Millora-Brown ruled naturalized by FIBA, skips 2025 PBA Draft

Quentin Millora-Brown, the 6-foot-10 UAAP champion and former UP Fighting Maroons star, has been classified as a naturalized player by FIBA, shutting the door — at least for now — on any chance of representing the Philippines as a local for Gilas Pilipinas.

This was confirmed to me by a source close to Millora-Brown, who shared that “He’s already been classified as naturalized by FIBA to everyone’s disappointment.”

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) had spent months trying to prove that Millora-Brown acquired his Philippine passport before the age of 16 — a strict FIBA requirement for dual citizens to be considered locals. The player himself confirmed that timeline late last year. However, despite those efforts, the reclassification has apparently already been finalized.

“It’s a very, very long pathway that simply doesn’t make sense for Q’s career,” the source added. “You don’t even know at the end of that long road if it will work so unfortunately it’s beyond impractical.”

READ: UP’s Quentin Millora-Brown Sports a Barong Tagalog Versus UST

While QMB won’t suit up as a local, he remains hopeful to someday don the Gilas jersey — this time as a naturalized player.

“Hopefully they will call him one day because it’s a dream of Q’s to represent the Philippines,” the source said. “That’s up to them to call him, it’s completely out of our hands now.”

Coach Tim Cone previously expressed public interest in having Millora-Brown in the Gilas pool, calling him a “nice fit” if eligibility allowed.

Millora-Brown is currently with the Macau Black Bears, suiting up for the Asian Tournament happening this week (July 20–24). He’s also scheduled to play in a tune-up game against Gilas Pilipinas on July 28 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum — a symbolic twist, given the circumstances.

Despite earlier speculation, Millora-Brown will not join the 2025 PBA Rookie Draft.

“I can tell you with 100% certainty he will not be in the draft,” the same source confirmed.

RELATED: Should Gilas Add Quentin Millora-Brown to its Pool?

This aligns with a public statement released by his agent Todd Seidel just recently. Millora-Brown had been considered a consensus top overall pick had he declared, but he is now weighing other professional paths. According to the source, he had “pro offers since before going to UP and certainly has plenty now.”

Whether those opportunities lead him to Japan, Korea, Europe, or elsewhere remains to be seen.

Millora-Brown played college basketball at Rice, Vanderbilt, and The Citadel before suiting up for the UP Fighting Maroons in 2024. Born in the United States to a Filipina mother, he remains one of the most promising big men of Filipino descent today.