There have been very few Number 1 Draft picks who have lived up to the lofty expectations of millions of people. LeBron James, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Magic Johnson to name a few. There have been many 1st overall picks who have not only not lived up to expectations but have failed miserably. Most big men that have been drafted 1st overall have had poor careers owing to various factors. Considered one of the biggest ‘busts’ in NBA history, Kwame Brown failed to leave a mark on the league. Maybe that has to do with the great Michael Jordan handpicking Brown for the Washington Wizards.

However, things never worked out for Brown throughout his NBA career. Expectations on one side, Brown created history by becoming the first high schooler to be selected 1st overall in an NBA Draft. There have been rumors about why things didn’t work out for the South Carolina native. From not being interested in the game to getting bullied during his early days, people have speculated about Brown’s failures multiple times.

Brown cleared the latter part up in a recent appearance on ‘The Pivot Podcast‘. He was asked whether stories about him being bullied were true or not. Brown answered honestly, “That’s rookie hazing. Everybody got that.”

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Rookie hazing is a common tradition throughout sports, not just basketball. Sometimes it can go overboard but Brown insisted that it didn’t. He also revealed that MJ didn’t hold back on anyone. However, being a young kid coming into the NBA could be difficult for anyone. Brown cleared it up saying, “As long as my cheque was there on the 1st and the 15th, I don’t care what he said. I was that mature.”

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He continued, “If you’re doing things that I can’t control, what else am I supposed to do? What am I gonna do to MJ?”

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Although he admitted that he was part of the rookie hazing, he never took it personally.  “Yes, some of those things happened. It happened to me, it happened to a majority of the players in there. I didn’t take it personal. Once you know that’s how someone is, that’s who they are“, Brown said.

Kwame Brown had a journeyman NBA career

After Brown struggled to make a mark on the Wizards, he was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers. While performances improved, injuries took a toll on his body and he could never nail down a role on a team aspiring to go all the way.

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He eventually bounced around a few teams and made his last appearance in the NBA for the Philadelphia 76ers in 2013. Despite all the ridicule, Brown has managed to stay strong and continues to strive for more.

We can only hope he finds happiness in whatever he does and continues to smile along the way.