Photo by Tristan Tamayo/ INQUIRER.net
It felt like a homecoming of sorts for Ira Brown when Japan flew to Manila to face Gilas Pilipinas for the second time in the 2019 Fiba World Cup Asian qualifiers.
Now playing as a naturalized player for Akatsuki Five, the 35-year-old forward’s memories came rushing back to him as he recounted his days playing in the PBA in front of the Filipino fans as a reinforcement for San Miguel.
“I love it. It’s something that I look forward to because it gives me energy,” he said.
Though Brown only played two games for the Beermen, it was enough to leave a lasting memory on him.
He had his moments in his short stint, making game-winning putback to lift the Beermen over Meralco back in the 2011 PBA Commissioner’s Cup before getting replaced by David Young.
And what made his return to the country more special was the same electric energy the crowd had at Mall of Asia Arena on Sunday.
“I remember the energy the crowd gives and it was great to be back and play in the Philippines,” he said.
Unfortunately for Brown, Japan remained winless in the first round of the Asian qualifiers following an 84-89 loss as the Japanese saw their comeback bid fall short against Jayson Castro and Co.
“I thought we were in the game,” shared Brown, who tallied 16 points and eight rebounds for his side.
Despite his solid numbers, the 6-foot-4 forward rued his free throw woes, going 2-of-10 from the charity stripe as the Akatsuki Five also missed 15 free throws as a whole in the game.
“That’s terrible,” admitted Brown, who now faces an uphill climb if he wants to lead Japan to the second round of the Asian qualifiers. “I can’t do that if we want to beat teams especially on the road. I gotta do better job at that.”