All seemed fine for Scottie Thompson during the first window of the FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers.
In the two games played, the do-it-all 6-foot-1 guard averaged 20.3 minutes per game, recording 9.0 assists, 3.5 points, and 2.5 rebounds.
However, the numbers did not tell the story of the pain he was going through.
Thompson was nursing a bad back the entire time.
“It’s one of those issues when you can’t put a timeline on it, and we don’t know when he will be back. This was an issue that bothered him back in the FIBA Asia Qualifiers,” shared Ginebra and Gilas head coach Tim Cone.
“It happened a lot when we were at the Inspire camp. He was having issues with his back and would sit out most of the games. He fought his way through the games, and we tried to limit his minutes, hoping that it wouldn’t get too bad,” he recalled.
“But it got worse. Now, we’re paying for it here in terms of him missing games for Ginebra. That’s the sacrifice we make as a group for the national team.”
Thompson had to sit out Ginebra’s PBA Season 48 Philippine Cup opener against Rain or Shine.
And it took a group effort just to fill the shoes of the former league MVP.
Doing their part were the likes of Maverick Ahanmisi (18 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists), Stanley Pringle (12 points, 3 rebounds, 3 assists), and Nards Pinto (5 points, 4 rebounds, 3 assists).
The Gin Kings also needed some endgame breaks to escape the Elasto Painters, ending up with a 113-107 victory.
There is no timetable for when Thompson can return.
Ginebra still has two more games before the All-Star break. Maybe by then, Thompson can return.
“We don’t know the timeline, and it’s one of those issues that you can’t predict. Back issues are a serious concern for a basketball player. We’ll see how it goes,” said Cone.
