Shannon Brown (born November 29, 1985) is an American former professionalbasketball player. He attendedProviso East High School inMaywood, Illinois, was namedIllinois Mr. Basketball in 2003, and played college basketball forMichigan State University. He was drafted by theCleveland Cavaliers with the 25th overall pick in the2006 NBA draft. He played in theNBA for eight seasons, and won two championships, with the2008-2009 and2009-2010Los Angeles Lakers. He was known for his sensational athleticism and as one of the great leapers in the NBA.[1]
Brown attendedProviso East High School in Maywood, where his teammates included fellow 2006 drafteeDee Brown. In 2003, he was namedIllinois Mr. Basketball[2] and aMcDonald's All-American.
Considered a five-star recruit byRivals.com, Brown was listed as the No. 1 shooting guard and the No. 3 player in the nation in 2003.[3]
Brown playedcollege basketball for theMichigan State Spartans.[4] He was second-team All-Big Ten as a junior and an All-Big Ten Defensive selection.[5]
Brown was drafted in the first round with the 25th pick of the2006 NBA draft by theCleveland Cavaliers.[6] Appearing in only 23 games (five starts) inhis debut season, he showed promise, scoring in double figures twice (10 points vs.New York on November 29 and 14 vs.Toronto on 3/3), but was hampered by an injury to hisshin.
Brown was assigned to theNBA Development League'sAlbuquerque Thunderbirds on March 2, 2007,[7] but was recalled by the Cavaliers a day later. In his sole game as a Thunderbird, Brown scored 14 points with four rebounds and six assists.[8][9] Brown returned to theNBA Development League, this time with theRio Grande Valley Vipers, on January 11, 2008.[8] In four games as a Viper, He averaged 23.5 points, including a 37-point performance against theDakota Wizards on January 16.[10] He was recalled by the Cavaliers on January 17.[11]
Through2007–08'sAll-Star break, Brown played in 15 games during the season (starting four games), averaging 7.0 points per game.
On February 21, 2008, Brown was traded to theChicago Bulls as part of a three-team deal between the Bulls, theCavaliers, and theSonics. The Sonics received Cavs forwardIra Newble, Cavs forwardDonyell Marshall, and Bulls forwardAdrian Griffin. The Cavs received Bulls centerBen Wallace, Bulls forwardJoe Smith, the Bulls' 2009 second round pick (who turned out to beDanny Green), Sonics forwardWally Szczerbiak, and Sonics guardDelonte West. While the Bulls received Brown, Cavs forwardDrew Gooden, Cavs guardLarry Hughes, and Cavs forwardCedric Simmons.[12][13]
On August 6, 2008, Brown was signed to theCharlotte Bobcats to a one-year contract worth the minimum NBA salary of $800,000.[14][15] He would average only 4.8 points in limited action with the Bobcats.
On February 7, 2009, Brown was traded, along withAdam Morrison, to the Los Angeles Lakers forVladimir Radmanović.[16]
Brown's playing time with the Lakers was initially limited. Towards the end of the season, Brown experienced an upswing of playtime. In the final five games of the season, Brown played for an average of 16.4 minutes. With those minutes, he averaged 7.2 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1.6 assists.[17]
Brown's increased playtime carried on to the playoffs. In the opening game in the first round match-up against the Jazz, Brown played 22 minutes. He had nine points, three assists, two rebounds and a steal. He finished the series averaging 17.4 minutes, 7.2 points, 1.2 rebounds, 1.8 assists, and one steal per game.
On July 6, 2009, Brown agreed to return to the Lakers for two years and $4.2 million.
It was announced on January 18, 2010, that he was selected to compete in theSprite Slam Dunk Competition in Dallas at the 2010 All-Star weekend. On the same day, Brown led the Lakers with 22 points in their 98–92 win against theOrlando Magic.[18] Brown participated in the dunk contest on February 13, 2010, but did not advance beyond the first round.[19]
On February 16, 2010, in a game against theGolden State Warriors, Brown scored a then career-high 27 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for his first career double-double.[20] He won hissecond championship at the end of the season.
On August 8, 2010, Brown signed a two-year deal with the Lakers worth $4.6 million.[21][22] During that season, he averaged 8.7 points in 19 minutes per game. He scored a season-high 21 points in two separate games, against theMilwaukee Bucks (November 16) and theChicago Bulls (November 23). During the postseason, Brown averaged seven points per game. In the Lakers' last two games against theDallas Mavericks, Brown scored 10 and 15 points respectively before his team was swept by the eventual champion.
On June 30, 2011, Brown elected not to exercise his option to extend his contract with the Lakers for the2011–12 season.[23]
After the2011 NBA lockout ended on December 8, 2011, thePhoenix Suns signed Brown to a one-year contract.[24] On March 15, 2012, Brown led the Suns with 21 points in a tough 91–87 victory over theLos Angeles Clippers. On March 27, 2012, Brown scored a career-high 32 points, with five 3-pointers, in a loss to theSan Antonio Spurs.[25] On April 7, 2012, Brown scored 20 points in the third quarter against his former team, theLos Angeles Lakers. He led the team with 24 points in a blowout 125–105 victory. Two days later, Brown grabbed seven rebounds for the Suns (tied for the team game-high withMarcin Gortat) in a blowout 114–90 victory against theMinnesota Timberwolves.
On July 25, 2012, Brown agreed to re-sign with Phoenix[26] on a two-year deal worth $7 million. On November 7, 2012, Brown hit six straight three-pointers in the fourth quarter to lead the team in points with 24 and help them win 117–110 against his former team, theCharlotte Bobcats. Two days later, he scored 12 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter of a 107–105 victory against another former team, theCleveland Cavaliers. This was the first time he scored 20 or more points in consecutive games.[27]
On October 25, 2013, Brown was traded, along withMarcin Gortat,Malcolm Lee, andKendall Marshall, to theWashington Wizards in exchange forEmeka Okafor and a 2014 first-round draft pick.[28] Brown, Lee, and Marshall were all waived by the Wizards three days later.[29]
On February 1, 2014, Brown signed a 10-day contract with theSan Antonio Spurs.[30] On February 12, 2014, he signed a second 10-day contract with the Spurs.[31] After Brown's second 10-day contract expired, the Spurs decided to part ways with him. The Spurs would eventually win the2014 Finals the same season, their 5th title in franchise history.
On February 27, 2014, Brown signed a 10-day contract with theNew York Knicks.[32] On March 10, 2014, he signed a second 10-day contract with the Knicks.[33] On March 20, 2014, he signed with the Knicks for the rest of the season.[34] On July 23, 2014, he was waived by the Knicks.[35][36]
On August 27, 2014, Brown signed with theMiami Heat.[37] On November 24, 2014, he was waived by the Heat after appearing in five games.[38]
On October 30, 2016, Brown was selected by theGrand Rapids Drive in the second round of the 2016 NBA Development League Draft,[39] but was waived by the Drive on November 10.[40]
On November 16, 2017, Brown was added to the roster of theMilwaukee Bucks G-League affiliate, theWisconsin Herd.[41]
On January 26, 2018, Brown was traded to theDelaware 87ers, making his debut that same day.[42]
While never achieving All-Star status in the NBA, Brown was known for his sensational athleticism. A 2006 Draft analysis described him as "one of the most explosive athletes in this draft, possessing good length, huge hands and excellent strength to make an impact off an NBA bench."[43] Brown reportedly had a vertical jump height of 44.5", which puts him among the top 10 leapers in NBA history.[44] In his first game with the Lakers in 2008, he had what was described as the "Best block ever that didn't count".[45] In 2010, while playing for the Lakers he was once described as "the most exciting player on L.A.'s premier sports team,"[1] and that his "unparalleled athleticism and hops alone made him worth watching."[46] His dunks and blocks were a regular feature of highlight reels.[47]
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
