JUSTIN Brownlee hopes his return to San Miguel Alab Pilipinas will lead to another Asean Basketball League (ABL) championship.
Brownlee is making a comeback with Alab Pilipinas, hoping to replicate his success in the 2017-2018 season when he teamed up with Renaldo Balkman and Bobby Ray Parks to lead the club to a maiden ABL title.
But unlike the first time where Alab was struggling prior to Brownlee and Balkman's arrival, the Philippine side is doing relatively well this time at second place with a 10-6 record heading to its match against the Singapore Slingers on Sunday.
Brownlee said he plans to blend in and fill the gaps at Alab under head coach Jimmy Alapag.
“It feels great,” said Brownlee on Wednesday during an Alab Pilipinas practice at the Kerry Sports Center. “The guys are very high in spirit. They are in second place right now. They’ve been doing really well.
“I just want to come in and just whatever help they need, I’ll just try to fill those spots and try to continue what they are doing here and keep winning and try to bring the championship back to the Philippines.”
Expectations have heightened upon the arrival of Brownlee, but the resident Barangay Ginebra import insisted he doesn't feel the pressure.
“Like I said, the team has been doing really well. The only pressure for me is I don’t want to come in and mess anything up. I just want to take whatever momentum they have and just try to come in and help them build it and try to make a run for the championship. Just go out there and play hard,” said Brownlee.
The 31-year-old Brownlee is coming off a one-month offseason where he took the opportunity to rest following Ginebra's run to a third PBA Governors’ Cup championship in four seasons.
“I got a lot of good rest, enjoy my children, and my family and just have the time off to just get away from basketball a little bit. Now, I’m back and ready to go,” said Brownlee.
Most of the players from that 2017-2018 title are no longer around, but Brownlee said it’s the team’s culture that makes the adjustments easier.
“A lot of new faces, different guys from when I played two years ago. Even watching them last year, a lot of new players. The culture here is great. It’s the same. Everybody here comes in with a positive attitude to come in and work very hard and just always focused through practice. I give a lot of credit to Jimmy. He is doing an incredible job with the guys,” said Brownlee.
Brownlee expects a tougher competition this year in the ABL, with the addition of a third World Import, and the improved play of the locals.
“This league has grown tremendously. They added another import so of course that’s going to make the league better. The locals, I’ve seen the local guys that probably wasn’t too good before and now they grown so much and maybe it’s the imports coming in and helping out and pushing the locals to get better and vice versa.
"These locals are really good and they come out and play hard. Every thing that I’ve seen have been better and I’m definitely looking forward to the challenge,” said Brownlee.
Brownlee was supposed to play his first game back with Alab last week against the Saigon Heat but that match was postponed due to the threat of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
Brownlee said he's still working his way back into game shape, but hopes to make up for the lack of conditioning with his never-say-die attitude.
“Just to come out and continue to always play hard and whatever Jimmy wants out of me, I’ll just try to do it. Maybe I’m a little bit out of game shape from taking a month off but I think that will come back very soon, come back till I get my legs back, and just go out there and give that NSD attitude,” said Brownlee.
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