Pull up any list of the NBA’s all-time biggest busts, and you’re likely to see Kwame Brown’s name alongside the likes of Greg Oden and Darko Miličić.
So it was no surprise to hear Gilbert Arenas go after Brown on a recent episode of Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes’ All The Smoke podcast, in which Arenas called Brown a “show pony,” adding that Michael Jordan killed Brown’s confidence. Once Brown caught wind of what was said, he unleashed a series of tirades against his former colleagues, much to the delight of NBA Twitter and general lovers of drama alike.
So what exactly set Brown off? Well first, some backstory.
In 2001, Michael Jordan was mounting his comeback as a member of the Washington Wizards, and reportedly used his position as the organization’s president to draft Brown with the no. 1 overall pick straight out of high school. But the hulking Brown never delivered on his promise, and Jordan’s hopes of some pust-Bulls success with the Wizards were all but dashed.
It was even rumored that Jordan—who had a unique way of motivating his teammates—once made Brown cry, a story he has since disputed.
Following a stint with the Wizards, Brown was traded to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2005. At the time, the Lakers were in the midst of their post-Shaq era and were open to giving Brown a fresh start based on his potential. But like in Washington, Brown didn’t live up to his potential, and lost his spot to Andrew Bynum. The Lakers eventually traded him to the Memphis Grizzlies and acquired Pau Gasol (insert Stephen A. Smith’s iconic rant here.) And the rest, as they say, is history.
Brown eventually retired from the NBA, and has kept a relatively low profile ever since. That is until now.
Below, a breakdown of the conflict that set the NBA world ablaze.
How It Started
When Lakers governor Jeanie Buss appeared on the podcast last month, she discussed the trade that sent Brown and the draft rights to Marc Gasol to the Grizzlies for Pau. She was attempting to explain how the trade involved two players for one, but Jackson teased that Marc Gasol was the only player traded for Pau Gasol.
Jackson and Barnes also made repeated remarks about Brown leading up to Arenas’ episode. But Arenas’ appearance was the straw that broke the camel’s back, despite the fact that Arenas admitted that Brown could’ve been a generational talent.
“I think you guys need to focus and channel that energy to some more real problems,” Brown said in his initial response video. “And Stephen Jackson, maybe you can put that motherf*cking blunt out and pull your pants up on your ass and put that rag down and act like a grown-ass man instead of a little ass boy.”
He also urged Barnes to get emotional help before turning his attention to Arenas.
“You the right hand arm of them white boys,” Brown said in regards to Arenas. “N***a you took millions out my mouth, n***a. You the whitest Black boy I’ve ever known.”
How Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless, and Michael Jordan Factor in
Brown might be at odds with Arenas Barnes and Jackson, but he also sent shots at critics that have had less than favorable opinions about his career.
Following the Lakers trade that sent him to Memphis, Smith went on that aforementioned legendary rant, where he criticized almost everything about Brown’s game.
So of course, Brown took aim at Smith, who he challenged to a fight, and accused of bullying him when he was just a teenager.
“Stephen A. you bald forehead,” Brown said. “Thinking you tough talking about ‘Oh, they can come see me.’ … Well meet me in Seattle where you can have mutual combat. … It’ll look like you had a toupee on the front of your head.”
“And Skip Bayless, thanks for the pass I guess,” he continued. “I ain’t get no pass from your co-host when you was letting this punk motherf**ker talk about a teenager. … I had to endure you talking about my momma’s son like that, bitch.”
He also tried to set the record straight regarding MJ. Brown claimed that Jordan never drafted him to be his sidekick. Instead, he was brought on as the centerpiece of a trade to acquire Elton Brand. But due to front office issues, an aging Jordan was stuck with the young Brown.
“MJ did not get what he wanted,” Brown said when explaining the narratives surrounding his career. “Allegedly there was an argument between MJ and [Wizards owner] Abe Pollen. He wanted to trade me for Elton Brand. … Makes business sense. You’re an aging older guy, why wouldn’t you want somebody who’s proven.”
