This one’s tougher than playing against strongest teams in the PBA.
The FIBA World Cup unfurls in a few months and the debate about who should be Gilas Pilipinas' naturalized player still rages on in most inuman sessions in the Philippines.
Who is it going to be: Barangay Ginebra San Miguel resident import Justin Brownlee or Utah Jazz star Jordan Clarkson?
The newly-naturalized Filipino in Brownlee has proven time and again he can be that guy, norming 29 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists in leading the national team to a 1-1 record in the sixth and final window of the World Cup Asian Qualifiers. With Brownlee, the chemistry was really palpable.
Clarkson had similar numbers. But he also has something the beloved Ginebra player does not: NBA pedigree.
Fans ultimately argue this is a good problem for coach Chot Reyes and his staff.
In an episode of Power & Play with Kom Noli Eala, the former PBA chieftain asked TNT Tropang Giga import Rondae Hollis-Jefferson who he thought should be donning the country’s colors in the quadrennial spectacle.
It took the former Brooklyn Net a while before he could answer the “tough” question.
“That’s a tough one,” he said. “Imma go with Jordan Clarkson, though… you can’t go wrong [with Clarkson].”
But if given a chance, would he also consider being a naturalized player for the Philippines?
“I would consider. I like it here a lot,” he said.