Justin Brownlee will never get tired of representing the Philippine even if it means another tough mission on foreign shores.
Basking in the glory and euphoria of winning his first gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games for the Philippines, none of the bad experiences, from playing through cramps, to battling the sweltering heat and the slippery linoleum floor, could bother Brownlee. “I’ll play in any type of environment as long as it does not kill me. I love representing the Philippines. It’s been very special to me and my career. I’m ready to just keep repping the flag,” said Brownlee after Gilas Pilipinas’ 80-69 win over host Cambodia in the gold medal match. “If the opportunity, hopefully it doesn’t get to any conditions, but if they did and present itself, at least we have some experience now to deal with it,” he added. Brownlee did have to go through some struggles in the tournament, having a hard time to get himself acclimatized to the humid conditions of the venue. As usual when he was playing for Ginebra, the resident import showed heart and powered through dehydration and cramps to deliver when it mattered the most. Less than a day after exploding for 34 points in Gilas’ come-from-behind triumph over Indonesia in the semifinals, Brownlee once more did a little bit of everything with his 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the gold medal match. Having gone through all that made the victory even sweeter for Brownlee. “I definitely wasn’t satisfied with just having a good performance or looking good myself. I pride myself as a team player and you know, the team’s success is my success just like everybody else,” said Brownlee. “When that clock hit zero, then I felt the most progress, just like winning a championship or now a gold medal. It’s an unbelievable feeling,” he added. Already used to winning with six PBA championships tucked under his belt, Brownlee admitted that he just cannot get used to winning especially Gilas SEA Games golden run being one of the most memorable in his colorful career. “I gotta put this at the top. Playing for Ginebra is truly special. There’s nothing like it. But I have to say that about representing and putting on this Pilipinas jersey? There’s nothing like it. It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said the amiable Gilas naturalized player.
*Justin Brownlee celebrates after coming through with a stellar performance for Gilas Pilipinas in the gold medal match (POC/PSC photo)
*Basking in the glory and euphoria of winning his first gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games for the Philippines, none of the bad experiences, from playing through cramps, to battling the sweltering heat and the slippery linoleum floor, could bother Brownlee. “I’ll play in any type of environment as long as it does not kill me. I love representing the Philippines. It’s been very special to me and my career. I’m ready to just keep repping the flag,” said Brownlee after Gilas Pilipinas’ 80-69 win over host Cambodia in the gold medal match. “If the opportunity, hopefully it doesn’t get to any conditions, but if they did and present itself, at least we have some experience now to deal with it,” he added. Brownlee did have to go through some struggles in the tournament, having a hard time to get himself acclimatized to the humid conditions of the venue. As usual when he was playing for Ginebra, the resident import showed heart and powered through dehydration and cramps to deliver when it mattered the most. Less than a day after exploding for 34 points in Gilas’ come-from-behind triumph over Indonesia in the semifinals, Brownlee once more did a little bit of everything with his 23 points, seven rebounds and four assists in the gold medal match. Having gone through all that made the victory even sweeter for Brownlee. “I definitely wasn’t satisfied with just having a good performance or looking good myself. I pride myself as a team player and you know, the team’s success is my success just like everybody else,” said Brownlee. “When that clock hit zero, then I felt the most progress, just like winning a championship or now a gold medal. It’s an unbelievable feeling,” he added. Already used to winning with six PBA championships tucked under his belt, Brownlee admitted that he just cannot get used to winning especially Gilas SEA Games golden run being one of the most memorable in his colorful career. “I gotta put this at the top. Playing for Ginebra is truly special. There’s nothing like it. But I have to say that about representing and putting on this Pilipinas jersey? There’s nothing like it. It’s an unbelievable feeling,” said the amiable Gilas naturalized player.