He pinched himself. Yeah, he did. The first time Bobby Brown saw his name displayed above his stall in the Kings' locker room, the rookie point guard paused to collect his thoughts. For a minute there, he couldn't breathe.
But at least he didn't cry. His mother cried.
"When I called and told her I signed with the Kings after the summer league," Brown related the other night, "she broke down, she was so happy. We have a really close family in L.A., and Sacramento is just up the street."
About six hours up the interstate, but who's counting? Brown, 24 – who never had traveled overseas before last season, who attended Cal State Fullerton partly because it was close to home – spent 2007-08 with Alba Berlin in the German League, learning a lot about playing the point. And a lot about himself. After his homesickness subsided, his innate curiosity prevailed, and during days off he became your typical American tourist.
Checkpoint Charlie. Alexanderplatz. The Berliner Dom. The Brandenburg Gate. He strolled the wide, sweeping boulevards and located the underground bunker where Hitler and Eva Braun died. Or didn't. He grew to appreciate the beauty and history of Europe, and remains partial to Spain.
But he became a point guard in Berlin. At 6-foot-1 and 175 pounds, Brown, who describes himself as an instinctive scorer, recognized that his size limited his professional options. If he wanted to play in the NBA, he needed to transition from scorer to scoring playmaker, mentally and physically.
As he demonstrated on several possessions Friday night against Oklahoma City, he can shoot with range, penetrate the lane, and with the slightest change of pace or direction, freeze defenders as he bursts to the rim. He could always score; he left Fullerton as the Titans' all-time leader. But while NBA scouts have long been intrigued, they questioned his ability to guide an offense.
"When I went to Berlin, I worked on everything," said Brown, nodding, "and I played for a great coach (Luka Pavicevic). Man, he was on me all the time. He made me be a point guard."
After helping win the German League title and flourishing under Pavicevic, another in the succession of respected, demanding Serbian coaches, Brown earned a roster spot on the New Orleans Hornets' summer league team. At the annual Las Vegas tournament a few weeks later, the superbly conditioned Brown dazzled during practices and games. "Second-best point guard there (behind D.J. Augustin)," said Geoff Petrie, who signed the rookie to a two-year deal.
The Kings' original expectations nonetheless were measured, tempered by the fact that prospects frequently excel in the summer and in preseason and then disappoint when it matters. The combination of Brown and Bobby Jackson, it was theorized, could capably fill the role of Beno Udrih's backup. But if Brown's swift ascent continues, Udrih, who signed a long-term contract in the offseason, figures to be challenged for minutes. Who knows? Maybe a point guard controversy looms. Reggie Theus, as we have discovered, is never averse to drama.
"Bobby is what we call a 'pocket passer,' " said the coach, after praising two of the rookie's particularly nifty feeds to Spencer Hawes. "Tall point guards like myself, Magic, can pass over a defense. Small point guards throw the ball under the defense. Bobby needs to learn to pass off the dribble, with one hand. But he's getting better, and what I really like is the way he passes the ball ahead on the break. He enables us to play differently, to play faster."
True, all true. But Brown has been around the world enough times to know he doesn't have all the answers. And he prefers California. Determined to remain closer to home, he spends his spare time watching tapes and studying Allen Iverson's constant movement, Baron Davis' ballhandling, Steve Nash's passing and dribble-drives.
He probes the accommodating Jackson for insights, works on his ball skills after practice and calls home often enough to avoid becoming complacent. Asked about his family, he smiles. His mood lightens. His mother, Regina, cuts hair for a living at the family home in South Central L.A., and his father, Bobby Sr., drives a truck for Roadway. His younger sister, Janika, attends Long Beach State.
"My dad texted me after the game," Brown said. "He said, 'Good game.' We're all so happy about this. I just have to keep it up."
Call The Bee's Ailene Voisin, (916) 321-1208.
