Respecting from Michael Jordan has been a difficult task, especially if you are a young player in the league. Kwame Brown, the number one pick in the 2001 NBA Draft, has come to experience it first hand. Expected to be a future superstar, Brown made a disappointing debut with an average of 4.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in 14.3 minutes per game.
For 12 years at the NBA, Brown didn’t live up to his expectations. Being a Jordan teammate early in his career seems to have played a major role in what his career will end up with.
In the latest episode of Slate’s Hang Up And Listen Podcast, former NBA layer Brendan Haywoon and journalist Rachel Nichols shed light on the relationship between Brown and Brown.
Brendan Haywood and Rachel Nichols on the tense relationship between Michael Jordan and the 2001 NBA Draft Kwame Brown’s first comprehensive pick:
Rachel Nichols: “It was a tough relationship. I wouldn’t be a superstar if Kwame was somewhere else. But he started under that spotlight, so it’s certainly much more. It was difficult, and he couldn’t do everything Michael wanted to do, and it caused a lot of friction. “
Brendan Haywood: “He’s trying to learn everything on the spot, but more importantly, it’s an immature kid trying to fit into the world of a grown-up man, and Mike doesn’t. No one specified that. But you know, he’s Mike! He’s the best player ever, won the championship and expects a certain level. Has never played with a high school student, so he understands that we need to mutter it for him, or we need to talk to him in a particular way. Didn’t … I think Mike didn’t notice Kwame — you’re not his teammate. You’re Michael Jordan. He respects you. So when you yell at Kwame, you’re all about him. When I talk to Kuwame, he feels like nothing. “
