FILE–Justin Brownlee of the Philippine men’s basketball team in action during the 19th Asian Games 2023 Men’s Basketball Preliminary Round Group C match between Philippines and Bahrain at the Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium. (Photo by Luis Veniegra / SOPA Images/Sipa USA)
MANILA, Philippines–Gilas Pilipinas ace Justin Brownlee arrived to a hero’s welcome at Ninoy Aquino International Airport early Sunday morning still awestruck over the team’s golden run in the 19th Asian Games.
“It feels great to be back home and bring back gold for the fans and for the people here in the Philippines to see,” Brownlee told reporters.
“Man, I still can’t believe it to be honest. It’s such a surreal moment,” said the naturalized forward, on whose shoulders a hastily assembled national team stood to deliver its first Asiad basketball gold in a while.
Brownlee was steady for Tim Cone and a crew that featured Ange Kouame and a bevy of standouts from the Philippine Basketball Association. He played his finest against China, where he erupted for 33 points to stun the host and arrange a rematch against Jordan for the top prize.
A resident import for Cone’s Barangay Ginebra, the do-it-all forward has also delivered unforgettable moments for his PBA club, the national team on the two final Fiba windows earlier this year, and in the Southeast Asian Games staged in Cambodia.
But this recent feat in Hangzhou “got to be up there at the top.”
“Despite everything with (the program’s) history, 60 some years, and 30 years trying to get to a medal match. It’s definitely out there. It was an eight-year drought for Ginebra but 61 years? Man, that’s special,” he said.
Justin Brownlee and Gilas Pilipinas celebrate victory after the Basketball – Men’s Semi-final match between Philippines and China on day 11 of the 19th Asian Games at Hangzhou Olympic Sports Centre Gymnasium on October 4, 2023 in Hangzhou, Zhejiang Province of China. (Photo by CHINASPORTS/VCG )
So special that he deserves to have a statue in his likeness built?
“Man, that would be unbelievable,” he said with a chuckle. “I never dreamed of having a statue anywhere in the world. But that would be a dream come true. A very special thing.”
“I don’t know how I’ll feel or how I’ll even react, but I’ll definitely be speechless and left amazed.”
From being a temporary import for the Gin Kings to becoming a legendary figure in the national team’s history book might just turn that idea into a reality.
But Brownlee has never been about that kind of validation.
“Like I said, I’m still shocked. It feels so surreal. I can’t believe that I’m standing before you guys talking about a gold medal,” he said.
“You know, back in my first time coming to the Philippines—those stories from Sol (Mercado), even some other guys like LA (Tenorio) who talk about [anecdotes of my laughable beginnings] as well—it’s all amazing. But being here, in this position at the present time is such a surreal moment.”
“But you know, I just got to keep working and keep getting better. That’s what I’ve been trying to do from Day 1 coming to the Philippines,” Brownlee said with a smile.