“It was electric”: Teen’s ears ringing after “crazy” debut

RJ Brown could be forgiven if his head was in the clouds this week.

In the space of less than a fortnight, he turned 16, made his NBL debut and hit his first points in front of 10,000 rowdy fans at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Yet, despite his tender years, his feet remain firmly planted on the ground.

“It was totally a surprise,” Brown told ABC Radio of his opportunity to make his debut game against Illawarra on Saturday night.

“I was just glad the team could just get up by a lot, and I was just waiting for my opportunity and Coach put me in the game and yeah, I tried to make the most of it.”

And make the most of it he did.

The talented teen’s introduction off the bench with 1:13 left of the game had the already boisterous crowd lift the decibel level to near deafening levels.

And when he made a three-point shot on the buzzer all 10,016 in the venue were on their feet.

Adelaide 36ers Head Coach Trevor Gleeson said he was pleased that Brown was able to hit the court and take the opportunity in a play he’d drawn up for him.

And Brown was swamped by teammates when the shot went in.

“Just before (I went on, Trevor) was just telling us to be ready and so I was trying to stretch on the bench, just be ready, and then as soon as he called my name, the crowd went wild.  

“It was electric in the arena.

“My ears were ringing after, but it was cool, my teammates, everyone getting around me, and yeah, the arena was just electric and the fans were crazy.”

The night was made more special by the fact his grandparents were in the crowd to watch the game for the first time.

Yet Brown didn’t get much of an opportunity to see them post-game, spending plenty of time signing autographs and taking selfies with countless supporters.

“Yeah, yeah, it's crazy,” he laughed when asked about being so popular already.

“I love the fans and I'm really grateful for the support that everyone gives me.

“I mean, I was more than happy to sign some stuff for them.”

The teenager’s father Raheim Brown senior has been sharing taxi duties with his wife in recent weeks, ferrying RJ to the gym at 7am, practice at 9am and school afterwards.

He admitted the family were extremely proud of the way RJ handled the moment.

“As a fan at first, we were so locked in, you know, the boys had a big preparation for this week with Coach Gleeson and the coaching staff,” he said.

“We're trying to get the win for this week, and then when I heard RJ's name get called, we're still in that competitive mode of just wanting him to go out there and just seize the moment.

“But once he got out there, man, and hit the shot, I was electrified like the whole of Adelaide was, and it was a really proud moment.

“The boys have always been around RJ and told him to stay ready and they spent this time preparing him for that and Coach Gleeson and all his teammates have really been around him and just, you know, preparing him for that moment and told him to stay ready.

“We never knew when that time was going to happen, but RJ was prepared for it.”

Signed as a Development Player in September for NBL27, RJ is focussed on learning as much as he can from the seasoned professionals around him – players who treat him as a little brother already.

It means locking in on caring for his body, being strict with recovery and fuelling up, pre-game warm-ups, running through vision and ensuring pre-game preparation is just right.

For his father, it’s a time to be grateful, particularly to Adelaide 36ers General Manager of Basketball Operations, Matt Weston for the opportunity he’s provided.

“I call him the architect,” Raheim senior smiled.

“He had a great vision and we sat down and talked about it, but we didn't have a lot of time to actually think about it before we signed.

“We've just been keeping our head down and RJ's been doing the work and so I think that's been a blessing in disguise because we really haven't had a lot of time to process it all but it's a really, really great feeling.

“And, the support has just been great and Adelaide, the coaching staff, everyone's been behind him, and he’s taken advantage of the opportunity.”

Brown and the Adelaide 36ers will be back in action on Thursday night, when they host Melbourne United at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.

Tip off is at 7pm with limited tickets remaining.

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