Collier "P. J." Brown Jr. (born October 14, 1969) 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 who played in the

National Basketball Association The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The league is composed of 30 teams (29 in the United States and 1 in Canada) and is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United St ...

(NBA). The ,

center Center or centre may refer to: Mathematics *Center (geometry), the middle of an object * Center (algebra), used in various contexts ** Center (group theory) ** Center (ring theory) * Graph center, the set of all vertices of minimum eccentrici ...

power forward The power forward (PF), also known as the four, is one of the five traditional positions in a regulation basketball game. Traditionally, power forwards have played a role similar to centers. When on offense, they typically play with their ba ...

was selected out of

Louisiana Tech University Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research acti ...

by the

New Jersey Nets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

with the 29th overall pick in the

1992 NBA draft The 1992 NBA draft took place on June 24, 1992, at Memorial Coliseum in Portland, Oregon. The draft is considered to be one of the deepest in NBA history. The top three picks (Shaquille O'Neal, Alonzo Mourning, Christian Laettner) were conside ...

, but began his NBA career only in the 1993–94 season. He was voted into the

NBA All-Defensive Second Team The NBA All-Defensive Team is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) honor given since the 1968–69 NBA season to the best defensive players during the regular season. The All-Defensive Team is generally composed of ten players in two ...

three times, in

1997 File:1997 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The movie set of ''Titanic'', the highest-grossing movie in history at the time; '' Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone'', is published; Comet Hale-Bopp passes by Earth and becomes one of ...

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

and 2001, and won the

NBA Sportsmanship Award The NBA Sportsmanship Award is an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given to a player who most "exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court with ethical behavior, fair play, and integrity." It is directly analogous to th ...

in 2004. He attended Winnfield Senior High School in

Winnfield, Louisiana Winnfield is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, and 4,840 in 2010. Three governors of the state of Louisiana were from Winnfield.

, where he played for the Winnfield Tigers, and has played professionally for the Nets,

Miami Heat The Miami Heat are an American professional basketball team based in Miami. The Heat compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Southeast Division. The club plays its home games at FT ...

, Charlotte Hornets,

New Orleans Hornets New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator ...

Chicago Bulls The Chicago Bulls are an American professional basketball team based in Chicago. The Bulls compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division. The team was founded on January ...

and Boston Celtics. Brown retired from the NBA after winning an NBA championship with the Celtics in 2008.

College

Brown played four years at

Louisiana Tech Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tech, or simply Tech) is a public research university in Ruston, Louisiana. It is part of the University of Louisiana System and classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activi ...

and averaged 10.1 points and 8.4

rebounds 'Rebound' is a term used in sports to describe the ball (or puck or other object of play) becoming available for possession by either opponent after an attempt to put the ball or puck into the goal has been unsuccessful. Rebounds are generally ...

per game in 121 contests. He left Louisiana Tech as the Bulldogs' second all-time leader in blocks with 241, and fifth in rebounds with 1,017.

NBA career

New Jersey Nets (1993–1996)

Brown was selected out of

with the 29th overall pick in the second round of the

by the

. However, he elected to play in the 1992–93 HEBA A1 season in his first year out of college and averaged 17.0 points, 13.3 rebounds and 3.2 blocks per game for

Panionios B.C. Panionios B.C. ( Greek: Πανιώνιος KAE), known in European competitions as Panionios Athens is the Greek professional basketball club that is based in Nea Smyrni, Athens, and that plays its home games in Palaio Faliro, Athens, Greece. ...

In his first three seasons in the NBA, from

1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peacefu ...

to 1996, he played in 240 regular season games for the

and increased his starts from 54 games in the 1994 season to 63 in the 1995 season before starting in all 81 games that he appeared in the 1996 campaign. The Nets made the

playoffs The playoffs, play-offs, postseason or finals of a sports league are a competition played after the regular season by the top competitors to determine the league champion or a similar accolade. Depending on the league, the playoffs may be eit ...

in 1994, and Brown appeared in four first round playoff games as New Jersey was eliminated by the New York Knicks. That season also featured Brown participating in the 1994 Rookie Challenge during

NBA All-Star Weekend The National Basketball Association All-Star Weekend is a weekend festival held every February during the middle of the NBA regular season that consists of a variety of basketball events, exhibitions, and performances culminating in the NBA All-Star ...

