Who wouldn't be thrilled to have Justin Brownlee and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson on their team? No one. Even Meralco Bolts captain Chris Newsome is excited to play with both in the EASL. These are the two best imports the PBA has seen this decade.
Newsome is happy with how his team has boosted its campaign in the 2025-26 season of the EASL by signing PBA foes Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra and Hollis-Jefferson of TNT as reinforcements, and Puerto Rico national team member Ismael Romero.
Newsome already played with Brownlee with Gilas Pilipinas in FIBA tournament, but it will be the first time in a Meralco uniform. The same goes with Hollis-Jefferson, who is actually a naturalized player of Jordan but will play for the Philippines this time in the club tournament.
"I think the management did a great job of finding out what pieces that we need in order for us to get over that hump," Newsome said.
"I played alongside JB and I played against Rondae. And they are both some of the fiercest competitors that I’ve ever played against. And to have them come into our program and lead this team and show that competitiveness that has made them successful," he added.
"I think that’s really important, not just for myself, but for the younger guys to see for the future of this program."
Unlike in the PBA with Barangay Ginebra where he is an import, Brownlee will play as Meralco’s naturalized player, giving room for Meralco to sign another reinforcement aside from Hollis-Jefferson and strengthen the team that has missed the semifinals in the past two editions of the EASL.
More than the offense that Brownlee and Hollis-Jefferson has proven that they can bring, Newsome said defense will be a top priority for the Bolts as they face Ryukyu Golden Kings, Taoyuan Pauian Pilots, and Macau Black Bears in Group B of the regional league.
"I think it’s nice that we get to all represent the Philippines and we’re all going to be on the same team for once, and we’re not competing against each other. It’s going to be nice to go out there and really just fight alongside those guys and play whatever role I need to play," he said.
"Having those guys there, my role might change a little bit than it is in the PBA. I think that's something that I'm used to doing with how I play. I’m a versatile player. I focus on defense a lot. If I have to play off ball, I can play off ball as well. If I need to be a point guard, I can be a point guard as well.
"But the main thing is, I think for us, it’s being able to stop teams. And I think we got Rondae, who is a great defensive player. He is defensive minded We have Ismael as well, who’s a big presence inside. So we really want to try to be able to stop teams. And I think that’s our priority is the defense more so than the offense," he added. Meralco opens the EASL season on 22 October against the Ryukyu Golden Kings in Okinawa, Japan. The Bolts will also go up against Taoyuan Pauian Pilots on 2 November in Taoyuan before finally playing at home on 8 November versus the Pilots.
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