MANILA, Philippines – The players who missed out on representing Gilas Pilipinas in the Asian Games are just as important to its path to the gold medal that ended a six-decade search.

That is according to Justin Brownlee as he credited Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo, Mo Tautuaa, Jason Perkins, and Roger Pogoy after the Philippines thumped Jordan in the final for its first men’s basketball crown since 1962.

“Even the guys who got changed, who could not participate, wanna thank those guys because they were huge for us getting us prepared,” said Brownlee after the 70-60 victory on Friday, October 6, as posted by One Sports.

Abueva, Romeo, Tautuaa, and Perkins were part of the original 12-man roster as head coach Tim Cone put premium on size, but the Games’ organizing committee denied their inclusion since they were not in the list of pool players.

Meanwhile, Pogoy – a holdover from the FIBA World Cup lineup – withdrew from the squad due to a “serious” health condition.

But their exclusion did not prevent them from showing support.

“Want to shout those guys out because they were supposed to be here. Even though they’re not here physically, they were texting in the group chat, they were definitely here with us,” said Brownlee.

“They earned this medal just as much as we did.”

Brownlee and the Nationals defied the odds, considering the cards they were dealt: a mere two-week preparation and the loss of nearly half of their roster.

Replacements CJ Perez, Kevin Alas, Marcio Lassiter, Chris Ross, and Arvin Tolentino came in just a week before the Asian Games – a situation that cast doubts on the Philippines’ golden quest.

Still, the Filipinos held their nerve and survived four straight knockout games, including a miracle of a win over defending champion China in the semifinals that saw Brownlee power a comeback from a 20-point deficit.

“We came a long way in a short amount of time. Just feels great. I’m just happy for everybody, happy for the Philippines, it is a very special moment,” said Brownlee.

One of the most beloved imports in PBA history, Brownlee returns home a national hero. – Rappler.com