. In addition to increasing his playing time Brown also increased his scoring average each year, and in the 1996 season he would average a then career high 11.3 points with 6.9 rebounds a game. The Nets however did not reach the post-season in both his second and third year with the team. In the 1996 off-season he would sign as a free agent with the

Miami Heat (1996–2000)

Miami had made the playoffs the previous year led by all-star center Alonzo Mourning, point guard

Tim Hardaway Timothy Duane Hardaway Sr. (born September 1, 1966) is an American former professional basketball player. Hardaway played in the National Basketball Association (NBA) for the Golden State Warriors, Miami Heat, Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets a ...

and head coach

Pat Riley Patrick James Riley (born March 20, 1945) is an American professional basketball executive, former coach, and former player in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He has been the team president of the Miami Heat since 1995, and he also se ...

, who decided to start Brown for 71 games in the 1996–97 season. Brown increased his shooting percentage and rebounding, received the

J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award The J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award was an annual National Basketball Association (NBA) award given from 1975 to 2020 to a player, coach, or staff member who showed "outstanding service and dedication to the community." The award was named in ...

and was named to the

as the Heat won a franchise best 61 games and the Atlantic Division Title. Brown's defense and rebounding helped the Heat advance in the

, as they defeated the Orlando Magic in the first round in 5 games and New York Knicks in a grueling 7 games series. He came up big in the crucial games of the playoffs, scoring 12 points with 14 rebounds in the deciding game against Orlando and 18 points with 12 rebounds in a game 5 win at home against the Knicks. In that game, Brown was attempting to establish rebounding position with Knicks point guard

Charlie Ward Charlie Ward Jr. (born October 12, 1970) is a former American professional basketball player. Ward was an exceptional football player as well, winning the Heisman Trophy, Davey O'Brien Award, and College Football National Championship while quart ...

before lifting and flipping him onto a row of photographers along the baseline, leading to a brawl between the teams. This would result in Brown being suspended for the last two games of the series, along with players from the New York bench who intervened. Despite overcoming New York, the team could not overcome the defending champion

, who defeated Miami in 5 games in the franchise's first trip to the Eastern Conference Finals. Brown averaged 9.2 points and 8.8 rebounds in the playoffs. Starting in all 74 games in which he appeared, Brown posted nearly identical production in the 1997–98 season as the Heat once again entered the

but came up short in a five-game first round loss against New York . In the lockout shortened 1998–99 season, Brown was named to the NBA All-Defensive Second Team for the second time in his career and averaged a career high 11.4 points a game. The Heat once again won the Atlantic Division but also were once again defeated in a stunning first round series in 5 games to the eighth-seeded

Knicks The New York Knickerbockers, shortened and more commonly referred to as the New York Knicks, are an American professional basketball team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. The Knicks compete in the National Basketball Associat ...

. Brown's role continued in the 1999–2000 season, and the Heat would win in the first round against the

Detroit Pistons The Detroit Pistons are an American professional basketball team based in Detroit. The Pistons compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Eastern Conference Central Division and play their home games at L ...

before facing the

for the fourth straight year. Once again, the Heat would fall to their New York rivals in another long and grueling 7 game series.

Charlotte / New Orleans Hornets (2000–2006)

On August 1, 2000, Brown, alongside Jamal Mashburn, Otis Thorpe, Tim James and

Rodney Buford Rodney Alan "The Sheriff" Buford (born November 2, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the London Lightning of the National Basketball League of Canada. He played college basketball for the Creighton Blue ...

