Kwame Brown: Latest News, Rumors, Speculation Surrounding Free-Agent Center
Kwame Brown, the former No. 1 overall pick who played his last NBA game in 2013, is attempting a comeback.
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Brown Attempting Comeback
Monday, Aug. 22
Interperformances, Brown's agency, wrote in a statement, per Luke Adams of HoopsRumors.com:
"[Brown] is ready for a new life. His comeback can be the road to glory for a team that believes in him. Kwame is back, physically healthy and ready to be the outstanding player he was on several NBA teams. … No longer the young man that entered the NBA, Kwame is now an experienced and mature player and man. And he’s back, for the love of the game.
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Brown, 34, averaged 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game for seven teams over 12 NBA seasons. He is considered perhaps the worst top overall selection in NBA history, with Michael Jordan having selected him when he was running the Washington Wizards.
The 6'11" big man last played for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2012-13. He also played for the Wizards, Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Detroit Pistons, Charlotte Hornets and Golden State Warriors.
The road to finding an eighth NBA franchise feels bumpy. Brown was mostly ineffective when he was a long and springy athlete in his mid-20s. Now deep into his mid-30s after years of banging near the basket, Brown isn't the same athlete and never possessed much of an offensive skill set. Nearly all of his effectiveness came within 10 feet; the mid-range jumper he flashed as a rookie never developed.
That is a death knell in today's NBA, which values spacing and three-point shooting more than ever. Unless Brown somehow became a dead-eye shooter from the corners over the last three years, it's unlikely he even gets a training camp look.
Brown's best bet may be to go overseas, where his career could have a second life. Stephon Marbury became a superstar in China, and Amar'e Stoudemire is on his way to doing the same in Israel. Brown was never as good as either of those players, but he'd likely have to hit the NBA Development League to find a chance stateside, and even that's a long shot.
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