MANILA, Philippines – Former Alaska resident import Sean Chambers doesn’t mind even if Ginebra mainstay Justin Brownlee wound up breaking their PBA record tie for most number of titles won by an import in league history.
Chambers, who played for the Milkmen from 1989 to 2001, won six championships, including two from a Grand Slam in 1996, to set the record.
Two decades later, Brownlee set his own winning streak when he started playing for Ginebra in the 2016 Governors’ Cup.
“I think it would be… an amazing accomplishment for Justin and his legacy here and his longevity here,” Chambers told Rappler.
“And well-deserved because he does things the right way. So, if Justin gets that seven, I think it would be amazing,” he added.
Brownlee holds a strong shot at breaking their record tie as Ginebra stands deadlocked at 2-2 with TNT in the PBA Governors’ Cup best-of-seven finale.
The common denominator between Chambers and Brownlee is none other than coach Tim Cone, who himself owns the league record for most conference championships at 25.
Chambers described the longtime coach’s strength in building relationships, as well as strong attention to the most minute details as factors in remaining potent in over 30 years of coaching.
Moreover, despite having the opportunity to field in bigger imports, Cone opted to stick with Chambers and Brownlee in import-laced conferences.
Brownlee even became the shortest reinforcement — officially measured in the PBA at 6-foot-4 and 5/8 inches — to win the Best Import of the Conference award in the Commissioners’ Cup, which had an allowed maximum height of 6-foot-10 for foreign players.
Chambers also acknowledged Brownlee’s commitment to the Philippines, with the versatile swingman eventually becoming a naturalized player for Gilas Pilipinas.
Chambers likewise serves as a deputy coach for the national basketball team under Cone.
“Like we all, once we came here, we had a love for the country and a love for the league, and we wanted to make this our home… and then Tim, was, I don’t know if [there’s] anybody else in the league [who has been as] willing to bring their [same] imports over every year.”
Yesterday and today
Calling Brownlee as the “greatest import” of all time alongside Bobby Parks Sr., Chambers noted the transcendent talent of the 36-year-old, who, he thinks, would’ve made an impact in any decade.
While the 1990s were much more physical, Chambers, who coaches in the Philippines for the FEU Tamaraws in the UAAP, said players today are bigger and better.
“As the game of basketball continued to evolve, so have the players. So, you know, we had stars like Alvin Patrimonio, Vergel Meneses, Allan Caidic, Samboy Lim,” said Chambers.
“Those guys were kind of very unique back in those days, the way they played the game. And now everybody has a guy like that on their team, you know, even Converge,” he added.
“It was usually each team had about four or five six guys that were super good and then a bunch of role players… well not anymore. Everybody’s rosters are pretty much legit, honestly,” he continued.
He also named former San Miguel and Pop Cola import Norman Black, as well as himself in his Mount Rushmore of PBA imports.
“When you talk about those four players, myself, Norman, Justin, and Bobby, we had an instant love for the country,” explained Chambers, who averaged 30.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists in 270 games played from 1989-2001.
“This was our NBA, once we got here this is where we wanted to continue our legacy.” – Rappler.com
