Justin Brownlee still recovering from pneumonia, hopes to rejoin Meralco in EASL

Justin Brownlee remains uncertain about his availability for Meralco in the ongoing East Asia Super League (EASL) as he continues to recover from a lung infection he contracted in the United States.

The Gilas Pilipinas naturalized forward confirmed he dealt with pneumonia that sidelined him for almost two months, preventing him from joining the Bolts earlier in the tournament.

“It’s just unfortunate that with my health issue, I couldn’t become a part of the team earlier. But I’m still not sure. We’ll see. But I’m looking forward to it. I hope so,” Brownlee said after Gilas practice on Thursday at The Upper Deck in Ortigas.

Brownlee made a courtesy visit to the Meralco management on Wednesday, meeting with team governor Atty. Bill Pamintuan, alternate governor Malou Alvendia, and team manager Paolo Trillo. There, he explained that he initially thought he was experiencing an asthma flare-up before realizing his condition was more serious.

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Justin Brownlee met with Meralco officials, confirming that he is set to suit up for the Bolts soon in their 2025–26 East Asia Super League (EASL) campaign.#EASL #YourGame

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“To be honest, I still feel like I’m recovering. If you know anything about having an infection in the lungs, you can have problems that could last weeks or even months,” he said.

“I thought I have asthma flare ups… I wasn’t taking it seriously and it just kept getting worse, so I knew it wasn’t asthma because my asthma medicine didn’t work.”

With Brownlee unavailable, the Bolts brought in fellow naturalized big man Ange Kouame to reinforce the team. After a 0-2 start, Meralco improved to 2-2 with home wins over the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots in Isabela and the Macau Black Bears in Cebu.

The Bolts still have two more group-stage games—against the Black Bears on December 6 in Isabela and the Ryukyu Golden Kings on February 11 at a venue to be announced.

Brownlee is also preparing for a busy stretch with Gilas Pilipinas as the team opens its FIBA World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers campaign next week. He may then return to Barangay Ginebra by February for the PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Despite the challenges, Brownlee remains hopeful he can still contribute to Meralco this season.

“Maybe, hopefully if everything works out smoothly, I can,” he said. “I’m ready for that opportunity and I’m looking forward to it.”

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