| † | Won anNBA championship | * | Led the league |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Cleveland | 23 | 5 | 8.8 | .378 | .280 | .714 | .9 | .4 | .3 | .1 | 3.2 |
| 2007–08 | Cleveland | 15 | 4 | 14.5 | .369 | .310 | .609 | 1.2 | 1.1 | .7 | .1 | 7.0 |
| 2007–08 | Chicago | 6 | 0 | 3.7 | .200 | .000 | .500 | .3 | .0 | .2 | .3 | 1.5 |
| 2008–09 | Charlotte | 30 | 0 | 11.4 | .455 | .286 | .800 | .8 | .9 | .6 | .2 | 4.8 |
| 2008–09† | L.A. Lakers | 18 | 0 | 7.6 | .524 | .667 | .889 | 1.1 | .6 | .2 | .1 | 3.2 |
| 2009–10† | L.A. Lakers | 82* | 7 | 20.7 | .427 | .328 | .818 | 2.2 | 1.3 | .7 | .4 | 8.1 |
| 2010–11 | L.A. Lakers | 82 | 0 | 19.1 | .425 | .349 | .911 | 1.9 | 1.2 | .8 | .2 | 8.7 |
| 2011–12 | Phoenix | 59 | 19 | 23.7 | .420 | .362 | .808 | 2.7 | 1.2 | .7 | .3 | 11.0 |
| 2012–13 | Phoenix | 59 | 22 | 23.8 | .420 | .277 | .784 | 2.5 | 1.8 | 1.0 | .3 | 10.5 |
| 2013–14 | San Antonio | 10 | 1 | 10.3 | .286 | .000 | .778 | 1.3 | .5 | .1 | .0 | 2.3 |
| 2013–14 | New York | 19 | 0 | 7.8 | .421 | .000 | .667 | .8 | .2 | .6 | .0 | 2.1 |
| 2014–15 | Miami | 5 | 2 | 17.8 | .368 | .429 | .667 | .2 | .6 | .8 | .0 | 4.0 |
| Career | 408 | 60 | 18.0 | .420 | .332 | .807 | 1.9 | 1.1 | .7 | .2 | 7.6 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Cleveland | 1 | 0 | .0 | .000 | .000 | .000 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| 2009† | L.A. Lakers | 21 | 0 | 13.1 | .434 | .480 | .792 | 1.2 | .6 | .5 | .1 | 4.9 |
| 2010† | L.A. Lakers | 23 | 0 | 14.1 | .393 | .281 | .714 | 1.3 | .9 | .4 | .3 | 4.9 |
| 2011 | L.A. Lakers | 10 | 0 | 16.6 | .459 | .280 | .643 | 1.9 | .7 | .6 | .2 | 7.2 |
| Career | 55 | 0 | 13.9 | .422 | .341 | .727 | 1.3 | .7 | .5 | .2 | 5.2 | |
| Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2003–04 | Michigan State | 30 | 24 | 22.9 | .451 | .341 | .807 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 1.1 | .0 | 7.9 |
| 2004–05 | Michigan State | 33 | 31 | 25.1 | .447 | .330 | .848 | 3.2 | 1.7 | 1.2 | .2 | 10.9 |
| 2005–06 | Michigan State | 34 | 34 | 35.2 | .467 | .390 | .830 | 4.4 | 2.7 | 1.5 | .1 | 17.2 |
| Total | 97 | 89 | 28.0 | .457 | .364 | .831 | 3.4 | 1.9 | 1.3 | .1 | 12.2 | |
He appeared in music videos toToni Braxton's "Yesterday",[48]Monica's "Love All Over Me",[49] andNelly's "Just a Dream".
Brown appears as himself in the 2012 filmThink Like a Man. Brown also appears in the 2015 filmTrainwreck as a member of the Knicks.
Brown has a son, Shannon Christopher Brown,[50] and a daughter, Laiyah Shannon Brown, from his marriage toMonica.[51]
In 2010, Brown began a relationship withR&B singerMonica. The pair met in June of that year when Brown was consulted to star as her love interest in the music video for the single "Love All Over Me".[52] In October 2010, Monica confirmed her engagement to Brown viaTwitter, posting a photo of her rose-cut diamond ring.[53] On November 22, 2010, Monica and Brown were married in a secret ceremony at their Los Angeles home. The marriage, however, did not become a matter of public record until January 21, 2011, when Brown told theHip-Hop Non-Stop TV-Show.[54] The couple had a second wedding ceremony for family and friends in July 2011.[55]
On March 27, 2019, it was reported Monica was divorcing Brown.[56] As of October 2019, their divorce was finalized.[57]
His brotherSterling Brown is an American professionalbasketball player forPartizan of theEuroLeague.[58]
On October 7, 2021, Brown was indicted for insurance fraud in theSouthern District of New York for allegedly defrauding the NBA's health and welfare benefit plan.[59] In April 2023, Brown consented to pay $320,000 inrestitution after pleading guilty to the charges.[60]
