Justin Brownlee offered to suit up for rival Meralco in EASL

The upcoming East Asia Super League (EASL) season will see the Meralco Bolts stand as the lone representative of Philippine basketball, and an intriguing development could boost their campaign — the possible addition of long-time tormentor Justin Brownlee. 

Placed in Group B, the Bolts are set to clash with the Taoyuan Pauian Pilots of Taiwan’s P.League+, the Ryukyu Golden Kings of Japan’s B.League, and the Macau Black Bears. Their campaign begins on October 22 against the Taiwanese side.

According to sources from Spin.ph, San Miguel Corporation (SMC) is willing to make Brownlee available should Meralco formally make the request. 

The offer reportedly came directly from SMC sports director and Barangay Ginebra governor Alfrancis Chua, who extended the olive branch despite Brownlee’s storied history of breaking Meralco’s heart in multiple PBA Finals matchups.

In the EASL format, each team can field two imports plus one naturalized player. Meralco leaned on Ange Kouame in that role last season, but the option of tapping Brownlee adds a new layer of flexibility.

Justin Brownlee + Meralco?
The plot twist nobody expected.

Justin Brownlee has been Meralco’s Finals nightmare—4 duels, 4 Ginebra championships.

That’s why fans were stunned when a hint surfaced that JB might reinforce the Bolts in the upcoming EASL.

With the PBA’s 50th Season… pic.twitter.com/mqvTmCXLjT

— Barangay Ginebra San Miguel (@brgyginebraphl) August 20, 2025

 For the Bolts, acquiring the Gilas Pilipinas mainstay could mean securing one of Asia’s most consistent and battle-tested reinforcements.

Of course, the final piece of the puzzle rests on Brownlee himself. Fresh off national team duty in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, the naturalized forward must first give his approval before the move can materialize.

In terms of scheduling, there appear to be no major hurdles. Brownlee will not be tied down to Barangay Ginebra during the EASL window, as the PBA’s 50th season will open in October with the all-Filipino Philippine Cup, meaning he will be free of import duties for his mother team. 

His only set commitment during that stretch will be with Gilas Pilipinas, which begins its FIBA World Cup qualifiers campaign against Guam on November 28 and December 1 in a home-and-away series.

If the deal pushes through, Meralco may get a rare opportunity to turn one of its greatest adversaries into an ally — a twist that could significantly alter its fortunes on the continental stage.

OKBET is Asia’s most trusted and popular online sports gaming platform. Visit us on OKBET to stay up to date with all sports news from around the world.