, was traded to the Charlotte Hornets in exchange for Eddie Jones, Anthony Mason,

Dale Ellis Dale or dales may refer to: Locations * Dale (landform), an open valley * Dale (place name element) Geography ;Australia *The Dales (Christmas Island), in the Indian Ocean ;Canada *Dale, Ontario ;Ethiopia *Dale (woreda), district ;Norway *Da ...

and

Ricky Davis Tyree Ricardo Davis (born September 23, 1979) is an American former professional basketball player who played twelve seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for University of Iowa. Biography Davis atten ...

. In 2000–01, his first season with the Hornets, Brown was selected to his third

. In 2001–02, he was chosen as the Central Division recipient of the

. The Hornets relocated to New Orleans prior to the 2002–03 season, where Brown had his best scoring seasons, averaging 10.6 points per game in 240 regular season games from 2002 to 2005. During the 2002–03 season, he received the NBA Community Assist Award for the month of September and was again chosen as the Central Division recipient of the

, for the second consecutive time. In 2003–04, he was yet again chosen as the Central Division NBA Sportsmanship Award recipient, for the third consecutive season, this time capturing the 2004 NBA Sportsmanship Award. Prior to the 2006–07 season, Brown had played in 999 regular season games, including 941 starts. By that time, he was one of 26 players in NBA history to have 8,000 points, 7,000 rebounds, 1,000 assists and 1,000 blocks.

Chicago Bulls (2006–2007)

On July 13, 2006, Brown was traded by the

New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets Hurricane Katrina devastated the city of New Orleans on August 29, 2005, and caused extensive damage to the New Orleans Arena. As a result, the National Basketball Association (NBA)'s New Orleans Hornets were unable to play any home games at t ...

along with

J. R. Smith Earl Joseph "J. R." Smith III (born September 9, 1985) is an American former professional basketball player who last played for the Los Angeles Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA). Smith played high school basketball at New Jers ...

to the

in exchange for

Tyson Chandler Tyson Cleotis Chandler (born October 2, 1982) is an American former professional basketball player and coach. Chandler was drafted directly out of high school as the second overall pick of the 2001 NBA draft by the Los Angeles Clippers, then wa ...

. He played well as a veteran with the young team, starting the majority of his games, though he scored in meager proportions, and only averaged a career-low of 20.2 minutes per game.

Retirement thoughts

After the 2006–07 season, Brown did not re-sign with the Bulls and rejected offers from several teams interested in his services, citing he might have been done with his career. He went into semi-retirement while contemplating a possible return, lasting considerably into the 2007–08 season.

Boston Celtics (2008)

On February 27, 2008, after resting for most of the 2007–08 season and weighing his options, Brown signed with the Boston Celtics for the remainder of the season, in order to bolster their front court. His decision to come to Boston was strongly aided by a conversation with future teammates

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

Paul Pierce Paul Anthony Pierce (born October 13, 1977) is an American former professional basketball player. He played 19 seasons in the National Basketball Association (NBA), predominantly with the Boston Celtics. He was most recently an analyst on ESPN ...

, who convinced him to sign with the Celtics during the

2008 File:2008 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Lehman Brothers went bankrupt following the Subprime mortgage crisis; Cyclone Nargis killed more than 138,000 in Myanmar; A scene from the opening ceremony of the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing; ...

. The

San Antonio Spurs The San Antonio Spurs are an American professional basketball team based in San Antonio. The Spurs compete in the National Basketball Association (NBA) as a member of the league's Western Conference Southwest Division. The team plays its home ...

and

were interested in his services, but he chose the Celtics instead. He made his debut against the

, his former team, on March 7, 2008. Brown had an unexpected breakout performance which took place in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on May 18, 2008, when he scored 10 points and pulled down 6

, hitting all of his four shots and making key contributions in the fourth quarter. He hit a key shot with less than two minutes left in the game as the Celtics went on to win the game 97–92. After the game, he told reporters: "That shot, hey, probably I would say the biggest shot of my career". He also had a strong performance in Game 1 of the

2008 NBA Finals The 2008 NBA Finals was the championship series of the National Basketball Association's (NBA) 2007–08 season and conclusion of the season's playoffs. In this best-of-seven playoff series, the Eastern Conference champion Boston Celtics def ...

against the Los Angeles Lakers on June 5, 2008, playing increased minutes in the first Finals game of his 15-year career en route to a Celtics victory. He retired at the end of that season with a championship.

