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Kwame Brown on workout that helped him become No. 1 pick: "It wasn't even close"
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- Kwame Brown on workout that helped him become No. 1 pick: "It wasn't even close"
Do you know what Kwame Brown and LeBron James have in common? They're the only two players in NBA history to go straight from high school to becoming the No. 1 overall pick. Only Kwame did it first.
Obviously, their career turned out to be polar opposites. However, the Washington Wizards wouldn't have touched "Coffee" with a 10-foot pole if he hadn't flashed serious potential right before their very eyes.
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Brown did exactly that in a one-on-one workout with fellow high school standout Tyson Chandler . And by Kwame's account, it was more of a showcase than a contest.
Kwame got the better of Tyson
Brown played high school ball at Glynn Academy in Brunswick, Georgia. Meanwhile, Chandler did his thing for Dominguez High School in Compton, California.
When you compare their high school stats side by side, Tyson had the better numbers. He averaged a monstrous 26 points, 15 rebounds, and eight blocks, while Kwame had 20/13/6 with three dimes and 2.5 steals per outing.
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Still, scouts considered Brown the superior prospect for various reasons. Kwame had NBA-ready size and a strong frame, along with skills beyond the garden-variety big man. In fact, basketball experts at the time could see him handle the ball a little bit like a point guard in some offensive schemes.
Defensively, his versatility was also eye-opening: he could keep in step with the smaller guys and bang bodies with the bigs.
So, when the Wizards wanted to see with their own eyes what Brown could do against another top prospect, it was the time he could display his multifaceted skills.
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"He was one of the most athletic dudes there, but when they brought us for a second time, they just wanted to see us go at it 1-on-1, and it wasn't even close," Brown recalled on "The Basketball Show."
While Kwame praised Tyson's raw athletic prowess, the difference in overall skill was apparent.
"He's a good defender, but they put us out at the top of the key. We got three dribbles, and I was blowing by him. Like, that was my game. That's what I wanted to do. Out of the post, I would just turn and face him. He didn't know what to do at first because I could hit that little jump shot, but as soon as he came up close, I would just go right by him," added Brown.
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"He couldn't handle the speed, so he backed up a little bit. That was just enough room to get my shot off," he stated.
Apparently, the Wizards saw enough. They took Brown first overall, while Chandler went behind him at No. 2. Memphis grabbed Pau Gasol at No. 3, while Eddy Curry and Jason Richardson rounded out the top 5.
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Brown and Chandler's careers went in different directions
Interestingly, Chandler never developed the type of offensive bag that gave Brown the advantage in their workout. Instead, he leaned into what he already did well and kept getting better at it.
Tyson became an elite rebounder and defensive backbone, perhaps one of the best we've ever seen at verticality. He became the Defensive Player of the Year in 2012, just one year after anchoring the Dallas Mavericks ' defense en route to the 2011 title. He embraced that role and carved out a 19-year career doing it.
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Brown's career followed a different path. The skills and potential that made him the 2001 first-overall pick never quite translated as expected. He eventually settled into a journeyman role, playing for seven franchises over 12 seasons.
Funny enough, the guy Brown said he dominated that day ended up having the better career. Of course, nobody could've known that at the time.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Sep 23, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
