Fred Brown (born August 7, 1948), nicknamed "Downtown Freddie Brown", is an American former professional
basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular court, compete with the primary objective of shooting a basketball (approximately in diameter) through the defender's h ...
player. A guard from the
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...
, he played 13 seasons (
1971–
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
) in the
NBA, all with the
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...
. Known for his accurate outside shooting, Brown was selected to the
1976 NBA All-Star Game
The 1976 NBA All Star Game was played at the Spectrum in Philadelphia, on February 3, 1976. Philadelphia hosted three of the major four league All-Star games in honor of the Bicenntenial.
Dave Bing was the MVP.
It was also the final NBA All-Sta ...
and scored 14,018 points in his career.
High school and college
Brown graduated from downtown Milwaukee's
Lincoln High School in 1967, where other high schools gave him his nickname "Downtown Freddie" Brown.
He led Lincoln to two state titles, and made all-state twice. He captained the 1967 team, and earned four prep letters, including one each in football and baseball. Due to his outside shooting skills, his high school nickname "Downtown Freddie" Brown followed him for his entire career.
Brown finished his senior year at the University of Iowa in 1971, averaging 27.6 points per game,
and was selected by the
Kentucky Colonels in the
American Basketball Association draft and selected 6th overall by the
Seattle SuperSonics
The Seattle SuperSonics (commonly known as the Seattle Sonics) were an American professional basketball team based in Seattle. The SuperSonics competed in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member club of the league's Western Confe ...
in the
1971 NBA draft.
NBA
Brown's NBA career got off to a slow start, as he averaged only 4.2 points per game in 33 games as a rookie, playing behind veteran guards
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is an American former basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first in 1989 as ...
and
Dick Snyder. Following Wilkens' trade to the
Cleveland Cavaliers in 1972, Brown saw more playing time and his scoring average rose to 13.5 and 16.5 points per game in the next two seasons.
After Snyder was traded to the Cavaliers in 1974, Brown's output increased again, to 21.0 points per game in the
1974–75 season and he finished fifth in the league in steals per game. In the
1975–76 season, Brown had an All-Star season finishing fifth in the NBA in both scoring average and free throw percentage.
Brown continued as a starter for the Sonics through the 1976–77 season and the start of the 1977–78 season. However, when
Lenny Wilkens
Leonard Randolph Wilkens (born October 28, 1937) is an American former basketball player and coach in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been inducted three times into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, first in 1989 as ...
took over as coach after a slow start, he decided to pair new free-agent signing
Gus Williams and second-year guard
Dennis Johnson
Dennis Wayne Johnson (September 18, 1954 – February 22, 2007), nicknamed "DJ", was an American professional basketball player for the National Basketball Association's (NBA) Seattle SuperSonics, Phoenix Suns, and Boston Celtics. He was a c ...
in the Sonics' starting backcourt and bring Brown off the bench. He dubbed Brown "Instant Offense". The Sonics made the NBA Finals that season and the next, winning the NBA championship in 1978–79.
Brown was captain of the SuperSonics'
1978–79 NBA championship team. Often among the league leaders in free-throw percentage, Brown also led the NBA in three-point shooting percentage in
1979–80—the first season in which the three-point line was adopted by the league.
Legacy
When he retired in 1984, Brown was the SuperSonics' all-time leader in:
* Games played (963)
* Points scored (14,018)
* Field goals (6,006)
* Free throws (1,896)
Brown still holds the team's all-time marks for points in a regular season game with 58 (a record shared with
Russell Westbrook
Russell Westbrook III (born November 12, 1988) is an American professional basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). A member of the NBA 75th Anniversary Team, he is a nine-time NBA All-Star and ...
), points in a playoff game with 45 (a record shared with
Ray Allen
Walter Ray Allen Jr. (born July 20, 1975) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 18 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA) and was inducted into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame as a player in ...
), and steals in a game with 10 (a record shared with
Gus Williams).
Brown's #32 SuperSonics jersey was retired November 6, 1986 in honor of his career with the SuperSonics.
Brown continues to reside in the Seattle area and is one of the former players lobbying to bring NBA basketball back to Seattle after the SuperSonics relocated to Oklahoma City in 2008.
