Gilas Pilipinas lost to New Zealand, 69-66, on Thursday, and a big reason they fell short was Justin Brownlee underperforming by his usually high standards. In nearly 34 minutes of action, JB scored only 4 points on 2-for-10 shooting, including 0-for-4 from the arc, along with 4 turnovers.
Brownlee’s stink job against the Tall Blacks is arguably his worst in a Gilas Pilipinas uniform—and maybe his worst ever on Philippine soil, including in the PBA. He looked nothing like the JB who used to conjure magic, like that time in November 2024 when he fired 26 points and 11 boards in leading Gilas to an upset win over New Zealand, or when he dropped 37 on the same team in the FIBA Asia Cup in a near-epic comeback that just fell short.
Kabayan stunk the joint so bad it legitimately ignited one big question: Is Justin Brownlee washed?
Justin Brownlee Has Seen Better Days
The simple answer is no. But the reality is that Justin Brownlee’s best days are behind him, which shouldn’t be a surprise at all. The man is turning 38 in April and has pretty much played year-round since 2016, whether for Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in the PBA, for Gilas Pilipinas in both FIBA and non-FIBA tournaments, or in other leagues here in Asia.
On Thursday, Brownlee looked every bit a 37-year-old hooper going on 38. He was slower and less athletic, and seemingly shying away from New Zealand’s physicality. At times, he looked like a player who couldn’t keep up with younger, faster, more physical competition.
And, again, that’s to be expected. It’s the natural order of the world. People get older—and those athletic gifts decline with age. In other words, Father Time is starting to catch up with Justin Brownlee.
Tall Blacks Stand on Business
But Justin Brownlee wasn’t just trying to fend off Father Time against New Zealand. He was also trying to figure out the Tall Blacks’ Brownlee-focused defense. For the entire game, JB was being guarded either by someone as tall and as mobile as him or someone taller and more athletic. He was also getting blitzed and doubled time and again—usually with a third or fourth defender ready to give more help.
After the game, New Zealand coach Judd Flavell admitted as much, calling Brownlee a “true international scorer” and emphasizing that the Tall Blacks were locked in on him.
“He’s about 80% of our game plan… This is the last three games we’ve played against the Philippines, and wherever he is on the floor, we know that the ball is coming back to Brownlee,” he told reporters at the post-game press conference. “He can score the basketball, he’s a true international scorer, and so the intention was that we’ve just got to be within touch distance with him all the time. He’s involved with actions, we want to make sure that there’s two guys on him, he’s got to see a lot of bodies.”
Yes, all that to stop a 37-year-old who’ll be 38 in April.
Can Justin Brownlee Still Conjure Magic?
Flavell’s admission is a tacit acknowledgment that even at his advancing age, Justin Brownlee still commands great respect. It’s also a referendum on the kind of player he still is at 37 going on 38.
So, while it’s clear that JB’s best days and athletic prime are behind him, he is still a pretty good player—good enough to be the focal point of a world-class opponent in New Zealand.
To that point, maybe the question isn’t about whether or not Justin Brownlee is washed up already. The better question is, can Magic Brownlee still conjure magic at this stage in his career?
Maybe he can, maybe he can’t. But for the sake of Gilas Pilipinas and its FIBA World Cup aspirations, fans can only hope there’s some magic left in Justin Brownlee.
