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June Mar Fajardo. PBA IMAGES
June Mar Fajardo, easily the most dominant player in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) could find himself teaming up with Justin Brownlee, the most accomplished import in recent years, at Gilas Pilipinas.
And no one is more excited about the possibility than the six-time Most Valuable Player awardee.
“He has been a joy to be with during practices,” Fajardo told the Inquirer when asked about the American forward who is a cinch to banner Gilas Pilipinas in the sixth and final window of the Fiba World Cup Asian Qualifiers later this month.
“He has been a pain whenever we’re playing against him, but now I’m just super excited to be alongside him on the court,” he added.
Brownlee, barring any complications, is set to become the tip of the spear for the National Team when it hosts red-hot Lebanon and vengeful Jordan later this month.
Fajardo, meanwhile, is shaping up as a lock for Gilas after he missed the previous window due to a procedure to repair his throat.
A fixture of the national cage program and a veteran of two World Cups, the soft-spoken center from Cebu said that he already has an idea how much more fun it is to play alongside Brownlee, a winner of six PBA crowns and a three-time Best Import awardee.
“There’s not a bit of arrogance in him. He has made several accomplishments in his time here in the PBA, yet he remains humble. So I’m excited,” he said.
Inside-out threat
The setup is something that resonates not only with Fajardo, but with Gilas’ other recruits, who have long been on the nasty end of Brownlee’s dominance.
Like, say, Meralco’s Chris Newsome.
“Playing with him—not against him,” he said in a previous interview. “He has a lot of experience and he’s one of the best imports that I’ve played against. I’m just gonna be a sponge and try to absorb as much information and knowledge from JB that I can.”
With Brownlee and Fajardo in one crew, Gilas can enjoy being a threat from inside and out—something that national coach Reyes hopes to ride in the two homestands that will be played at cavernous Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
“Right away, there will be changes with Justin and June Mar—hopefully—being available. Right away, there’ll be a change in [the team’s] dynamics, right?” Reyes told the Inquirer earlier.
The Philippines currently holds a 5-3 win-loss in the tournament and is looking to continue building a head of steam in its buildup for the global games, which also runs through the Southeast Asian Games in Cambodia this summer.
“As far as I’m concerned, I’m just thrilled to finally play for Gilas again. You can count on me to give my best and follow the coaches’ [plans]. Hopefully, we get good results,” Fajardo said.
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