Meralco eyes dream pairing of Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson for EASL

Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, widely regarded as two of the greatest imports in Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) history, may soon find themselves sharing the same jersey. Reports have surfaced that the Meralco Bolts are exploring the possibility of bringing the two long-time rivals together for the upcoming East Asia Super League (EASL).

Meralco head coach Luigi Trillo acknowledged the development but stressed that nothing has been finalized.

“Who wouldn’t want Justin and Rondae? Those are probably two of the best imports the PBA has had in a very long while. Both are very high-level players, and for them to possibly play together with us would be a welcome addition. At this point, it’s just ideas and I’m just reading about it as well,” Trillo said.

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

He added that discussions will resume once head coach Nenad Vucinic returns and practices begin in September. “When coach Nenad comes back and we start practice, we’ll reconvene and discuss by September 1. But if this is to happen, we really have to thank coach Alfrancis,” Trillo noted.

Meralco will once again represent the PBA in Asia’s premier regional club competition. Last season, the Bolts fielded naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame along with Akil Mitchell and DJ Kennedy as imports. Despite failing to capture a PBA title, Meralco retained its EASL slot, as the league extends invitations to select clubs outside the champions and runners-up from Japan, South Korea, and Taiwan.

“We want to do well in the EASL and we are honored to be representing the PBA again for the third year. We know how competitive the EASL is, since you usually have to be a champion or a finalist to qualify. So to still be invited and for the EASL to want us in the tournament is a recognition of our ballclub’s solid reputation and growth, which we are proud of,” Trillo said.

For this year’s campaign, Meralco has been drawn in Group B alongside the Ryukyu Golden Kings of Japan’s B. League, Taiwan’s P. League+ champion Taoyuan Pilots, and the Macau Black Bears. The Bolts will be aiming to improve on last season’s performance, where they finished with a 2–4 record.

Should the Brownlee–Hollis-Jefferson tandem push through, it could mark one of the most intriguing and star-studded import pairings ever seen by a Philippine club on the international stage.

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