Robert Bolick hopes all-Filipino Gilas Pilipinas can repeat SEA Games gold run in Asian Games

Months after winning the Southeast Asian Games gold medal, Robert Bolick has another chance to represent the Philippines and go for an Asian Games gold medal.

Just like in December, when Gilas Pilipinas played without an import in the SEA Games, Bolick is hoping the current all-Filipino crew can also defend the country’s gold medal in the Asiad.

“Sa SEA Games namin, walang import tapos walang expectation na mag-gold kami. Ngayon wala na namang import, baka masuwerte na naman kami,” he said in a press conference.

Gilas Pilipinas could once again play without an import as Justin Brownlee continues to recover from multiple injuries.

“So hopefully, ‘pag makuha naming gold ‘to, medyo magandang [resulta]… ‘di lang para sa akin, para sa team, baka hindi kami makatulog pag nangyari ‘yun. Pero ‘yun ‘yung expectation din namin na sana mag-gold kami kaya namin nandito.”

As a veteran of several international basketball tournaments, including the Gilas Pilipinas team that competed in the 2018 FIBA World Cup, Bolick also hopes to learn from the younger players on the lineup.

“Masaya ako na may matutuhan sa kanila. Hopefully, may matutuhan sila sa akin. Hopefully, ang anuman ang pagtrabahuhan namin, manalo kami.”

Gilas Pilipinas will begin its Asian Games title defense on September 11.

—JKC, GMA News