Make way for Slam Dunk King

Ginebra’s Justin Brownlee will once more be the import yardstick in the PBA Governors’ Cup which opens the league’s 49th season on Aug. 18 but wait, there’s someone who’s touted to challenge his kingdom. No less than a seven-year NBA veteran who won the NBA Slam Dunk contest in 2017 is expected to bark up Brownlee’s tree with Magnolia. Glenn Robinson III’s father Glenn Jr. was known as the Big Dog during his 11-year NBA career and he was tough. If the son bites as hard as his father did, the Chicken Timplados Hotshots are in for a smooth ride this coming conference where the height limit for imports is 6-6.

Robinson, 30, earned an estimated $10.8 million in his NBA career that started with the Minnesota Timberwolves then shifted to the Philadelphia 76ers, moved to the Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons, Golden State Warriors, back to the Sixers and finally to the Sacramento Kings in 2020-21. He averaged 5.9 points, shooting .373 from three and .457 from the floor, in 304 total games, including 105 starts. Robinson powered the University of Michigan to the NCAA Finals in 2013 and NCAA Elite Eight in 2014 then was picked in the second round by Minnesota in the 2014 NBA draft. Last season, he averaged 10.5 points in 41 games with the Wisconsin Herd in the NBA G-League. The Philippines is his second overseas destination after Mexico in 2021. Robinson, whose nicknames are Tre, GR3 and Little Dog, arrived here last Sunday.

The import cast is slowly filling up.  TNT will suit up former Houston Rocket Darius Days who claims to play like Draymond Green. Phoenix’ Jayveous Mckinnis arrived Tuesday morning and is coming off a stint in Cyprus. He was on the University of Mississippi team that went to the NCAA Sweet 16 in 2023. Both Days and Mckinnis are 24. NLEX’ Myke Henry, 31, will fly in this weekend. He played for the US silver medal team at the FIBA 3x3 World Cup in 2016 and the Memphis Grizzlies on a two-way contract in 2017-18.

Blackwater’s Ricky Ledo arrived last Tuesday. He was the Milwaukee Bucks’ second round pick in 2013 and played for Dallas and New York in two NBA seasons up to 2014-15.  Ledo, 31, went on to play in Puerto Rico, Turkey, Spain, Italy, China, Poland, Taiwan, Lebanon, Greece and Bahrain before landing here. Rain or Shine is bringing back Aaron Fuller who suited up for NLEX in 2017 and 2018, Blackwater in 2019 and TNT in 2022. Fuller, 34, is a grizzled veteran who has played in Portugal, New Zealand, Mexico, Luxembourg, Israel, Mexico, Uruguay, Venezuela and Chile.

NorthPort will decide to sign either Venky Jois of Australia or Taylor Johns of the University of California at Riverside this week. Jois, 31, was NorthPort’s import in the last Commissioner’s Cup where he averaged 23.9 points, 15.1 rebounds and 5.6 assists in 11 games. Johns, 30, has suited up in Slovenia, Israel, Mexico, Greece, Finland, Iceland, China and Indonesia. San Miguel Beer will bring in Lithuanian Tauras Jogela who’s arriving on Friday. Terrafirma’s Brandon Edwards is planing in on Monday. Edwards, 32, has played in Spain, Greece, Finland, Israel, China, France, Hong Kong and Kosovo. Meralco is recalling Allen Durham who’ll be playing in his seventh conference, sixth with the Bolts. Brownlee, 36, is still playing in Indonesia but should be back in Manila in the first week of August.