Quentin Millora-Brown went through a roller-coaster week.
Initially, Millora-Brown’s camp, led by agent Tod Seidel, and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas were unable to come to terms on a national team contract, leaving him unavailable at the start of Gilas Pilipinas Men’s training camp.
That was when Quentin’s father, Bryan, stepped in.
Bryan and the SBP — with UP athletics director Bo Perasol serving as one of its representatives — took over negotiations. The parties eventually reached a deal that will allow the 6-foot-10 Filipino-American big man, who plays for Chiba, to suit up for the national team for the remainder of the FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers.
Millora-Brown declined to place blame on anyone involved, emphasizing that all parties were simply looking out for his best interests.
“I mean, I always want to represent. It was just about contracts, trying to make sure that all the protections you have are in place,” he told Tiebreaker Times.
“For me, my focus is playing basketball, and I let the people around me whom I trust take care of those aspects.”
He reiterated that there was no ill will on his end.
“For me, I just want to represent and perform, because that’s what I love to do,” he stressed.
“Letting everyone else I trust take care of those things was really the biggest thing.”
Now back in the fold, Millora-Brown understands that his next two caps for the Philippines will be stern tests.
On February 26, Gilas will face New Zealand, before taking on Australia on March 1.
The big man, who averaged 7.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.5 blocks in Window 1 against Guam, knows he will have to elevate his game in both home assignments.
“I’m super excited about it. You know, it’s always an honor, and it’s always a pleasure to be able to represent,” he said.
“I’m super excited about the coming windows playing against Australia and New Zealand, especially their size and speed — it’s going to be a really tough matchup.”
As for his personal goal, Millora-Brown kept it simple.
“I’m going to steal this one from Coach Tim (Cone): one-point win. So long as we get a one-point win, it doesn’t matter. The goal is to win.”
With reports from Icko de Guzman
