Kwame Brown, the NBA’s No. 1 overall draft pick in 2001, is happy with his life and wants to make it clear he doesn’t care if you think he is a bust, and his former Washington Wizards teammate Gilbert Arenas is a “coward.” Brown is the most recent guest on “The Pivot Podcast.”
Last year Arenas and Brown engaged in a back-and-forth war of words with Arenas labeling Brown a bust, calling him a “drunk,” and taking other personal shots.
“I don’t wanna talk about that guy after he mentioned putting a pistol to my throat,” said Brown. “If I was white and the media was really the media and the police really did their job. … See, they expect us to talk like that. … I’m not even going to play games talking about a cat like that. He’s definitely what’s wrong with our community, because he’s a coward. Because he knows there won’t be any ramifications for talking like that. Do you think Gilbert Arenas would say that about J.J. Redick?”
Who Is Kwame Brown?
Brown was drafted by the Wizards straight out of high school in 2001, and for many he’s seen as the poster child of the high school athlete to pro era gone wrong.
Over his 13 year career Brown averaged six points and five rebounds per game and played in a total of 18 playoff games. When a team selects a player at No. 1 overall, it’s safe to say they expect more production and success.
However the NBA wasn’t a league designed to deal with teenagers. Yes, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant succeeded, but they’re among the greatest players ever. They would’ve succeeded in any situation. Most players need the right environment to thrive and flourish. Something Brown admits was lacking.
“I think I paved the way for how they handle young players now, but back then it was totally different,” said Brown. “I had the whole world talking about me at one point, and for me I just got quiet. It made me too much of an introvert. I’m mostly a fun-loving, gentle giant. … It made me go into a shell. I went through a period where I wasn’t true to the game, but every time they called me, I was ready.”
While Brown may not have had the on-court success one would expect from a No. 1 overall pick, he earned over $63 million during his career. If he was smart with his money, he’s pretty much set financially. Add in his player pension, and it’s hard to call someone that earned that amount of cash, a bust.
Was Kwame Brown A Bust?
But Brown has made peace with the bust label.
“My biggest pivot was just not caring,” said Brown. “When I was young, I really cared about making people understand that I wasn’t this bust like everyone said. …I’m 40 now. I don’t play basketball. I just want people to see how the media spins these narratives to destroy these men’s names.”
There is always more than one side to every story. Your version, my version, and the truth. Brown is giving his version and his truth.
Finding peace and happiness in life is the goal, and if not caring gets him there, that’s great. No matter what, there will always be people that call him a bust, but he’s never going to change their minds. He seems to have a grasp and an acceptance of that.