NBA career statistics
Regular season
, -
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, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 33 , , , , 10.9 , , .328 , , – , , .759 , , 1.1 , , 1.8 , , – , , – , , 4.2
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Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 79 , , , , 29.4 , , .455 , , – , , .818 , , 4.0 , , 5.5 , , – , , – , , 13.5
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, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 82 , , , , 30.5 , , .471 , , – , , .863 , , 4.9 , , 5.0 , , 1.7 , , 0.2 , , 16.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 81 , , , , 33.0 , , .480 , , – , , .831 , , 4.2 , , 3.5 , , 2.3 , , 0.2 , , 21.0
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, style="text-align:left;",
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Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 76 , , , , 33.1 , , .488 , , – , , .869 , , 4.2 , , 2.7 , , 1.9 , , 0.2 , , 23.1
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Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 72 , , , , 29.1 , , .479 , , – , , .884 , , 3.2 , , 2.4 , , 1.7 , , 0.3 , , 17.2
, -
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Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 72 , , , , 27.3 , , .488 , , – , , .898 , , 2.6 , , 3.3 , , 1.5 , , 0.3 , , 16.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;", †
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Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 77 , , , , 25.5 , , .469 , , – , , .888 , , 2.2 , , 3.4 , , 1.5 , , 0.3 , , 14.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 80 , , , , 21.3 , , .479 , , style="background:#cfecec;", .443*, , .837 , , 1.9 , , 2.2 , , 0.8 , , 0.2 , , 12.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 78 , , , , 25.5 , , .488 , , .359 , , .832 , , 2.2 , , 3.0 , , 1.1 , , 0.2 , , 15.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 82 , , 2 , , 21.8 , , .455 , , .325 , , .860 , , 1.7 , , 2.9 , , 0.8 , , 0.0 , , 11.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 80 , , 1 , , 17.9 , , .520 , , .438 , , .806 , , 1.2 , , 3.0 , , 0.7 , , 0.2 , , 10.2
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 71 , , 1 , , 15.9 , , .510 , , .265 , , .895 , , 0.9 , , 2.7 , , 0.7 , , 0.0 , , 8.5
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 963 , , , , 25.4 , , .478 , , .373 , , .858 , , 2.7 , , 3.3 , , 1.4 , , 0.2 , , 14.6
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", All-Star
, 1 , , 0 , , 24.0 , , .538 , , – , , – , , 0.0 , , 1.0 , , 5.0 , , 0.0 , , 14.0
Playoffs
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1975
It was also declared the ''International Women's Year'' by the United Nations and the European Architectural Heritage Year by the Council of Europe.
Events
January
* January 1 - Watergate scandal (United States): John N. Mitchell, H. R. ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 8, , , , 30.0, , .496, , –, , .844, , 4.5, , 2.9, , 2.1, , 0.1, , 20.6
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1976
Events January
* January 3 – The International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights enters into force.
* January 5 – The Pol Pot regime proclaims a new constitution for Democratic Kampuchea.
* January 11 – The 1976 ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 6, , , , 39.3, , .511, , –, , .795, , 4.7, , 2.8, , 2.2, , 0.0, , style="background:#cfecec;", 28.5*
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1978
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 22, , , , 26.1, , .449, , –, , .833, , 2.1, , 2.4, , 1.0, , 0.1, , 17.3
, -
, style="text-align:left;background:#afe6ba;",
1979
Events
January
* January 1
** United Nations Secretary-General Kurt Waldheim heralds the start of the '' International Year of the Child''. Many musicians donate to the '' Music for UNICEF Concert'' fund, among them ABBA, who write the so ...
†
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 17, , , , 15.3, , .451, , –, , .824, , 1.3, , 2.1, , 0.5, , 0.2, , 8.4
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1980
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 15, , , , 20.9, , .440, , .294, , .857, , 2.5, , 2.1, , 0.1, , 0.1, , 12.5
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1982
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 8, , , , 19.8, , .483, , .400, , .700, , 1.9, , 2.3, , 0.6, , 0.0, , 11.9
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1983
The year 1983 saw both the official beginning of the Internet and the first mobile cellular telephone call.
Events January
* January 1 – The migration of the ARPANET to TCP/IP is officially completed (this is considered to be the beginning ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 2, , , , 15.0, , .222, , –, , 1.000, , 1.5, , 2.5, , 0.5, , 0.0, , 3.0
, -
, style="text-align:left;",
1984
Events
January
* January 1 – The Bornean Sultanate of Brunei gains full independence from the United Kingdom, having become a British protectorate in 1888.
* January 7 – Brunei becomes the sixth member of the Association of Southeas ...
, style="text-align:left;",
Seattle
Seattle ( ) is a seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the seat of King County, Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in both the state of Washington and the Pacific Northwest regio ...
, 5, , , , 17.6, , .426, , .333, , .727, , 1.4, , 2.0, , 0.8, , 0.0, , 9.8
, - class="sortbottom"
, style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career
, 83 , , , , 22.9 , , .461 , , .310 , , .819 , , 2.4 , , 2.3 , , 0.9 , , 0.1 , , 14.4
See also
*
*
References
External links
Sonics Retired Jerseys: Fred Brown
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, Fred
1948 births
Living people
African-American basketball players
All-American college men's basketball players
American men's basketball players
Basketball players from Milwaukee
Iowa Hawkeyes men's basketball players
Kentucky Colonels draft picks
National Basketball Association All-Stars
National Basketball Association players with retired numbers
Seattle SuperSonics draft picks
Seattle SuperSonics players
Shooting guards
Southeastern Blackhawks men's basketball players
21st-century African-American people
20th-century African-American sportspeople