MANILA – Naturalized player Justin Brownlee is suiting up for Gilas Pilipinas in the 19th Asian Games later this month in Hangzhou, China, despite recently undergoing an operation.
According to Gilas interim coach Earl Timothy Cone, the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings resident import has recovered from his injury and will be good to go for the competition.
“He is back on the court, and he wants to play in the Asian Games. He will play,” Cone said in a press conference on Thursday. “Obviously, we need him because he makes everyone around him better. I’m really looking forward to seeing him on that stage.”
However, Cone said, the Philippine men’s basketball team might not have the luxury of fielding two naturalized players, as former Ateneo de Manila University Blue Eagles center Angelo Kouame is doubtful to join.
“Ange Kouame has an issue with a team in Europe he is looking to sign with,” the winningest PBA coach said. “We are hoping that he is available for us for the Asian Games.”
Aside from Brownlee, other shoo-ins for the Gilas Pilipinas team are his Ginebra teammates Japeth Aguilar and Earl Scottie Thompson, and San Miguel Beermen big man June Mar Fajardo.
Gilas team manager Alfrancis Chua said that Cone will be looking at players like Gin Kings, Beermen, and Magnolia Chicken Timplados Hotshots to complete his 12-man roster.
Chua also revealed that San Miguel Corporation chairman Ramon S. Ang is also planning to give incentives to the players from his three teams that will be called up for the Asian Games.
“So what we did was give our players from San Miguel, Ginebra, and Magnolia, kung sino man makukuha dun, after the Asian Games, we are giving them 10 days to do whatever they want kapalit ng sacrifice na gagawin nila for the Asian Games,” Chua said.Gilas Pilipinas, which is bracketed with Jordan, Thailand and Bahrain, is hoping to do better than the fifth-place finish of the Jordan Clarkson-reinforced Rain or Shine Elasto Painters-Philippines in the 2018 Asian Games in Indonesia./PN
