For only the third time in a decade, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel will start a reinforced conference with an import other than Justin Brownlee. In this case, starting out for Ginebra in the PBA Governors’ Cup will be Riley Grigsby, who will be filling in for the legendary seven-time champion as he recuperates from a myriad of leg injuries.
Cone confirmed the signing on Thursday evening, or exactly 10 days before Ginebra’s conference debut against the Phoenix Fuel Masters on July 19, Sunday, at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“He’s 26 years old and has had NBA G League experience and has come with some strong recommendations from his coaches there,” Cone said. “We’re excited about working with him.”
Cone Had No Choice But Bring in a Brownlee Replacement
The move to bring in a new import in Riley Grigsby was inevitable once the full picture of Brownlee’s condition came into focus. The seven-time PBA champion import—the league’s most decorated reinforcement in history—has been managing a hamstring injury since the Commissioner’s Cup quarterfinals. He chose to play through it, gutting out Ginebra’s run to the championship over the TNT Tropang 5G in seven games. The wear-and-tear, however, has proven too significant to ignore heading into another grueling conference.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas had already made Brownlee’s situation official during the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers, releasing a statement that read: “Justin Brownlee will miss the game against Australia due to hamstring strain and peroneal tendinopathy on his right leg and left knee swelling and cartilage defects.” Gilas sat him out of their final first-round game in Perth—a 92-49 defeat to Australia—to protect what remains a complicated medical picture.
Ginebra has decided the responsible path is rest and recovery. And so, enter, Riley Grigsby.
Who Is Riley Grigsby and What Does He Bring?
Riley Grigsby is a product of Seattle University, where he played on a full Division I scholarship. Since then, he has built an international résumé across multiple leagues. He competed in FIBA 3×3 before joining AB Contern of the Luxembourg Basketball League for the 2024-25 season, then made his NBA G League push months later. He started his 2025-26 campaign with the Santa Cruz Warriors before moving to the Sioux Falls Skyforce to close out his first G League season. Listed at 6-foot-5, Grigsby is expected to arrive in Manila in time for the Kings’ Group A opener.
Whether Grigsby serves as a bridge import or takes the role for the full conference remains to be seen as a lot will depend on how quickly Brownlee recovers. The 38-year-old was supposed to spearhead Ginebra’s title chase in a conference the franchise has won four times since 2016. That plan is on hold.
For now, the Kings turn to a young, hungry replacement with a developmental league résumé and a coaching endorsement that Cone clearly trusts. Ginebra opens Group A against Phoenix alongside the Magnolia Hotshots, Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, Meralco Bolts, Blackwater Bossing, and Macau Giant Pandas.
From all indications, Brownlee will be back. The question is when—and whether Riley Grigsby can hold the fort until he is.
