“I was trying to get to Jason Kidd” - Kwame Brown reveals he initially didn't want to join Kobe Bryant on the Los Angeles Lakers
Kwame Brown, Kobe Bryant
© Howard Smith, Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
Kwame Brown had a 12-year stint in the NBA where he shared the court not only with Michael Jordan but also with Kobe Bryant. However, the No.1 overall pick in 2001 initially didn't want to team up with the Lakers legend as he had a perception about Bryant mistreating his teammates.
“I actually didn't wanna go to California because, to me, he (Kobe Bryant) was just like MJ (Michael Jordan). I was trying to get to Jason Kidd or a pass-first point guard. I just saw Kenyon Martin running and catching those lobs without thinking that he could use his athleticism, and I'm like, 'Wow, I could do that sleeping,'" Brown said on the most recent episode of ‘The Pivot Podcast.’
Kwame compares Kobe to MJ
Kwame was pushing his agent to get him to play with Jason Kidd on the New Jersey Nets. However, the big man wound up with the Lakers, where he realized Kobe shared the same traits as MJ on the court.
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"Mentally, I was like, 'I don't wanna be here.' But I remember being injured, too, and just having conversations with Kobe. Seeing how he played through injuries and how he like wheeled me to play. I needed ankle surgery, and I needed shoulder surgery. To Kobe, you could tell it was more than just a game. It was just like his pride, his everything was on the line," Kwame said.
"Anything he was gonna do, he was gonna do it to his best ability. He was gonna study it. It just gave me a new look because MJ wasn't doing that at 39," Brown added.
How good was Kwame Brown for the Lakers?
Regarded as one of the ‘worst-ever’ by former teammate Gilbert Arenas, Kwame had two separate stints with the Purple and Gold, wherein he played 126 games in total.
Brown's best run with the Lakers was in the 2006-07 season when he averaged 8.4 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game. Interestingly, apart from the 2003-04 season, Kwame never averaged double digits in points for either of the seven teams he has played with.
However, he did have the pleasure of witnessing the legend of Kobe Bryant on as well as off the court. And while he didn't want to join the Lakers at first, looking back on it, Kwame doesn't regret playing with the Purple and Gold.
