By REYNALD MAGALLON
Barangay Ginebra resident import Justin Brownlee gets another crack at becoming the winningest import in PBA history but he’ll be up against Rondae Hollis-Jefferson and TNT, the same opponents that denied him in his first try.
In the rematch of the Governors’ Cup finale which was last staged in Season 47, Brownlee absorbed his first finals loss as Kings resident import, preventing him from winning his seventh title and surpassing Alaska great Sean Chambers who had six under his belt.
While getting a chance to surpass it again, on top of getting a shot for vengeance against Hollis-Jefferson and the Tropang Giga, Brownlee said he’s not putting much focus on any personal glory in trying to win another championship for the Kings.
“That would be great. That’s what we are all wishing for, to win a championship,” Brownlee told the reporters during the PBA Season 49 Governors’ Cup press conference at the Atrium at Enderun College on Thursday, Oct. 24.
“But I haven’t been thinking about just winning a championship for myself or by being the winningest. I haven’t thought of being the winningest import, I’m just focused on each day trying to get better and better,” added the three-time best import who is marching into his eighth finals in eight years as an import in the PBA.
Having gone through a lot of success in the PBA, Brownlee said the feeling of making it back to the finals never gets old for him and that he continuously finds motivation to play on.
“The feeling is always a great feeling. The feeling never gets old as far as it comes to winning or making it to the finals or winning a championship,” said the 36-year-old naturalized Filipino.
“If you are still playing, if you are involved in whatever sports it is, the hunger is right there, the motivation – maybe you can get from your family or even from even your own team – but just being able to have the opportunity and be blessed enough to play the game that we love that’s all the motivation we need,” he furthered.
For now, all Brownlee has on his head is to make sure the Kings will be on their best form when the best-of-seven Finals series fires off on Sunday, Oct. 27 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
“We’re trying to just get better, be more prepared or as prepared as we can. That’s all I am focused on whatever’s right in front of me,” were tyring to just hget better be more prepared or as prepared as we can so that’s all I am focused on whatever’s right in front of me.
