After 225 days, Quentin Millora-Brown made his much-anticipated return to the SMART Araneta Coliseum.
It was only last December when the towering 6-foot-10 Filipino-American helped lead the University of the Philippines to the UAAP Season 87 men’s basketball championship. Coming back to the iconic venue was an emotional moment for him.
“What an amazing environment,” said the 24-year-old native of Washington, D.C. “Like I said, I love playing here. It’s just such an incredible crowd and such a special feeling to play in Araneta.
“There’s so much history — so much has happened here. Every time I get to play here, I get really excited. Before the game, I had the jitters. I was just so excited to play in front of the Filipino crowd again.”
(C) UAAP Season 87 Media Team
But this time, Millora-Brown was wearing a different jersey.
Though he dreams of donning the Gilas Pilipinas colors, Millora-Brown suited up for the visiting Macau Black Bears in their exhibition game against the national team. He finished with six points, seven rebounds, and a block in 21 minutes of action, but his team fell to Gilas, 103–98.
Still, the dream of playing for the Philippines remains alive in his heart.
“I’ve been given a naturalized status,” he said, clearly disappointed.
Despite having received his Philippine passport before turning 16, FIBA currently considers him a naturalized player — making him ineligible to be counted as a local for Gilas. However, Millora-Brown’s agent, Todd Seidel, along with his legal team, is appealing the decision.
“It’s been appealed,” he confirmed. “The lawyers told me we have a pretty strong position. We’re hopeful that FIBA will reconsider and change my status from naturalized to local — but we’ll see what happens. Obviously, we don’t control their decision, but we’re hopeful.
“I feel really confident. But again, I can’t speak too much on it. I’m not a lawyer—I don’t know all the details about the case. But they tell me we’re in a strong position, and I trust them.”
Following the game, Millora-Brown also had a brief conversation with Gilas head coach Tim Cone, who expressed optimism about having him onboard — pending the eligibility ruling.
“After the game, Coach Cone and I talked a little bit. He said if we can get that done, it would be amazing. We’ll see what happens,” said Millora-Brown.
In the meantime, Millora-Brown is ready to continue his professional career overseas. He hopes that while he builds his résumé in Europe, the ruling on his eligibility will be overturned in his favor.
“After this, the plan is to head over to Europe,” he shared. “Once my contract ends at the end of the month, we’ll look at signing the next one. But I can’t say much yet because this contract isn’t quite finished.”
For now, Millora-Brown is staying hopeful — fueling his dream of wearing the Philippine flag across his chest not just in spirit, but officially, as a local for Gilas.
#WATCH: BACK AT THE DOME
Quintin Millora-Brown is all smiles as he returns to action at the Big Dome — his first game back since #UAAPSeason87 🏀
📹 @justinebacnis /Tiebreaker Times pic.twitter.com/5Fp3ZAU0O8
— Tiebreaker Times (@tiebreakertimes) July 28, 2025
