Brownlee says Thompson a ‘well-deserved’ addition to PBA Greatest

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Justin Brownlee gives Scottie Thompson his flowers as the Barangay Ginebra guard becomes the youngest and one of the only two active players to join the PBA 50 Greatest club

MANILA, Philippines – Justin Brownlee spent his entire career playing with Scottie Thompson and he thinks it is just fitting for his Barangay Ginebra teammate to be make the PBA 50 Greatest Players.

Brownlee gave Thompson his flowers as the Gin Kings guard became the youngest and one of the only two active players alongside June Mar Fajardo to join the esteemed club. 

“I think it’s well-deserved. He’s a hard worker. Most of the time, the first guy in the gym, the last guy to leave the gym,” said Brownlee of Thompson on Thursday, April 3, in a press conference where he was introduced as the newest ambassador of sports betting platform Arena Plus. 

“On the court, what he’s been able to do since I’ve been here, it’s been amazing.” 

Thompson earned an outright spot in the Greatest Players list by virtue of winning the MVP in 2021.

His other achievements include two Finals MVP, two Best Player of the Conference, and two Mythical First Team selections — a considerable haul for a player who is just in his ninth season in the league.

A frequent triple-double threat, Thompson is most known for his rebounding prowess, becoming the second-fastest guard in PBA history to record 2,000 defensive rebounds after the legendary Robert Jaworski Sr. 

“The things he does, at his size, he plays like he’s maybe about 6’10 or 7 feet sometimes, the way he grabs rebounds. I think it’s well-deserved. Definitely congratulations. Truly been an honor to be your teammate,” said Brownlee.

Brownlee joined Ginebra in 2016, a year after Thompson got drafted by the team in 2015.

And ever since, Brownlee said he has witnessed Thompson take his game to the next level and develop into a reliable offensive threat.

“He has a strong will — his will just to get better, to just keep going,” said Brownlee. “Over the years, he’s expanded his game so much. I remember when I first came to the PBA, he can shoot, but he really wasn’t known to be an outside shooter. But now, it’s gotten to a point where you just can’t leave him open or he’s making that shot at will now.” 

“There’s so many things I can say, it’s definitely not just one thing,” Brownlee added. “He just does so many things on the court.” 

Brownlee still appeared on Thursday together with Thompson and RJ Abarrientos despite facing another doping violation.

Suspended for three months after testing positive for a prohibited substance linked to cannabis use in 2023, Brownlee recently received notice of an adverse analytical finding, which according to the World Anti-Doping Agency is a report that identifies the “presence of a prohibited substance or its metabolites” in a sample. 

Brownlee refused to comment on the matter. – Rappler.com