The PBA Governors’ Cup resumes with two of the league’s biggest names bringing in new reinforcements, though for very different reasons. Defending champion TNT Tropang 5G and struggling Barangay Ginebra San Miguel have both unveiled new imports ahead of the conference’s return, each hoping the change sparks a very different kind of finish.
Nick Hornsby: TNT Bets on a Well-Traveled Journeyman
TNT has brought in American forward Nicholas Julian “Nick” Hornsby as a temporary import while regular reinforcement Rondae Hollis-Jefferson continues recovering from injury. Team manager Jojo Lastimosa confirmed the move, making Hornsby the Tropang 5G’s third import of the conference after starting the campaign with Darius Days and Rondae’s brother, Rahlir Hollis-Jefferson.
The 6-foot-7 Hornsby arrives with a résumé built on genuine international mileage. A Sacramento State product who went undrafted in 2017, he’s since played professionally in Germany with the Giessen 46ers and Bayer Giants Leverkusen, in Israel with Hapoel Be’er Sheva, in Canada with the Edmonton Stingers, and in Mexico with Dorados de Chihuahua, most recently suiting up for Hangtuah Jakarta in the Indonesian Basketball League. That’s a well-traveled career, and one that suggests a player capable of adjusting quickly to unfamiliar systems and physical styles of play—exactly the kind of adaptability TNT needs from a stopgap import.
For a team defending its Governors’ Cup crown, the stakes behind this move are significant. TNT resumes the conference at 4-4, a record well below what’s expected of a title holder, and every game from here carries real weight for a squad still hoping to make a serious push toward defending that championship. Hornsby’s job isn’t necessarily to be a long-term fixture—it’s to keep TNT competitive and stabilize the frontcourt until Hollis-Jefferson is fit to return, buying the team enough time to find its footing before the stretch run that actually decides whether this title defense stays alive.
Jordan Murphy: Ginebra Turns to a Different Kind of Reinforcement
Meanwhile, Ginebra is dealing with a rather different problem. With Justin Brownlee still not medically cleared to return from injury, the Gin Kings have brought in Puerto Rican forward Jordan Murphy as their new import, replacing Riley Grigsby, who leaves after a productive individual run that didn’t translate to team success. Grigsby averaged a strong 34.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 blocks, and 1.0 steal per game, but Ginebra still went just 2-4 across that stretch—a clear sign the team’s issues ran deeper than import production alone.
The 6-foot-6 Murphy, a University of Minnesota product, now carries the job of reversing Ginebra’s sagging fortunes as the team gets set to return to action on October 9 against the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Coach Tim Cone confirmed the move personally, a signal of how seriously the organization is treating the shift given the pedigree Ginebra is accustomed to fielding—this is a team that’s won championships built around Brownlee’s steady excellence, and finding a different kind of stability without him remains the central challenge of this conference for the Gin Kings.
Where TNT is searching for a bridge to get back to full strength, Ginebra is searching for something closer to a genuine spark. Both imports now carry outsized expectations for teams with very different problems, but the same basic goal: turning the second half of this Governors’ Cup into something considerably better than the first.