Brown also addressed the running joke about Kobe Bryant’s 81 point game in Toronto because together, he and Brown had a combined 82 points. But Brown took pride in the role he played that night.
“Didn’t you get what you wanted? Are you not entertained?” Brown said. “He hit 81 motherf**king points. Did you see the screens I was setting?”
The Responses: Stephen Jackson
Stephen Jackson is a far cry from the Pacer who was involved in a 2006 shooting. He’s now a newly converted Muslim who is focused on uplifting the people that look like him. So, initially, Jackson tried to stay positive when he heard Brown’s comments, which included calling Jackson a “fake Black Lives Matter activist.” He insisted that Brown was simply targeting them after years of ridicule from other sources because All The Smoke and Gilbert Arenas’s No Chill Podcast are the two of the biggest platforms in sports media.
“Aye man, everybody want attention. Say Kwame Brown, bruh, I love you to death,” Jackson said on Instagram Live. “I don’t want no smoke with you. … I wish you the best little bro. Keep doing your thing. But, we not gon’ put you on. You had your opportunity when you was the no. 1 draft pick and laid an egg.”
He then referred to the joke he made during the interview with Jeanie Buss in another response. At this point, Jackson seemed fed up with the situation and decided to be brutally honest.
“People joke about some things in my career. I don’t take it personal. But, they can’t say that I was sorry. They can’t say I was a bust,” Jackson said. “So, be mad at yourself. Everybody joke on you.”
Jackson appeared on Black News Tonight this week, where he further addressed the situation with Brown.
This comes after Jackson apologized to Brown on Instagram Monday.
Brown responded to Jackson’s apology on Instagram.
The Responses: Matt Barnes
Barnes echoed Jackson’s sentiment with his own response.
“Bro, you’ve been getting made fun of since you got in the league for not living up to expectations,” Barnes said after claiming Brown just wants attention. “I tapped Jack’s knee when something was said. So, if that’s what got you mad—me tapping somebody’s knee—you needa hug, bro. … If you want to be mad at anyone be mad at MJ for believing you and picking you No. 1.”
Of course, this only added fuel to the fire. Brown sent out more videos aimed at Barnes, referencing his past marital issues and beef with Dereck Fisher.
Kwame Brown chose violence and chaos today. 😩 pic.twitter.com/q83ZaTn0Px
— *𝒜 𝓉𝒽𝓊𝑔 𝓌𝒾𝓉𝒽 𝒶 𝓈𝒸𝒶𝓇𝒻 𝑜𝓃* (@Keli__Kelz) May 17, 2021
He also called Barnes “Becky with the good hair.”
On Wednesday, Matt Barnes took to Instagram to once again respond to Brown.
He told Brown not to be “fooled by this new attention,” and invited him to come on his podcast. “Talk that shit, tell your story face-to-face,” he said.
He also joked that he’s willing to box Brown in order to get it done.
Brown appeared to respond to Barnes with further insults, but didn’t address his offer.
The Responses: Gilbert Arenas
Instead of getting on Instagram Live or social media to combat Brown’s claims, Arenas decided to joke with a fan about Brown’s unbelievable strength.
In an Instagram comment, Arena recalled a time when he and Larry Hughes were out with Brown (who he called “Dee Bo”). He said that once Brown gets drunk, he tends to go on emotional rants. While they were at the club, Arenas said a drunk Brown and his brother fought six security guards by themselves while Arenas and Hughes watched.
Gilbert Arenas on Kwame Brown;
“It took 20 bodyguards to take him and his brother down inside a club.”
😳😳😳
(h/t @GeorgeFoster72) pic.twitter.com/8v1I6by7GE
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) May 18, 2021
“Me and Larry Hughes looked at each other like so y’all don’t need no help,” he wrote.
The Reactions
Until this recent outburst, Brown has been relatively quiet. It’s no wonder his sudden re-emergence struck a chord with people on social media. Check out some reactions to the year’s most unexpected feud below.
