For its third try, the Meralco Bolts doesn't want to put everything on a mere luck. They are putting its best foot forward for the brand-new East Asia Super League season, tapping two of the best imports the PBA had ever seen in Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson along with 6-foot-10 center Ismael Romero from Puerto Rico.
Brownlee is known for bringing multiple heartbreaks to the Bolts during the storied Meralco-Ginebra rivalry in the PBA but he is now expected to lead the team to a championship glory that had been elusive to Philippine squads in the regional league.
Hollis-Jefferson, on the other hand, was a big part of TNT's dominance in the past season, steering the Tropang 5G to back-to-back titles in the Governors' and Commissioner's Cup.
Interestingly, Brownlee and Hollis-Jefferson, who found themselves at the opposing sides of the big games that they were in – be it for a Ginebra-TNT game or a contest between Gilas or Jordan in FIBA – will also be teaming up for the first time. Between the two of them are a total of nine PBA championships and six Best Import awards.
The inclusion of the two, who are both resident imports for Ginebra and TNT, only signifies the full support that the PBA Board is giving Meralco for its EASL campaign as the league hopes for the Bolts to win it all as a fitting celebration for the league's golden year.
Also tapped is Romero who played for the Puerto Rico national team during the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila.
Brownlee takes the naturalized player spot while both Hollis-Jefferson and Romero are considered the world imports. The team isn't done yet solidifying the lineup as the Bolts are reportedly still in the lookout for an Asian import.
The Bolts, who will be representing the PBA for three-straight seasons, will have a local core that is composed of Chris Newsome, Cliff Hodge, Chris Banchero, Raymond Almazan, Bong Quinto, Aaron Black, Jansen Rios, and Brandon Bates.
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