MANILA — Ginebra import Justin Brownlee expressed his desire to become a naturalized Filipino.
No less than San Miguel Corporation sports director Alfrancis Chua, the team’s representative to the PBA board of governors, relayed the news to the public during the team’s victory party for its PBA Commissioner’s Cup championship at the Metrotent in Pasig.
“He told me many times na kung matapos siya ng paglalaro (if he finishes playing), he wants to stay in the Philippines and he wants to be naturalized,” Chua said. “To make the story short, Brownlee loves the Philippines; he wants to stay here for good.”
However, the former coach clarified that the naturalization is just for mere permanent residency and has nothing to do with a possibility of the six-foot-five American guard-forward suiting up for Gilas Pilipinas.
In fact, he expressed his doubt for a Brownlee call-up to happen anytime soon.
“Ang usapan nila (SBP and its stakeholders) ay yung mga malalaki, ‘di ba? Out of the question siguro yun dahil si Brownlee, maliit (They were talking about big men. Brownlee is out of the question because he is small in height),” Chua added. “Ang kinakailangan nila talaga, malaki dahil’ yun ang advantage. Height is might in international [competitions].”
But if in case the SBP decides to push through with the tedious naturalization process on the 30-year-old Brownlee to make him eligible for Gilas, Chua assures that Ginebra’s resident Governors’ Cup, who was named the Best Import for the Commissioner’s Cup, also embodies the “puso” mantra that the national team has been showing.
“Ang puso ni Brownlee, malaki pa sa Pilipinas (His heart is bigger than the Philippines),” Chua added.