AFTER winning a championship in Ginebra, Justin Brownlee isn't closing his doors on going for another one with San Miguel Alab Pilipinas.
"If they need a replacement or anything like that, Alab will be ideal for me," Brownlee said on Monday during the Gin Kings victory party at Metrotent in Pasig. "I want to stay here in the Philippines, so maybe I'll go to Alab if they have a spot for me or if they need a replacement import."
Brownlee was a part of the Alab team, together with Renaldo Balkman and Bobby Ray Parks, which won the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) title in 2018.
He did share that he was supposed to make an Alab return the following season after his run with the Gin Kings, but those plans never materialized.
"I was supposed to play last year but that did not work out," he said as Alab opted to field just two World Imports in Balkman and PJ Ramos.
Alab finished second in the eliminations at 18-8, but suffered a quick exit, losing in the quarterfinals to seventh-seed Hong Kong Eastern.
Talks were revived for this season, with head coach Jimmy Alapag exploring the possibility of bringing Brownlee back after the Governors' Cup.
The 31-year-old forward said: "I spoke with Jimmy in the Commissioner's Cup five to six months ago and we’re both interested. He showed interest and he wanted me to come there but now, they got a season going."
Currently, Alab has 7-foot-6 Maltese giant Sam Deguara and 24-year-old high-flyer Nick King in its squad. It also recently replaced sweet-shooting Khalif Wyatt with East Carolina guard Prince Williams.
Alab is currently at third place in the ABL standings with its 5-3 card, with its next assignment this Thursday on the road against Hong Kong Eastern.
Brownlee said that he's just waiting for that call, asking for a bit of a time off before he gets back on the grind once again.
"If they need me, I would be available in a few weeks or so," said Brownlee, who also won a title with Al Riyadi in Lebanon before he returned to Ginebra for the import-laden conferences.
But Alab needs to act quick, with Brownlee's standout performance also garnering interest overseas.
"I’ve got some offers in Korea, Japan, and China. That’s it for now. I also got strong offers from Korea and Japan recently," he said.
Still, Brownlee's inclination is to stay in the Philippines.
"I’m not sure right now. I had a long season so maybe I'm gonna rest a little bit. Maybe after a few weeks, I will probably decide," he said.
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