Fresh from another legacy-cementing run in the PBA Finals with the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings, it’s time for Justin Brownlee to don his Gilas Pilipinas jersey once more.

The winningest import in PBA history will spearhead the nationals’ campaign as they face New Zealand and Australia to conclude their first-round campaign in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers in July.

But despite having less than a week to recover from their grueling seven-game series against the TNT Tropang 5G in the Season 50 Commissioner’s Cup Finals, Brownlee does not mind it at all.

“No matter how you’re feeling, you always find your energy,” said Brownlee during Gilas’ send-off press conference at the FilOil Centre in San Juan.

Brownlee is relying on a familiar system under Ginebra and Gilas head coach Tim Cone as the Nationals seek to pull off a couple of upsets in their pair of away games.

“We pretty much run a similar system, but there’s a lot more talent. Guys are more athletic,” said Brownlee.

But what further fuels Brownlee is the support the team receives from the country, something he considers even greater than the already overwhelming backing of the Ginebra faithful.

“There are already a lot of fans with Ginebra, but playing for the national team is also a big deal.”

Gilas will fly to New Zealand this week to begin its overseas camp, which includes tune-up matches against New Zealand NBL teams Manawatu Jets and Franklin Bulls.

This comes ahead of the Nationals’ July 3 clash against New Zealand and July 6 matchup with Australia. (ABS-CBN News)