For the first time in his stint with Gilas Pilipinas, Justin Brownlee’s body told him to take a step back. 

Brownlee had previously sat out as he navigated through a failed doping test, but this one is different. It wasn’t any outside force that prevented the seven-time PBA champion from suiting up; it was all internal. You can’t blame Brownlee and the Philippine national team’s coaching staff for holding him back; this was a qualifying window and Brownlee would have pushed past the pain if this was an international tournament. 

But then again, even when Brownlee was on the court with Gilas during the third window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027, he just wasn’t the same. Brownlee was limited to five points, all of which he scored in both overtimes against New Zealand. It was a game where Gilas Pilipinas needed him the most, as the game was a back-and-forth affair in the extra period and the Philippines faltered with their late-game execution. 

With Brownlee out against Australia, things unraveled quickly for Gilas, who not only never led in the contest, but were outplayed on a night when the Australians weren’t even at their best offensively. 

The window was a revelation of sorts. Against New Zealand, there was some promise of the future, one where the Gilas Pilipinas young guns showed out against a quality opponent and proved that playing outside of the PBA has its perks. It also gave us a glimpse of life without Brownlee, which was possible but remains far from perfect thanks to the drubbing Australia handed the Philippines. 

It would be quite sad, though, if this is the last time we will see Brownlee with Gilas. He’s been the heart and soul of the national team (just as he is the same with the Barangauy Ginebra Gin Kings), not just because of the gold medals he helped win, but also because of how he fights despite the odds stacked against him and Gilas Pilipinas. The four-time PBA Best Import of the Conference has also been a reliable source of offense and made the winning plays when the Philippines needed it the most. 

The delays in Bennie Boatwright’s naturalization due to the circus in the Senate could allow Brownlee one more shot at representing the Philippines and write a better ending to his time with Gilas. It was quite unfortunate that Brownlee’s own naturalization took time too (for different reasons), but he nonetheless still made great contributions during his time. 

In sports, not all great athletes get to write the ending to their stories and for Justin Brownlee, it seemed like he wouldn’t be able to do so. But, he still has time, and for someone who has given so much to the country, it is only fitting that he gets to write the ending on his own terms.