Brownlee, RHJ join forces for Meralco’s EASL bid

The Meralco Bolts are returning to the East Asia Super League (EASL), and they are tapping rivals Justin Brownlee of Barangay Ginebra and Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of TNT to reinforce their lineup.

In a report from the PBA website last September 10, Meralco governor Billy Pamintuan said the team wants to win the EASL for the country, which is why they are bringing in two of the league’s top imports.

"We want to win the EASL for the country and for the PBA," Pamintuan said. "We are leaving no stone unturned, make no mistake about it."

In addition to Brownlee and Hollis-Jefferson, Ismael Romero, a member of the Puerto Rican national team, will also suit up for the Bolts, along with naturalized Filipino Ange Kouame.

Meralco consultant Nenad Vucinic, however, acknowledged the challenge of integrating the new players into the team.

“We were fortunate that Talk N’ Text and Ginebra let us borrow their players, Rondae and JB. But the problem is they’re coming in late for our preparation, and our first two games are against the top teams from Japan and Taiwan. So we’ll see how we gel, and hopefully they won’t need much time to get into form,” Vucinic said Sunday on the sidelines of the 2025 FIVB Men’s World Championship.

Meralco will face the Ryukyu Golden Kings on October 22, followed by the Taoyuan Pilots on November 2.

The EASL allows teams to field two naturalized players, two imports, and one Asian import.

—JMB, GMA Integrated News