BEST IMPORT Justin Brownlee braces for another challenging Philippine Basketball Association Commissioner’s Cup when he goes up against bigger and taller imports starting September 21.
Brownlee, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s resident 34-year-old import, told BusinessMirror that he’s excited to be back and help power his team to another championship run.
The Gin Kings won the Governor’s Cup last season.
“It’s really exciting to play again. I’m ready for the challenge coming from bigger and taller players,” Brownlee told BusinessMirror as he watched San Miguel Beer beat TNT Tropang Giga in Game 7 of the Philippine Cup Finals last Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
Brownlee helped Ginebra win the Commissioner’s Cup title in 2018 at the expense of sister team San Miguel Beer in Game 6.
At 6-foot-5, he will be battling imports, mostly standing 6-foot-10, from the 11 other teams.
Brownlee and the Gin Kings lost to TNT Tropang Giga and National Basketball Association veteran Terrence Jones in the semifinals, 3-1, of the 2019 Commissioner’s Cup.
But Ginebra coach Tim Cone, winner of 24 PBA titles, still believes the five-time PBA champion Brownlee has what it takes to play against bigger opponents.
“He’s like a warm blanket in a really cold aircon room. He has done it before with success,” Cone said.
Brownlee was also part of the Ginebra team that won the Governor’s Cup last year over Meralco.