Justin Brownlee backs Kai Sotto’s NBA dream amid Gilas duties

The balancing act between chasing a global dream and serving the national cause is once again in focus for Gilas Pilipinas, as the team prepares for the second window of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2027 Asian Qualifiers without one of its most recognizable young stars.

Seven-foot-three center Kai Sotto is set to miss Window 2, and his availability for Window 3 remains uncertain as he eyes a crucial opportunity to pursue his NBA aspirations during the offseason of Japan’s B.League.

Reports indicate Sotto plans to participate in the NBA Summer League beginning July 6—dates that overlap directly with Gilas’ scheduled road games against the New Zealand Tall Blacks and the Australia Boomers.

For naturalized star Justin Brownlee, the situation reflects a familiar crossroads. Brownlee himself once chased the same dream after playing college basketball for the St. John’s Red Storm before eventually carving out a decorated professional career overseas.

“I think it’s pretty dope, you know what I mean? I think it’s great for the country,” Brownlee said.

Still, Brownlee emphasized that the path to the NBA remains one of the most difficult journeys in professional sports.

“It’s tough, you know, that’s the best league we have in the world right now. All the best talent in the world. And I think just like any other profession, whether you could be a doctor or a pilot, to reach the top, it takes a lot of hard work, dedication, and unbelievable confidence in yourself to always push yourself through the bad times and things like that,” said Brownlee, who previously had stints in the G League before taking his career overseas.

“So it’s a very tough task, but I do see some Filipinos, some up-and-coming young guys that really have the opportunity and potential to possibly make it.”

While Sotto’s absence would leave a noticeable gap—particularly in rim protection and interior scoring—Brownlee pointed out that the Philippines is entering a rare era of depth in frontcourt talent.

Players like Quentin Millora-Brown, AJ Edu, Justine Baltazar, Carl Tamayo, and Mike Phillips are gradually reshaping the national team’s identity with versatility and international size.

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GILAS BEATS NEW ZEALAND

Gilas Pilipinas takes down New Zealand for the first time in five meetings, 93-89.

Justin Brownlee fires 26 points while Kai Sotto has 19 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. | via Reynald Magallon

READ: https://t.co/ZCYG03uuSF pic.twitter.com/K8RZQkPTki

— Manila Bulletin News (@manilabulletin) November 21, 2024

Brownlee believes that the emergence of these younger big men reflects the lasting influence of established national team pillars such as June Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar.

“Talent has always been growing here in the Philippines, and in particular now, you know, it’s the bigs — a lot of big men in the country that are really good and have potential to be great. And follow the footsteps of guys like June Mar (Fajardo) and Japeth (Aguilar), you know, some really, you know, a lot of potential — NBA size, obviously with AJ, Carl, QMB, and just everybody, all the big guys,” the three-time PBA Best Import shared.

“So they’ve been doing very well, and I can’t wait to see how they play out when they start getting in there, prime with their careers.”

Even with long-term storylines forming around player availability, Brownlee made it clear that Gilas’ immediate focus remains on the present window, where the Philippines faces two of the region’s toughest programs.

“Australia and New Zealand are two very tough opponents. They have been, you know, doing very well and playing in every competition in FIBA, whether it’s the World Cup, Asia Cup, the Olympics, and even New Zealand as well had an opportunity to go to the Olympics, but it’s just going to be tough,” he said.

“They beat us the last couple of games or a couple of times we played them, so we just want to come in the game and just, you know, try our best and try to get the win, however we can get it.”

For now, the national team continues to walk a familiar line—supporting individual dreams while chasing collective success—knowing that both paths are shaping the future of Philippine basketball.

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