Barangay Ginebra San Miguel import Justin Brownlee is largely calm and composed—and almost always in control of his emotions. But, in the immediate aftermath of Ginebra’s title-clinching Game 7 victory over the TNT Tropang 5G to win the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown, he showed a side fans rarely ever see.
JB Lets It All Out
Asked in the postgame interview what this championship—Brownlee’s seventh since 2016—meant to him, JB turned teary-eyed as he embraced the magnitude of the moment.
“It means everything,” Brownlee said as his voice cracked. “It means everything. Ten years ago, I would never [have] thought I’d be playing still [at] 38 years old and winning championships.”
JB then thanked Ginebra’s gazillions of fans, whom he said give him the strength to hoop at such a high level even at 38.
“These fans, they give me the energy to go out there and just play for them, play for my family, and just try to do the best I can. It means everything though,” Brownlee added.
‘This Is Our Time’—And Brownlee Made Sure of It
As Brownlee basked in the glow of his latest—and arguably hardest—crowning moment, he stressed that this was Ginebra’s time. Stephen Holt said it, according to JB, and Tim Cone kept repeating it. Over the course of seven games, Justin Donta Brownlee did everything humanly possible to make sure this series was, indeed, Ginebra’s time.
For the series, Brownlee averaged 36.5 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals while shooting over 50% from the field. He put up 41 points, 7 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals in a crucial Game 3 victory, then single-handedly willed the barangay to a Game 5 win with a career-high 54 points on top of 14 rebounds and 5 assists. He nearly did it again in Game 6, going off for 52 more before coming up short.
In Game 7, Brownlee got some much-needed help. And no, he didn’t come up short this time. But he definitely had to earn this seventh title—perhaps more than any other championship he has won.
