In the four recent FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments, four teams showed PBA connections other than Gilas. Cameroon’s Serbian assistant coach Slavoljub Gorunovic, 54, was an active coaching consultant with TNT when the Tropa captured the PBA Governors’ Cup crown with interim head coach Jojo Lastimosa in 2022-23. Cameroon advanced to the OQT semis where the World No. 68 bowed to host Latvia.
New Zealand’s lineup listed ex-PBA imports Ethan Rusbatch and Tom Vodanovich. The 6-5 Rusbatch, 32, saw action in one game for Converge in the 2022-23 Governors’ Cup, collecting 17 points and nine rebounds in the FiberXers’ 122-92 win over NorthPort. He was immediately replaced by Jamaal Franklin. The 6-7 Vodanovich, 29, played in five games for Converge in the 2023-24 Commissioner’s Cup, averaging 20.8 points, 12.4 rebounds and 3.5 assists. Converge went 0-5 with Vodanovich who was replaced by Jamil Wilson.
In the OQT in Piraeus, Greece, New Zealand beat Croatia, 90-86, and lost to Slovenia, 104-78, failing to make it to the semis with the lowest quotient in a triple tie in the group stage. Rusbatch was in the 12-man roster but never got to play in Greece. Vodanovich averaged 5.5 points and 11.7 minutes in two outings.
Puerto Rico’s Chris Ortiz went the distance with Blackwater in the 2023-24 Governors’ Cup, averaging 25.7 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.9 assists in 11 contests. It was a forgettable stint as the Bossing slumped to a 1-10 record. The 6-8 Ortiz, 31, hit at a 7.3 clip in four OQT games. Host Puerto Rico was undefeated in the San Juan OQT, bowling over Bahrain, 99-56, and stunning Italy, 80-69, in the group stage, crushing Mexico, 98-78, in the semis and shocking Lithuania, 79-68, in the final. The sweep earned an Olympic ticket for the World No. 16.
Another ex-PBA import Wayne Chism suited up for Bahrain in the OQT in Puerto Rico. Bahrain, ranked No. 71, was a surprise entry in the OQT, gaining a spot after sweeping the FIBA Pre-Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Damascus, Syria last year. South Korea and Chinese-Taipei withdrew from the competition, leaving Bahrain to vie for the lone ticket with Saudi Arabia, India, Kazakhstan, Indonesia and host Syria. Gilas, in contrast, booked a ticket to the OQT in Latvia by virtue of its 24th place finish in the FIBA World Cup last year. Gilas’ 96-75 romp over China clinched it.
Bahrain was eliminated in two OQT games in the group stage, losing to Puerto Rico, 99-56, and Italy, 114-53. The 6-9 Chism, 37, was a disappointment as a naturalized player, averaging 6.0 points and 21.4 minutes. He made his PBA debut with Rain or Shine in 2014, averaging 22.7 points in the Commissioner’s Cup. Chism returned to play with Rain or Shine the next season, this time averaging 25.9 points and took Best Import honors for leading the Elasto Painters to the Commissioner’s Cup finals. In his third appearance with ROS, Chism was replaced after two games with a hamstring injury. In 2017, he moved to NLEX, averaging 23.5 points and in 2018, saw action in three games for Magnolia. Chism has been with the Bahrain national team since 2018 and last year, averaged 13.8 points in the Asian Games. In the world of basketball, the PBA is never far from any conversation.