RIGA (Latvia) - If you want to have a vote on whether Justin Brownlee really is the 'MJ of the Philippines' or not, you can put teammate Kai Sotto firmly down for a yes in any poll.
Brownlee erupted in the Gilas Pilipinas extraordinary 89-80 success against host nation Latvia at the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament 2024 in Riga.
He took TCL Player of the Game as he flirted desperately close to attaining a breathtaking triple-double. His stellar 26 points, 9 rebounds, and 9 assists for a performance efficiency valuation of 33 was the cornerstone of a memorable and landmark victory.
It gave his team their first win against European opposition in an official FIBA competition for 64 years, enhanced their Paris 2024 dream - and left Sotto quick to heap praise on his fellow baller.
"The world don't really know much about Justin Brownlee, but for me, he is the Michael Jordan of Philippines basketball," insisted the forward. "That's what we expected him to do and that is what he does every night."
As for Brownlee himself?
He said: "Man, it was big for us. We have a lot of respect for Latvia. It feels great, but we're definitely not satisfied. We [are] hungry and confident moving forward."
When told Kai Sotto had described him as the "Michael Jordan of Philippines basketball" he smiled.
"I appreciate this coming from Kai, but I'm just out there trying to do my best, trying to do whatever I can to help the team win."
Brownlee was intent on keeping it humble.
Later, he praised Tim Cone's system and added :"We've got a lot of confidence in coach Tim. He's been doing a great job with the triangle offense," he revealed about the playcaller.
"He's very intelligent when it comes to basketball and breaking down fundamentals. It's been great for the whole culture around Gilas and the country", Brownlee added.
FIBA