MANILA, Philippines – Justin Brownlee has achieved so many legendary feats for Philippine basketball that even a teammate compared him to the man widely considered as the greatest player of all time.

Brownlee added another chapter to his growing lore as he powered Gilas Pilipinas to a sensational 89-80 upset of host Latvia in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in Riga on Wednesday, July 3 (Thursday, July 4, Manila time).

Flirting with a triple-double, the naturalized star netted 26 points, 9 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 block, and 1 steal to guide the Philippines to its first win over a European squad in an official FIBA competition in over six decades.

The last time the country beat a team from Europe happened in the 1960 Rome Olympics, where the Philippines nailed an 84-82 victory over Spain.

Ending that decades-long skid initially looked improbable, specially against a Latvian side that finished fifth in the last FIBA World Cup and ranks No. 6 in the world, just behind the USA, Spain, Germany, Serbia, and Australia.

But the Filipinos pulled off the gargantuan task largely thanks to Brownlee.

“The world doesn’t really know much about Justin Brownlee, but for me, he’s the Michael Jordan of Philippine basketball. That’s what we expect him to do and that’s what he does every night,” said Gilas big man Kai Sotto.

“He just goes out there with his A game every single night.”

Since he officially became a naturalized Filipino last year, Brownlee has been instrumental to the Philippines’ resurgence as a continental powerhouse.

With Brownlee leading the way, Gilas Pilipinas reclaimed the gold medal in the Southeast Asian Games in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, then captured the Asian Games crown for the first time since 1962 in Hangzhou, China.

In the OQT, Brownlee seeks to help the Nationals qualify for the Olympics for the first time since the 1972 Munich Games.

Brownlee showed he is up to the challenge, setting the tone in a roaring 32-16 start as he torched Latvia with 10 points in the opening quarter.

And when the Filipinos needed buckets down the stretch, the three-time PBA Best Import delivered, completing a four-point play for an 85-71 lead that gave the visitors enough separation to keep the stunned hosts at bay.

On top of his athletic prowess, Brownlee is a beloved member of the team.

“He’s a great teammate, he’s a great player, and we’re very blessed, very lucky to have him,” said Sotto, who backstopped Brownlee with 18 points and 8 rebounds.

Brownlee is expected to be a marked man as Gilas Pilipinas goes for a sweep of Group A when it battles Georgia at 8:30 pm on Thursday, July 4, Manila time. – Rappler.com