Get Well Justine Brownlee

Recently, news circulated in the basketball community regarding the whereabouts of Gilas Pilipinas' gem Justine Brownlee, who was rumoured sick and taking a much needed rest.

The said rumor is telling that 6”8’ Briownlee contracted pneumonia and he is now being looked after by his relative and family in the State of California,

Brownlee was reported missing after completing series of "Tour of Duty”, in the PBA Governor’s Cup, where the Ginkings failed to make the semis, practices with Gilas leading to the FIBA Asia Cup, wherein the Nationals also failed to advance in to the semis.

After that tough and grinding duties. the 38-year old naturalised player went back to the States, and since then officials from PBA, particularly from the Meralco Bolts, tried to contact him several times, but didn’t got any response.

Brownlee was supposed to suit-up with the Bolts and expected to team up with TNT Giga import Rondae Thomas-Jefferson in representing Meralco in the East Asia Super League, which is ongoing as of this writing.

It was then, few days after EASL got going. Sports columnist and veteran sports analyst Quinito Henson, who wrote in his column, that Brownlee is down with pneumonia, and it needed months of rest to recover. Still his report remained unverify as no words even from the Brownlee's household could confirm or deny it.

Brownlee’s predicament, leaves uncertainty not only in the PBA with Ginebra and with national team, as Gilas is preparing tor the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers (Nov.20) and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament next year.

We know that Brownlee is the heart and soul of Gilas Pilipinas, as he proven it time and again in past in the international tournaments. As a protocol. Gilas head coach Tim Cone, with the blessing of Samahan ng Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ (SBP) hierarchy, is completing to tap naturalized Filipino-Nigerian Ange Koume (6-11) to take Brownlee's spot just in case.

Whatever Brownlee is going through with the said illness,this corner and yours truly is offering prayers and well wishes for his speedy recovery and would like to see him up and about stronger and feeling better