations,” said Thompson, who was part of the Gilas Pilipinas team that won the gold medal in the Hangzhou Asiad.
The team was honored by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.
“Dahil may pressure, mataas ang expecations,” added Thompson before attending the ceremony.
The 31-year-old Thompson was present during the rites, dubbed as “Gabi ng Parangal at Pasasalamat para sa Bayaning Atletang Pilipino.”
Meanwhile, Ginebra comes into its PBA campaign with another Gilas player in Justin Brownlee still unsure of his status.
There’s no official word yet on the fate of the three-time PBA Best Import if he is going to play for the Gin Kings.
But Thompson said they will continue to encourage him and lift his spirits as they await Brownlee’s fate.
Brownlee was involved doping allegations after testing positive for traces of 11-Nor-9-carboxy-THC, a substance linked to cannabis use in his system during the Asiad.
Team Philippines brought home four golds, two silvers and 12 bronze medals during the two-week continental sports spectacle from September 23 to October 8.
EJ Obiena also won the gold in pole vault, while Meggie Ochoa and Annie Ramirez ruled in jiu-jitsu, and Gilas Pilipinas emerged from 62 years of championship drought in men’s basketball.