WITH the FIBA World Cup kicking off in nearly seven months, Gilas Pilipinas has officially added another weapon to its campaign in basketball’s biggest stage.
President Marcos Jr. has signed into law Republic Act 11937, granting Filipino citizenship to do-it-all Ginebra import Justin Brownlee.
Brownlee will first see action for Gilas in the sixth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers next month.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Al Panlilio welcomed the development, saying: “It is with much gratitude that the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, led by our Chairman Emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan, welcomes the naturalization of Justin Brownlee in time for the sixth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers next month.
“The SBP wishes to profoundly thank the President for signing into law Republic Act 11739,” he added.
“We also are grateful to the Senate, through Sen. Francis Tolentino, chairman of the Committee on Justice and Human Rights,” he said. “The House of Representatives, through Rep. Juliet Marie de Leon Ferrer, chairman of the Committee on Justice, for their invaluable support in passing the legislative act.”
The 6-foot-5 Brownlee, 34, joined Fil-Am NBA player Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz and former Ateneo standout Ange Kouame in the pool of reinforcements to be tapped for international tilts–not just FIBA-backed tourneys but multi-sport tilts like the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia in May and the Asian Games in September.
Brownlee has averaged 28.17 points, 10.50 rebounds, and 7.17 assists in Asia’s first play-for-pay league since 2016.
