For as long as its inception, the
Philippine Basketball Association has generously given non-Filipino players the
opportunity to become stars as “imports” of the league’s member teams. The best
of them tend to become centerpieces of powerhouse squads, at least in the PBA
season conferences that allow import play (there is at least one conference
that is strictly all-Filipino). During the Philippine Cup conferences, the team
imports usually spend time playing in other leagues, returning as needed when
the Commissioner’s and Governor’s Cups roll in. This is pretty much the deal
for Justin Brownlee, one of the heroes for Barangay Ginebra’s 2019 Governor’s
Cup victory.
As the 2020 PBA season prepares
to kick off this March with the no-import Philippine Cup, Justin Brownlee is
going to have time on his hands, time he could see spent playing basketball
while looking forward to returning for the 2020 Commissioner’s Cup and beyond.
To that end according to ABS-CBN News he
is considering returning briefly to the San Miguel Alab Pilipinas, the
representative team of the ASEAN Basketball League. But Brownlee does
understand that he would need a good long break first, after the just-concluded
PBA Governor’s Cup Finals against the Meralco Bolts.
During an interview this past Tuesday,
January 21, Brownlee noted that after taking about a few weeks of rest
following the end of the 2019 PBA season, he might again suit up for Alab
Pilipinas if he sees an opening coming up. "I'm not sure, maybe the
opportunity with Alab will be there,” the Ginebra import said. Brownlee however
also remarked that he has very much enjoyed his time playing in the country and
adds, “I wanna be here in the Philippines if I'm playing basketball. I love it
here."
Justin Brownlee was part of the Alab
Pilipinas lineup that led the squad to its first (and so far, only) ASEAN
Basketball League championship title in the 2017-18 season, beating Thai team
Mono Vampire in a best-of-5 series that went the distance, 3-2. He had the
honor of playing alongside Bobby Ray Parks and Renaldo Balkman. Should he find
an opportunity to return during the import off-season of the PBA Philippine
Cup, he would come in at a time when the Alab’s import roster is undergoing some
dramatic changes. Balkman, Adrian Forbes and Khalif Wyatt have all since
departed, to be replaced by Nick King, Sam Deguara and Prince William.
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