Justin Brownlee Eligible to Play for Gilas Pilipinas
Justin Brownlee, the hero of the Asian Games, has been cleared to play for Gilas Pilipinas in the upcoming FIBA Asia Cup 2025 Qualifiers. This comes after a proposed three-month period of ineligibility following Brownlee’s flagging of prohibited substances back in October last year.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) announced that FIBA’s notice of charge does not prevent Brownlee from playing for Gilas in the February window. SBP President Al Panlilio expressed elation over the decision, noting that having Brownlee as the naturalized player alongside some of the locals he has already played with will be beneficial to the squad.
Earlier in the week, Brownlee was announced as part of the 12-player roster of Gilas, joining PBA players and Japanese B-League imports. The team will be coached by Tim Cone, with Richard del Rosario as the team manager.
Cone, who previously coached Brownlee in Ginebra, expressed his excitement over having the former import in the team, highlighting the existing chemistry between Brownlee and the rest of the players.
Brownlee, who was not able to play for Ginebra in the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup, expressed his eagerness to represent the Philippines once again. He is set to play against Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei on February 22 and February 25, respectively.
The team is looking to hit the ground running in the upcoming qualifiers with Brownlee’s eligibility to play.
