Utah Jazz PF Millsap's brother to play for Petron

MANILA, Philippines – Petron Blaze Boosters already have an import for the coming PBA Governor’s Cup.

And it won’t be Othyus Jeffers as earlier reported by other sports news outlet. 

San Miguel Corporation sports director Noli Eala broke the news on his Twitter account (@NolieEala) that the Blaze Boosters will have Elijah Millsap as their reinforcement in the coming conference.

“Signed, sealed, delivered. Big warm welcome to the SMC/Petron family to Elijah Millsap,” Eala said on Saturday morning.

Listed as 6-foot-6 guard in the NBA D-League, Elijah is the younger brother of the Utah Jazz starting power forward Paul Millsap in the NBA.  The younger Millsap have averaged 17.4 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and 2 steals per game for the LA D-fenders last season.

Eala described the 24-year old wingman as an excellent player on both ends of the floor.

“Elijah is versatile who can play multiple positions on the floor. He’s an excellent defender and comes from a terrific basketball pedigree,” Eala said.

Another Millsap is playing in the NBA D-League. Elijah and Paul’s older brother John, 30, is a 6-foot-6 forward, who had seen action for the Utah Flash and as an import overseas.

In a Dime Magazine interview last year, D-Fenders coach Eric Musselman said that Elijah is a “tough player”.

“His toughness, he’s got unbelievable toughness,” Musselman said. “He’s an NBA player. There is no doubt about it.”

Athlete Highlight Reel : Elijah Millsap from Storyline Films on Vimeo.

Elijah applied for the 2010 NBA Rookie Draft after his junior year in Alabama-Birmingham but, unfortunately, he failed to follow his older brother Paul’s footsteps as no team picked him.

He was signed up by Oklahoma Thunder’s D-League team Tulsa 66ers before he was traded to the D-Fenders.

After being named to the second All-Rookie team in the D-League, the LA Lakers invited Elijah to the training camp but failed to get a spot in the star-studded Hollywood team.

After his second year in the D-League, he played for the Atlanta Hawks in the NBA summer league in Las Vegas. Soon after, he went to China to play for Yao Ming’s Shanghai Sharks before re-signing with the D-Fenders last season.  

Petron camp is confident that Millsap will easily make the 6-5 limit for imports in the season-ending conference.

Eala also disclosed that Millsap and San Mig Coffee’s returning import Marqus Blakely will arrive after attending the NBA summer league which ends on July 22.  He also added that Brgy. Ginebra Kings’ import Dior Lowhorn is set to arrive earlier on July 13.