Cone glad to have QMB as local player

Gilas Pilipinas coach Tim Cone is thrilled to hear the news that Quentin Millora-Brown has been reclassified as a local player by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

Cone, who will be flying back to Manila soon from a botched title bid in the 2025 FIBA Asia Cup in Jeddah, said they will embrace the 6-foot-10 former University of the Philippines star if ever reports that he has been reclassified as a Filipino are true.

“I haven’t heard that, but if that’s the case (that he is a local), we certainly would welcome him,” said Cone, who didn’t hide his interest in Millora-Brown during Gilas Pilipinas’ friendly match with the Macau Black Bears last July.

Millora-Brown has been wanting to play for Gilas in the international arena.

In fact, when the world-governing body in basketball classified him as a naturalized player, he hired a battery of lawyers that would fight for its reversal and remove the roadblock to see action for the national team.

On Wednesday night, his determination paid off as reports surfaced that FIBA had a change of heart and reclassified him as a local player.

“That is correct. Our lawyers Ale Mosca and Toni Verano were able to negotiate a successful final decision,” Millora-Brown’s agent Tom Seidel said.

“I’m just thrilled for QMB because he wanted to represent the Philippines so badly, and I am grateful to FIBA for a favorable final decision.”

With Millora-Brown expected to suit up as a local player, Gilas will now have the luxury of having either Jordan Clarkson, Justin Brownlee or Ange Kouame play as naturalized players in major FIBA competitions.

He will also provide an added ceiling to the national squad that obviously struggled to match the height and heft of countries like New Zealand and Australia in the FIBA Asia Cup.

The Filipinos, after all, will be facing New Zealand and Australia in the 2027 FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers in February and March next year, allowing them to parade a young triple tower of Millora-Brown, 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto and 6-foot-10 AJ Edu that would help veteran 6-foot-11 June Mar Fajardo in the shaded lane.

“He’s awesome. I’d love to have him. He is physical. He gets to the offensive boards really well. Great size," Cone said after seeing Millora-Brown in action recently.