WITH the first game of the Governors' Cup finals in the bag, Barangay Ginebra’s resident import Justin Brownlee revealed that although he’s not Filipino by blood, Filipino fans continue to make him feel like he's Pinoy by heart.
Now in his fourth finals appearance, the 31-year-old American shared to SPIN Life: “I feel Filipino, I feel more and more Filipino as much as I stay here."
He added: “I love the culture, I love the people, and everything about the Philippines is just being great to me.”
Brownlee led the Gin Kings with 38 points and 16 rebounds, to notch the Gin Kings' first win, 91-87, in the best-of-seven series against Meralco Bolts. He gives credit where he believes credit is due: both to the locals of the team, and to the Ginebra fans who gave them a boost as they played, in the words of teammamte LA Tenorio, their "hardest game in years."
“Our fans are always great," Brownlee said. "They always come with great spirit and energy. They really helped us win today. We got down a few times, and every time we try to get our momentum, they help us get it to come back and win again.”
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph