Justin Brownlee (No. 32) is desirous to get back on the court along with his Gilas Pilipinas teammates. —AFP
Justin Brownlee is back on the town and back in harness for the national team, bearing with him the identical level of enthusiasm that greeted his return.
“[F]rom the primary [Fiba] window once I joined the team and even before that, being across the team, seeing them play on the World [Cup], It’s all been a blessing, and I just can’t wait to be again an element of that,” the naturalized player told reporters on Friday night in his first media scrum since returning to Manila.
“Hopefully, we are able to create some special moments. I believe with the team that’s been assembled, in fact, coach Tim (Cone) and his good mind [for] basketball, I believe there are definitely going to be some moments [that] we are able to, in our Filipino culture, cherish again,” he added.
Brownlee was coming off a three-month voluntary suspension for flunking a doping test throughout the Hangzhou Asian Games. The sanction, which was applied retroactively, cleared the way in which for the naturalized forward’s participation within the Fiba (International Basketball Federation) Asia Cup Qualifiers, the primary major international tournament in Gilas Pilipinas’ calendar under Cone.
Ever the optimist, Brownlee expressed his excitement over leading the squad that can be first tested by Hong Kong on Feb. 22 at Tsuen Wan Stadium.
“I believe the team that’s put together is a really dynamic team. It’s young, athletic and energetic—with a few of the most effective talent within the Philippines without delay, for my part,” he said. In that long-haul roster, Brownlee reunites with a few of his Asian Games teammates: June Mar Fajardo, Scottie Thompson, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana and CJ Perez. The soft-spoken ace may even get to play alongside Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu and Jamie Malonzo who all saw motion throughout the previous World Cup. Rounding out that new-look lineup are Carl Tamayo and varsity star Kevin Quiambao.
Tactical mind
Brownlee has yet to fulfill with the brand new Gilas squad, but its wealth in talent and its youthful potential paired with Cone’s tactical mind has Brownlee gushing this early.
“The best way coach Tim is, he likes to construct. And I believe in the following three or 4 years—I actually think—Philippine basketball is certainly going to be on the rise much more,” he said.
Brownlee and the Nationals are expected to carry camp next week, and the longtime Barangay Ginebra resident reinforcement is optimistic that he’ll get back into competitive shape by that point.
“My ankle is feeling an entire lot higher from 4 months ago. Straight away, I feel good. I feel rested. I feel healthy,” he said.
“I’d say I’m two weeks away (from fitness),” he said. “But like I’ve said, I’ve been just about figuring out most days and since I’ve been back within the Philippines, I’ve been attempting to mostly work on my conditioning and things like that.”
Also slated for the Nationals is a house stand against Chinese Taipei on Feb. 25 at PhilSports Arena in Pasig City.
