JUSTIN Brownlee burst into laughter when asked the inevitable question as he finally joined Meralco in practice for the East Asia Super League.
How do you feel wearing that Meralco jersey?
“I got to admit I feel different, it feels weird, you know,” said the beloved Barangay Ginebra import giggling.
Brownlee’s battles with Meralco in the past had been the stuff of legend, with the naturalized players and the Kings tormenting the Bolts in a number of championship showdowns in the PBA.
READ Brownlee-RHJ team-up finally on in Meralco's EASL match vs Macau
Make no mistake about it though, Brownlee welcomes the opportunity of sharing and playing on the same court with the Bolts while representing the league and country in one of the emerging international leagues in the Asian region today.
“But for the moment, for the time being while I’m here, I’ll get definitely used to it and I actually feel good. I like it,” he told to Spin.ph.
“For now I’m definitely in for Meralco. I’m enjoying it and will continue trying to enjoy it.”
Meralco welcome Brownlee right away with open arms and made him feel at home, unmindful of the history between the two PBA franchises.
He then mentioned the Meralco players one by one and noted how high he regards them especially the ones he battled with in the past.
“I have high respect for some of the players especially the ones that had been there, Cliff Hodge, Chris Newsome, Chris Banchero, (Raymond) Almazan, Aaron Black, (Bong) Quinto, Allein (Maliksi) and (Anjo) Caram,” he said.
Brownlee also admires ‘the new guys’ at Meralco, but specifically mentioned sophomore CJ Cansino as the one who caught his eye.
And of course, TNT import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, the biggest rival of Brownlee in the PBA, who’s currently on loan from TNT.
“Yeah, Yeah, RHJ you know what I’m saying. He and (Ismael) Romero. Those guys have been great in practice, very helpful in trying to get me understand the plays and how the team plays,” he said of his fellow imports.
Brownlee will play his first ever game with Meralco on Saturday when the team goes up against the visiting Macau Black Bears at the Capital Arena in Ilagan, Isabela.
Curious fans are definitely looking forward at how the Ginebra import look when donning the Bolts’ orange and blue jersey in an official outing.
Brownlee though, made one thing clear.
“Heart belongs to Ginebra. Always,” he said. “Always breathe Never Say Die.”
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