Ginebra’s Thompson, Brownlee again win top PBA conference awards

Game Sunday (Mall of Asia Arena)

5:45 p.m. – Ginebra vs Bay Area

MANILA, Philippines – For the second time in the last three conferences, Barangay Ginebra duo Scottie Thompson and Justin Brownlee basked in the spotlight as the PBA's top performers.

Thompson, the reigning Most Valuable Player, won the Best Player of the Conference (BPC) plum while Brownlee earned the Best Import accolade for their outstanding performances in the Season 47 Commissioner’s Cup.

The Gin Kings stalwarts replicated their feat in the Season 46 Governors’ Cup, where they also swept the premier individual awards.

Thompson amassed 917 total points built around 459 statistical points, 409 from media votes and 49 from player votes en route to his second BPC trophy.

He beat teammate Jamie Malonzo (673), NorthPort’s Robert Bolick (558), San Miguel Beer’s CJ Perez (452) and NLEX’ Don Trollano (417).

The 6-foot-1 Thompson averaged 11.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists and 1.67 steals as he played a key role in helping the Gin Kings reach the finals against Bay Area.

Brownlee, for his part, garnered 1,289 total points to run away with the Bobby Parks Sr. Trophy at the expense of Magnolia Nicholas Rakocevic (940) and SMB’s Devon Scott (788).

The resident Barangay Ginebra import produced 28 markers, 10.2 boards, 6.8 dimes, 1.2 steals and 1.7 blocks on the way to his sixth finals appearance.

Thompson joined Calvin Abueva, Nelson Asaytono, Jerry Codinera, Kenneth Duremdes, Jayjay Helterbrand, Willie Miller, Arwind Santos, Danny Seigle and Jay Washington in the elite club of two-time winners.

Thompson and Co. share the honors as the players with the fourth most BPCs behind June Mar Fajardo’s record nine, Jayson Castro and Danny Ildefonso’s five, and Marc Caguoia, Vergel Meneses, Eric Menk and Alvin Patrimonio’s four.

For Brownlee, it was his third time to hoist the award for foreign reinforcements. The soon-to-be Gilas Pilipinas naturalized player hiked his personal collection to three overall, including his first in the Season 43 Commissioner’s Cup.

Brownlee drew level with Allen Durham in the second all-time list behind the late Parks, Sr., who copped seven.

Meanwhile, former MVP and current San Juan councilor James Yap is set to make his comeback for Rain or Shine in the coming Governors’ Cup.

Yap, who took a leave of absence after the 2021 Philippine Cup in Bacolor to bid for a seat in the San Juan City council, signed a one-conference deal with the Elasto Painters Friday in what may be his swan song.

“James was offered a one-year deal but he opted to sign for one conference only,” the team announced. “Yap says he will do his best to balance basketball and public service.”