Former Laker Kwame Brown Prefers His NBA Career Over LeBron James’
Legacies of professional athletes are often defined by a simple term: boom-or-bust. The careers of LeBron James and Kwame Brown have gone in complete opposite directions, but both of their careers started off the same.
Both James and Brown were highly coveted high school players and decided to declare for the draft instead of going to college. Both were also drafted first overall in their respective drafts.
Brown went on to have a lackluster career, averaging 6.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game over 13 NBA seasons. Perhaps his biggest blunder of his career was turning down a $30 million contract from the Washington Wizards, and instead choosin to test the free agency market.
While Brown is remembered among Lakers fans as a centerpiece to bring in Pau Gasol, James is in his 20th season in the NBA and has four championships under his belt. James also is on the verge of passing the all-time scoring record, and is the only player in NBA history with at least 30,000 points and 10,000 rebounds and assists.
It's safe to say James has had the better career, but Brown argues he'd rather have his career than James. Of course this sent the basketball world into a frenzy, but his reasonings are a lot more tame than most may have perceived (via Bleacher Report).
"I think it was better. Being a bust is better," Brown said. "LeBron can't do what I can do. They take pictures everywhere he go. I was a bust—ain't nobody taking pictures of me everywhere I went."
Well, Brown isn't wrong. James is a perennial basketball icon while Brown is known for being one of the biggest busts in NBA history. It seems Brown has come to peace with being a bust and there isn't any place James can go without being recognized.
Perhaps Brown is right, but if you ask James, it's safe to assume he'd rather have his career over Brown's — and I'm sure most players would agree.