NBA career statistics

Regular season

, - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Jersey New Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern regions of the United States. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York; on the east, southeast, and south by the Atlantic Ocean; on the west by the Delaware ...

, 79 , , 54 , , 24.7 , , .415 , , .167 , , .757 , , 6.2 , , 1.2 , , .9 , , 1.2 , , 5.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 63 , , 30.8 , , .446 , , .167 , , .671 , , 6.1 , , 1.7 , , .9 , , 1.7 , , 8.1 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 81 , , 81 , , 36.3 , , .444 , , .200 , , .770 , , 6.9 , , 2.0 , , 1.0 , , 1.2 , , 11.3 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Miami Miami ( ), officially the City of Miami, known as "the 305", "The Magic City", and "Gateway to the Americas", is a coastal metropolis and the county seat of Miami-Dade County in South Florida, United States. With a population of 442,241 at ...

, 80 , , 71 , , 32.4 , , .457 , , .000 , , .732 , , 8.4 , , 1.2 , , 1.1 , , 1.2 , , 9.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 74 , , 74 , , 31.9 , , .471 , , , , .766 , , 8.6 , , 1.4 , , .9 , , 1.3 , , 9.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 50 , , 50 , , 32.2 , , .480 , , , , .774 , , 6.9 , , 1.3 , , .9 , , 1.0 , , 11.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 28.8 , , .480 , , .000 , , .755 , , 7.5 , , 1.8 , , .8 , , .8 , , 9.6 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...

, 80 , , 79 , , 35.1 , , .444 , , .000 , , .852 , , 9.3 , , 1.6 , , 1.0 , , 1.2 , , 8.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

, 80 , , 80 , , 32.0 , , .474 , , , , .858 , , 9.8 , , 1.3 , , .7 , , 1.0 , , 8.4 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 78 , , 78 , , 33.4 , , .531 , , .000 , , .836 , , 9.0 , , 1.9 , , .9 , , 1.0 , , 10.7 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 80 , , 80 , , 34.4 , , .476 , , .000 , , .854 , , 8.6 , , 1.9 , , 1.0 , , .9 , , 10.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 82 , , 78 , , 34.4 , , .446 , , , , .864 , , 9.0 , , 2.2 , , .9 , , .6 , , 10.8 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;", New Orleans/OKC , 75 , , 73 , , 31.7 , , .461 , , , , .827 , , 7.3 , , 1.2 , , .6 , , .7 , , 9.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", , style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 72 , , 49 , , 20.2 , , .407 , , .000 , , .787 , , 4.8 , , .7 , , .3 , , .7 , , 6.1 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;", , style="text-align:left;",

Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- mo ...

, 18 , , 0 , , 11.6 , , .341 , , .000 , , .688 , , 3.8 , , .6 , , .3 , , .4 , , 2.2 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 1,089 , , 990 , , 31.1 , , .460 , , .136 , , .794 , , 7.7 , , 1.5 , , .8 , , 1.0 , , 9.1

Playoffs

, - , style="text-align:left;",

1994 File:1994 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The 1994 Winter Olympics are held in Lillehammer, Norway; The Kaiser Permanente building after the 1994 Northridge earthquake; A model of the MS Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea; Nelson ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 4 , , 1 , , 14.0 , , .222 , , , , 1.000 , , 2.0 , , .8 , , .0 , , .5 , , 3.0 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 15 , , 15 , , 30.1 , , .408 , , , , .717 , , 8.6 , , .7 , , .6 , , 1.3 , , 8.1 , - , style="text-align:left;",

1998 1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''. Events January * January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 38.0 , , .514 , , , , .364 , , 8.8 , , .8 , , 1.4 , , .6 , , 9.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 5 , , 5 , , 28.8 , , .467 , , .000 , , .900 , , 6.2 , , 1.0 , , .4 , , .4 , , 10.2 , - , style="text-align:left;",

2000 File:2000 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: Protests against Bush v. Gore after the 2000 United States presidential election; Heads of state meet for the Millennium Summit; The International Space Station in its infant form as seen from S ...

