Photos from PBA
MANILA — The PBA Season 50 Governors' Cup will tip off in eight days featuring a mix of old and new faces suiting up as reinforcements in the season-ending conference.
Each team will be parading an import that meets the 6-foot-6 height limit set by PBA. The season-ending conference will tip off on July 10 at the Ynares Center in Antipolo.
Barangay Ginebra
Four-time PBA Best Import Justin Brownlee is returning for Barangay Ginebra, after leading the Gin Kings to its first championship since the Commissioner's Cup in 2023.
Brownlee helped Ginebra get revenge on the TNT Tropang 5G, clinching the PBA 50 Commissioner's Cup in a grueling seven-game series.
The last time Ginebra won the Governors' Cup was in 2022, where Brownlee won Best Import for the second time in his career.
Blackwater Bossing
Kentrell Barkley will be reinforcing the Blackwater Bossing, after last playing for Kesatria Bengawan Solo in the Indonesian Basketball League.
The 6-foot-5 import was named Most Valuable Player in the IBL and Vietnam Basketball Association, also winning championships in the VBA and Super Basketball League in Taiwan.
Barkley joins the Bossing, who are being led by Pat Aquino in his second conference as interim head coach.
Converge FiberXers
Jalen Hudson is making a comeback to the PBA after three years, this time with the Converge FiberXers.
The 30-year-old played for the TNT Tropang 5G in the same conference back in 2023.
Hudson's best game during his stint with TNT was against Converge, where he dropped 56 points, 12 rebounds and four assists in the Tropang 5G's win.
Macau Giant Pandas
De'Vondre Perry will be suiting up for guest team Macau, who changed their monicker to Giant Pandas from Black Knights.
The 27-year-old played for Temple University in college and then took his act to several countries like Belgium, Dominican Republic, and Germany.
Perry last played for the SBB Baskets Wolmirstedt in the Germany ProA league.
Magnolia Hotshots
Kenyon Joseph "KJ" Buffen has been tapped by the Magnolia Hotshots to reinforce the team in the season-ending conference.
The American forward played for University of Alabama at Birmingham in US NCAA Division 1.
Buffen last suited up for RANS PIK in the Indonesian Basketball League, after playing in Finland and New Zealand.
Meralco Bolts
Jordon Varnado is set to make his debut in the PBA with the Meralco Bolts, a team that he is already familiar with.
The 29-year-old previously played for the Bolts in the 2025 Basketball Champions League Asia, where the team reached the quarterfinals.
Varnado looks to bring his experience in Hungary, Poland, Italy, Greece, and Israel to power the Bolts, who finished in the semifinals of the PBA 50 Commissioner's Cup.
NLEX Road Warriors
DeQuan Jones is running it back for the NLEX Road Warriors in this season's Governors' Cup, under new head coach Jimmy Alapag.
The former Orlando Magic player suited up for NLEX in the Season 49 Governors' Cup as a replacement for Myke Henry midway into the tournament.
Jones joins an NLEX squad that finished first in the PBA 50 Commissioner's Cup eliminations and ended its dream run in the quarterfinals after losing to TNT.
The G League Most Improved Player was teammates with former NLEX player Kiefer Ravena for the Shiga Lakes in the Japan B.League.
Phoenix Fuel Masters
BJ Johnson will be leading the charge for the Phoenix Fuel Masters in his first foray in the Asia's first pay-for-play league.
The 30-year-old had prior stints in the NBA with Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings and Atlanta Hawks.
Johnson last played for the PBC Lokomotiv Kuban in the VTB United League in Russia.
Rain or Shine Elasto Painters
Aaron Fuller is back as the reinforcement of the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters, after last playing in Mexico.
Fuller saw action for Rain or Shine in the same conference in Season 49, where he led the team to the semifinals before being knocked out by eventual champions TNT.
After reaching the semifinals in the previous conference, the Elasto Painters seek a deeper run into the playoffs with Fuller already familiar with the team.
San Miguel Beermen
Returning import George King will be playing for the San Miguel Beermen after being released by Blackwater, according to the PBA website.
The former NBA player is no stranger to the PBA, making his presence when he scored a career-high 64 points with the Bossing in the Season 49 Governors' Cup.
Since reinforcing Blackwater, King has played in Lebanon, Egypt, Iraq, Taiwan and Germany.
San Miguel hopes King is in it for the long run, after changing three imports in the previous conference.
Terrafirma Dyip
Justin Strings will also be making his first appearance in the PBA with the Terrafirma Dyip.
The 6-foot-7 forward played for the Sacramento State Hornets varsity team.
Strings, who is 29-years-old, has played ball in Canada, Germany, Argentina, and Uruguay.
Titan Ultra Giant Risers
Tirrell Brown will serve as the import of the Titan Ultra Giant Risers in the PBA 50 Governors' Cup.
The 6-foot-6 forward played professional ball around South America, namely Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador and Uruguay.
With Brown as its reinforcement, Titan looks to improve on its 2-10 win-loss record in the PBA 50 Commissioner's Cup.
TNT Tropang 5G
As Rondae Hollis-Jefferson still in recovery, the TNT Tropang 5G have tapped former NBA player Darius Days to reinforce the team in its title defense bid.
Days was initially tapped by TNT to be its import in the Governors' Cup in 2024, but Hollis-Jefferson decided to return for the Tropang 5G. The former NBA player went on to play for the Illawara Hawks, where they won a championship in the National Basketball League.
Days last saw action with the San-en NeoPhoenix in the Japanese B.League.