For Kai Sotto, Justin Brownlee is simply Jordan-esque against Latvia.
“He is the Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball.”
Gilas Pilipinas big man Kai Sotto gave this bold praise for teammate Justin Brownlee, after the naturalized player's heroic performance in Gilas Pilipinas’ stunning 89-80 win over world no. 6 Latvia in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
"The world [doesn't] really know much about Justin Brownlee. But for me, he's the Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball," Sotto said to FIBA in an interview.
Brownlee had a night to remember in Riga, dropping an all-around performance of 26 points, nine rebounds, and nine assists in 37 minutes of play, draining clutch shots down the stretch to douse a late Latvia rally en route to monumental win in front of the Riga crowd. He also had seven of seven free throws.
Kaiju held his own against Latvia too, logging 18 points, eight boards on an ultra-efficient 70% shooting.
[ALSO READ: Justin Brownlee sizzles as Gilas Pilipinas shock world no. 6 Latvia for strong start in FIBA OQT]
After the game, Sotto commended the multi-time PBA champion, who also led Gilas Pilipinas to a historic gold medal finish in the 2023 Asian Games last year, on another superb performance in a hostile environment.
"That's what we expected him to do and that is what he does every night," Sotto said in an interview with FIBA. "He just goes out there with his A-game every single night. He's a great teammate, he's a great player, and we're very blessed, we're very lucky to have him."
Brownlee though had the most Brownlee response to Sotto's comment.
"I appreciate this coming from Kai, but I'm just out there trying to do my best, trying to do whatever I can to help the team win," the resident Barangay Ginebra San Miguel import said.
"Man, it was big for us. We have a lot of respect for Latvia. It feels great, but we're definitely not satisfied. We [are] hungry and confident moving forward."
Can Gilas Pilipinas claim another giant scalp at the expense of Georgia in a crucial game later? Tune in at 8:30 p.m. LIVE on One Sports, RPTV, and the Pilipinas Live app.
[NEXT: FIBA OQT: Gilas Pilipinas scenarios against Georgia to reach semifinals]