BARANGAY Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee quietly hit town three days ago to banner the team’s campaign in the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
Brownlee, 34, didn’t waste time and went straight to the Kings’ practice a day after his arrival.
Personal aide Sheila Afable said the Ginebra resident import was thrilled to be back for another tour of duty with the only PBA team he ever played for.
READ: Brownlee spills the beans: youngest son Jye a big Tony Bishop fan
“Tuwang-tuwa siya na nandito ulit siya sa Pilipinas. At home na talaga siya dito sa atin,” said Afable, who never failed to cook Brownlee his favorite chicken adobo upon his arrival.
The former Best Import came three weeks before the mid-season tournament kicks off on Sept. 21.
While chemistry will no longer be a problem for Brownlee and the Kings, their coming campaign is perhaps the most challenging for the team that won this very same conference in 2018.
Fresh, bigger, and more experienced imports are coming over, including former NBA players such as Thomas Robinson (San Miguel), Cameron Oliver (TNT), Johnny O’Bryant (Meralco), Earl Clark (NLEX), Quincy Miller (Converge), and Andrew Nicholson (of guest team Bay Area Dragons).
Brownlee however, is used to playing against bigger imports in the past as shown in the Kings’ title run in the Commissioner’s Cup four years ago when they beat Renaldo Balkman and the San Miguel Beermen in the finals.
Ginebra hasn’t missed the semifinals either, despite the 6-foot-6 Brownlee playing undersized in a tournament that featured imports standing 6-foot-10 and below.
The Kings reached both the semifinals of the mid-season tournaments in 2017 and 2019, twice losing to a TNT side that had Joshua Smith and Terrence Jones, respectively.
In all this, this would be the eight conference that Brownlee will be suiting up for Barangay Ginebra in the last six years.
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