- Kwame Brown made a huge claim about defeating Michael Jordan in a 1-on-1 game
- Brown shared the court with Jordan for two seasons with the Wizards
- Jordan drafted Brown as the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft
Kwame Brown is regarded as one of the biggest busts in NBA history. After all, the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft averaged just 6.6 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 0.9 assists per game during his career.
Despite having an underwhelming 12-year career in the league, Kwame Brown once claimed that he beat Michael Jordan in a 1-on-1 game during their time together with the Washington Wizards. Brown made the revelation on a November 03, 2021, episode of ‘B High Alt’ podcast.
“I beat him in 1-on-1,” Brown claimed. “The first thing I wanted to do was to play him 1-on-1. It’s basketball, just like if I was a boxer, the first thing I want to do is spar with those great heavyweights.”
He added: “So the first thing I said was, ‘I hear a lot about you, but I think I’m better than you.’ So we ended up playing 1-on-1. It was a fun game, good game. I jumped on him quick then he started doing the MJ thing, fading away everywhere.”
(Starts at 3:15)
Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time in the eyes of most fans. Keeping that in mind, it’s hard to envision a scenario where Jordan was defeated by Brown.
But at the same time, Jordan was 38 years old at the time, and there’s a slight possibility that a 19-year-old Brown got the better of ‘His Airness.’
Kwame Brown Had A Terrible Career For A First Overall Pick
It’s ironic that the GOAT, Michael Jordan, drafted Kwame Brown with the first overall pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. Brown never reached his potential and was out of the league after 12 seasons.
Brown played the first four seasons of his NBA career with the Wizards, averaging 7.7 points, 5.5 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game. He was Jordan’s teammate for two out of those four seasons.
While Brown didn’t really contribute much to the team’s chances of winning an NBA title in that era, he did learn something about Jordan. Kwame Brown once revealed that a 39-year-old Michael Jordan’s mentality was if he could get the Wizards to the playoffs, they could win an NBA title.
The Wizards finished with a 37-45 record in the 2001-02 and 2002-03 NBA seasons, evidently missing the playoffs. Jordan retired from the league in 2003, while Brown started a new chapter of his career in 2005 with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Kwame Brown’s Career In The NBA After The Washington Wizards
Kwame Brown spent two and a half seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers before getting traded to the Memphis Grizzlies in the middle of the 2007-08 season.
Brown then played the next two seasons for the Detroit Pistons. But it was evident that he couldn’t live up to the extremely high expectations set by fans. He averaged just 5.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists per game after leaving the Wizards.
In the twilight years of his career, Brown became a journeyman, playing one season each for the Charlotte Hornets (then the Bobcats), Golden State Warriors, and Philadelphia 76ers. The 6’11” forward/center retired from the league in 2013 as a 30-year-old.
Despite not living up to his full potential, Brown earned more than $63.2 million in his career. Nowadays, he can be seen reacting to the latest buzz around the league by posting videos online.
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