Kwame Brown Reveals Kobe Bryant Pushed Him to Risk His Health for the Pau Gasol Trade

Kobe Bryant forced Kwame Brown to play through injuries so that he could be traded for Pau Gasol.

Kwame Brown Reveals Kobe Bryant Pushed Him to Risk His Health for the Pau Gasol Trade

Kwame Brown on Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol (Image credits - CBS Sports and ESPN)

Kwame Brown and Kobe Bryant played together for the Los Angeles Lakers for two and a half seasons. While Brown struggled with injuries during his stint with the Lakers, he did help them reach the playoffs in both seasons.

However, the Lakers were eliminated in the first round in both years despite Bryant’s impressive performances. Hence, Bryant and the Lakers decided it was time to move on from the former number one pick.

The Lakers included Brown in a trade package to the Memphis Grizzlies for Pau Gasol in the middle of the 2007-08 campaign. The move worked out very well as they reached the NBA Finals in 2008 before winning back-to-back championships in 2009 and 2010.

During his appearance on The Basketball Show HQ, Brown said Bryant pushed him through injuries so he could be traded for Gasol.

They trade me for Pau Gasol and they’re like, ‘Yeah, that’s the best trade ever.’ I could have damaged my kidneys. I was urinating blood for like six weeks. Kobe just asked me to play. I was going to have that surgery, and he was like, ‘Come on man, we need you to play. And so then I get traded. It’s kind of crazy how Kobe did me.’

Kwame Brown on The Basketball Show HQ

Kobe Bryant established himself as one of, if not the best players in the league after the arrival of Paul Gasol. The two formed a strong relationship on and off the court during their time together in the Lakers.

Unfortunately, the move for Gasol came at Brown’s expense, who was suffering from injuries and pain prior to the trade. Brown’s time in Memphis was short, as they did not offer him a new contract at the end of the 2007-08 campaign.

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Kwame Brown wishes he could have done what Kawhi Leonard did

The Washington Wizards drafted Kwame Brown with the number one pick in the 2001 NBA Draft. He was the first player to be drafted number one overall straight out of high school.

Unfortunately for him, his career did not pan out the way he wanted. A lack of work ethic and injuries kept him from making a name for himself.

After speaking about Bryant’s role in pushing him out of the Lakers, Brown said that he wished he could have taken one out of Kawhi Leonard‘s playbook.

I wish I would have did the Kawhi Leonard and just shut down and only play when I feel at my peak, so you can’t say anything. Cuz otherwise they disrespect you.

Kwame Brown on The Basketball Show HQ

Brown’s statements were a reference to Leonard’s load management. The two-time champion has often been criticized for skipping games whenever he felt like he was not at 100%. But Brown did not have that luxury as he was pushed to play through his injuries.

Kwame Brown on how the Wizards ownership ruined Michael Jordan’s 2002 playoff plan

The Wizards drew a lot of attention heading into the 2001-02 campaign. While they drafted Brown first, it was Michael Jordan‘s return to the NBA that caught everyone’s eye.

Michael Jordan and Kwame Brown
Michael Jordan and Kwame Brown (Image credits – TalkSport)

Jordan may have cemented himself as the greatest player of all time, but his track record as an NBA executive isn’t exactly encouraging. He drew plenty of criticism for the way he ran the Charlotte Hornets and even during his stint as the Wizards’ president of basketball operations.  

However, Kwame Brown revealed that the finished product in Washington wasn’t exactly what Jordan had drawn up.

They never picked me to keep me for the Washington Wizards. MJ didn’t believe in playing with unproven players. (Jordan) wanted to bring in Elton Brand and hopefully he was going to get enough pieces with Stack to win a championship, or at least get to the playoffs.

Brown claimed that Jordan did not get what he wanted, as Abe Pollin, who was the owner of the Wizards, did not want to trade away a number one pick. This created a rift between Jordan and Pollin and eventually led Pollin to distance himself from the six-time champion. In the end, Jordan failed to reach the playoffs in his two years in Washington.

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