Nearly two years into his tenure with Gilas Pilipinas Men, Justin Brownlee has repeatedly proven that the Philippines’ success on the international basketball stage is largely driven by his heroics.
Eager to continue his dominant run with Gilas, the 36-year-old forward exploded for 26 points to propel the Philippines to a historic win over the New Zealand Tall Blacks, securing a 93-89 victory and maintaining an undefeated record in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers.
However, the Philippines’ victory was not solely due to Brownlee’s brilliance. Kai Sotto also delivered his best performance with Gilas at the senior level, nearly recording a triple-double with 19 points, 10 rebounds, seven assists, two steals, and two blocks.
Sotto’s breakout game came as no surprise to Brownlee, who praised the 7-foot-4 big man’s skillset, deeming him capable of competing with the best in the NBA.
It was well-known that Sotto had hoped to become the first-ever homegrown Filipino NBA player, but his name went uncalled during the 2022 NBA Draft.
“I’ve been saying, I feel like he’s good enough to play in the NBA in my opinion. Of course, he’s got the size, he got the height, he got the skills, but he’s been improving so much that for me, it’s just great to see,” Brownlee said in a post-game interview at the SM Mall of Asia Arena.
As a veteran import for Barangay Ginebra, Brownlee believes that the sky’s the limit for Sotto, who, at 22 years old, already boasts a wealth of international experience.
In addition to multiple stints with the Philippines’ national basketball team since he was 19, Sotto has played in two international leagues: starting with the Adelaide 36ers in the NBL and later moving to Japan, where he has played for the Hiroshima Dragonflies, Yokohama B-Corsairs, and Koshigaya Alphas in the B.League.
“A young player like him with so much potential, and just seeing him start to fulfill it, is exciting. He’s only in his early 20s, so he has a long way to go. I’m happy for his progression and excited to see what the future holds for him,” Brownlee concluded.
