Expecting the worst, TNT prepared to start looking for new import

TNT Import Ivan Johnson. PBA IMAGES

TNT coach Jong Uichico is preparing for the worst amid the Tropa’s appeal to rescind Ivan Johnson’s ban.

Johnson was handed a lifetime ban and was penalized P250,000 for “addressing the Commissioner with profanities and showing utter disrespect for authority” after being ejected midway in the second quarter of TNT’s game against Meralco on Saturday. The Tropa went on to lose that one, 88-84.

TNT also played their first game, a 108-102, victory over Blackwater last Wednesday, without an import as Johnson served his one-game suspension after punching Frank Golla and shoving JP Erram in a tuneup game.

Uichico left Philsports Arena early on Saturday to make it to the 2016 PSA Awards, where he gave a tribute to the late Ron Jacobs, leaving it up to TNT team manager Virgil Villavicencio to file the appeal.

But the soft-spoken coach is not hopeful that commissioner Chito Narvasa will reverse his decision.

“I don’t know if the Commissioner will change his mind,” he said. “It’s the Commissioner’s decision and I cannot say if it’s valid or not. Maybe it was too soon during the game, but it’s only the Commissioner who can decide on the verdict.”

Uichico said the team is going to start looking for a replacement for Johnson, but if it comes down to it, he believes TNT can win games without a reinforcement.

“We won naman without an import and we didn’t had an import for almost the whole game and we still had a chance to win,” he said. “For sure, we are going to look for imports and hopefully, he can come before Friday’s game.”