MEMPHIS Grizzlies guard Scotty Pippen Jr. did not need much time to remember a familiar face in Philippine basketball.
Asked about Gilas Pilipinas player and University of the Philippines champion Quentin Millora-Brown, the son of NBA legend Scottie Pippen looked back fondly on their days together at Vanderbilt.
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"Quentin, me and him played two years together. He's a really good dude. That's my guy," Pippen Jr. said.
Before setting foot in the country's college and national team scenes, QMB spent two seasons in the U.S. NCAA alongside Pippen Jr. with the Commodores from 2020 to 2022 under two-time NBA All-Star Jerry Stackhouse.
Millora-Brown transferred to Vanderbilt from Rice and sat out the 2019-20 season as a redshirt before teaming up with Pippen Jr. for the next two campaigns, helping the Commodores reach the quarterfinals of the 2022 National Tournament.
'Hard worker, smart player'
While Pippen Jr. emerged as one of the Southeastern Conference's top guards before eventually breaking into the NBA with Memphis, 6-foot-10 QMB built his reputation as a dependable interior presence, first in Nashville and later in Diliman.
And even years after their Vanderbilt days, Pippen Jr. said the qualities that made Millora-Brown a valuable teammate remain unchanged.
"He was always a hard worker, he was a smart player. That's still my guy, so always," the Grizzlies guard added.
The two have since carved out successful careers on opposite sides of the globe.
Pippen Jr. has emerged as a steady contributor in the Memphis backcourt, while QMB went on to become a UAAP champion, a national team player, and an incoming reinforcement for Nagoya in the Japan B.League.
For Pippen Jr., the same work ethic and basketball IQ that defined Millora-Brown at Vanderbilt are the very traits that continue to make him a valuable piece wherever he plays.
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