IT's no secret that it was Justin Brownlee’s arrival that changed the fortunes of Ginebra this conference,
Rejoining a team that was at the cellar of the standings midway through the PBA Commissioner's Cup, Brownlee’s all-around wizardry was vital in an amazing turnaround capped by the six-game win over San Miguel in the finals.
“Man, it was definitely hard to see that (record). But I kept saying, the team you know, the morale of the team, everybody was staying positive, everybody still came to work every day very hard, and everybody still sustained their confidence even though we were 1-5,” Brownlee recalled.
“It felt like, I can just remember going to practice and the confidence of the team, it felt like we were 5-0. I feel that's a big thing we had this conference, everybody just stayed positive and just kept working hard even though we were down,” he added.
Brownlee was at his best in the title-clinching 93-77 win in Game Six as he finished with 31 points, 19 rebounds, seven assists and four blocks.
But as brilliant as he was in the game, it was Scottie Thompson who took the spotlight in their last two games – earning the Finals MVP award.
Sharing the spotlight with a guy that he compared to a superhero is something that Brownlee doesn’t have a problem with.
“Man, that dude is like Superman sometimes. Just seeing that, it definitely gets me excited. He's not the biggest guy on the floor but he can rebound with the best of them,” said Brownlee.
“That type of energy, you know, it translates to the rest of the team and it just boosts the morale of the team when we see stuff like that,” he added.
For Brownlee, what makes Thompson a special player is how he does a little bit of everything. That’s why Brownlee is just elated for Thompson that his efforts are finally being recognized.
“Yeah, the intangibles that Scottie brings to the table, sometimes it probably wouldn't get recognized, but we as a team, we pride ourselves in doing the little things, and Scottie just happens to be good at all the little things,” Brownlee said.
“You know, he's really good, and that's what makes him a great player, and he can do other things as well. But man, I just love his effort though. His effort is unmatched on the court.”
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