, style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 10 , , 30.8 , , .427 , , , , .833 , , 8.2 , , 1.1 , , .8 , , .4 , , 7.5 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2001 , style="text-align:left;",

, 10 , , 10 , , 38.5 , , .418 , , , , .828 , , 10.0 , , 1.1 , , 1.2 , , 1.4 , , 8.0 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2002 , style="text-align:left;",

, 9 , , 9 , , 36.8 , , .427 , , , , .757 , , 9.6 , , 1.6 , , .7 , , 1.3 , , 10.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2003 , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 6 , , 6 , , 32.2 , , .477 , , , , .760 , , 7.7 , , 1.0 , , 1.2 , , .5 , , 10.2 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2004 , style="text-align:left;",

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

, 7 , , 7 , , 36.6 , , .366 , , , , .909 , , 9.7 , , 2.1 , , .4 , , 1.6 , , 8.9 , - , style="text-align:left;", 2007 , style="text-align:left;",

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

, 10 , , 10 , , 22.8 , , .493 , , , , .739 , , 4.7 , , 1.2 , , .8 , , .2 , , 8.3 , - , style="text-align:left; background:#afe6ba;",

, style="text-align:left;",

, 25 , , 0 , , 13.6 , , .464 , , .000 , , .840 , , 2.4 , , .5 , , .2 , , .4 , , 2.9 , - class="sortbottom" , style="text-align:center;" colspan="2", Career , 106 , , 78 , , 27.2 , , .434 , , .000 , , .751 , , 6.6 , , 1.0 , , .6 , , .8 , , 7.1

Personal life

Brown and his wife have four children. His daughter, Kalani Brown, is a professional basketball player with the

Atlanta Dream The Atlanta Dream are an American professional basketball team based in Atlanta, playing in the Eastern Conference in the Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA). The team was founded for the 2008 WNBA season. The team is owned by real e ...

. Brown's nickname "P.J." was given to him by his grandmother as a child, due to his affinity for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. He was inducted into the

Louisiana Tech University Athletic Hall of Fame The Louisiana Tech University Athletic Hall of Fame was established in 1984 to honor student-athletes, coaches, administrators, and benefactors who have been highly successful at Louisiana Tech Louisiana Tech University (Louisiana Tech, La. Tec ...

in 1998, the Louisiana Basketball Hall of Fame in 2001, and the

Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame The Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame is located in the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame & Northwest Louisiana History Museum – Natchitoches in a new facility in the downtown historic district in Natchitoches, Louisiana. After years of planning and con ...

in 2016.

Notes

References

External links

P.J. Brown
at SI.com {{DEFAULTSORT:Brown, P. J. 1969 births Living people African-American basketball players American expatriate basketball people in Greece American men's basketball players Basketball players from Louisiana Basketball players from Detroit Boston Celtics players Centers (basketball) Charlotte Hornets players Chicago Bulls players Greek Basket League players Louisiana Tech Bulldogs basketball players Miami Heat players New Jersey Nets draft picks New Jersey Nets players New Orleans Hornets players Panionios B.C. players People from Winnfield, Louisiana Power forwards (basketball) 21st-century African-American people 20th-century African-American sportspeople

College

NBA career

New Jersey Nets (1993–1996)

Miami Heat (1996–2000)

Charlotte / New Orleans Hornets (2000–2006)

Chicago Bulls (2006–2007)

Retirement thoughts

Boston Celtics (2008)

NBA career statistics

Regular season

Playoffs

Personal life

See also

Notes

References

External links