“If you draft me, you’ll never regret it.”
Kwame Brown reportedly told Washington Wizards coach Doug Collins exactly what he wanted to hear in a pre-draft workout.
GettyBrown insists he wasn’t given a fair shot[/caption]The high-school superstar signed a letter of intent to play for the University of Florida but decided to snub college and head straight into the NBA.
Declaring for the 2001 Draft, the Wizards and team president Michael Jordan were confident enough to use the No. 1 pick on Brown. Spoiler — they regretted it.
The 19-year-old South Carolina native turned pro with the eyes of the world on him.
A first overall pick straight out of high school teaming up with a 39-year-old legend looking for one last dance before riding into the sunset as president of basketball operations. It was the perfect storm.
“You have a coach in Doug Collins who doesn’t believe in playing young players,” Brown said via basketball network. “And Michael doesn’t either.
“Michael’s last hurrah, Michael wanted to win a championship and in his mind, he felt that if he can get to the playoffs at 39 years old, he could win a championship.”
Brown — a 6ft 11in center — shared a locker room with Jordan until the all-time great finally retired for good in 2003.
His experiences shine a light on two aspects of Air Jordan — his ruthless streak and incredible dedication to the game of basketball.
“No, I’m not an MJ fan. Listen, I got no reason to be an MJ fan,” he told the ‘Swish Cultures’ podcast. “That motherf***** slapped me in the back of my head one day.
“I just saw the work and the dedication. [He] was getting up at 39 years old. He never cheated the game, whether he went out, whatever he did. The Breakfast Club was real.
MJ was a difficult man to play alongside GettyBrown joined the Lakers just before they returned to the peak[/caption]The Breakfast Club was MJ’s legendary morning workout routine with his teammates, a tradition that nothing would prevent him from continuing.
“I joined the Breakfast Club because I couldn’t believe it. I’m like, ain’t no way this old, after being up standing there all night gambling, no way is he going to be here at 6am,” added Brown. “That dude was already in the weight room lifting at 5:45.
“I’m like, ‘He’s a machine.’ I couldn’t believe it. Every morning, he’s like that. No matter what he does, he never cheated the game.”
Brown struggled in his rookie season, averaging 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds a game.
He began to adjust and having managed 30 points and 19 rebounds in a contest against the Sacramento Kings during his third campaign, he rejected a five-year, $30 million contract offer.
After feuding with teammates and coaches in an injury-hit fourth season, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers.
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Upon his return to Washington as a Laker in December 2005, a sold-out crowd booed his every touch.
After a pass from teammate Sasha Vujačić bounced out of bounds of his head when Brown was looking elsewhere, loud jeers filled the stadium.
“They should be cheering that I’m gone,” he said after a Wizards win.
From one demanding teammate to another, Brown’s time in LA saw him play alongside Kobe Bryant on a rebuilding franchise.
“He’s given us trust, but whatever we lack in experience, we just have to give that much more effort. As long as we give him 100 percent effort, I think he’s pleased,” Brown told the NYT at the time.
The former Wizard ended up playing a huge role in landing Kobe’s final two titles in 2009 and 2010, unfortunately it wasn’t on the court.
In 2008, Brown was included in a trade with the Memphis Grizzlies that saw Pau Gasol head the other way.
The Spaniard — a six-time All-Star — helped Black Mamba win the two final championships that enshrined him as a great.
Brown bounced around the NBA, playing for the Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Bobcats, Golden State Warriors, and Philadelphia 76ers before leaving The Association in 2013 with over $60 million in career earnings.
He was the fifth ever pick in the Big3 league set up by Ice Cube in 2017, losing in the finals of the inaugural season of the 3×3 competition.
Brown’s cousin Jabari Smith also played in the NBA and the family has an active presence in Houston Rockets star Jabari Smith Jr., who was drafted third overall in 2022.
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