Teen’s NBA dream but feet firmly planted in Adelaide

New Adelaide 36ers signing Raheim Brown Junior is taking inspiration from former Sixers Josh Giddey and Terrance Ferguson as he takes his first steps towards a professional career.

The 15-year-old, known as ‘RJ’ was signed as a Development Player by his home town club on Tuesday, becoming the youngest currently rostered NBL player and youngest to be signed by an NBL club in over 40 years.

Athletic, fast and with a high basketball IQ for someone so young, Brown Jnr might have been excused for having his head spin after signing on with the Sixers, but a day later was at the State Basketball Centre at Wayville, suiting up with his Woodville High School open team in the Statewide Schools Competition finals.

The Year 10 who towers above most kids in his year level is remaining level headed, excited about joining his new 36ers teammates at training when they get back from Perth this weekend.

He admits to having lofty ambitions but is keeping his feet on the ground for now.

“The goal is NBA, I'm sure,” he smiled.

“But I'm really just taking it day by day just seeing what my options are.”

RJ spent some time around Terrance Ferguson when he was with the 36ers, suggesting he became a fan of the club around the American’s stint in 2016-17.

But he said seeing Ferguson and fellow former Sixer Giddey taking a similar journey to the NBA gives him confidence that he too could get there.

“Those guys, like Giddey and stuff are from here,” he said.

“It's crazy seeing someone from where I am from doing the same thing I'm doing and where that ended up.

“It's a crazy feel.”

Adelaide 36ers General Manager of Basketball Operations, Matt Weston was also on hand at Wayville to watch the teen, and keep an eye on other local talent.

He says having watched RJ play against men in the NBL1 Central competition this season, as well as in his junior grades with the West Adelaide Bearcats, it was clear there was something special about the teen.

“There’s a first for everything, but this is special,” Weston said when asked how many 15 year-old’s he’d signed to senior contracts.

“There's something about him. I watched him, you know, probably a month or so ago, and I wasn't quite aware of his age at the time, and a 15 year-old that's playing against 17 year-olds, dominating the way he was.

“He's got special, special skills.”

Weston compared RJ to NBA star Ricky Rubio who was playing in Spain’s national team as a 15-year-old, saying the teen had a “very high ceiling”.

“Some guys just have something that other kids just don't,” Weston said.

“He could go play for Australia. He could definitely be in the NBA. That's where I sit.

“Hopefully if he's in NBL, he's with us.

"That's why we're obviously building these connections and wanting to help develop him, to get him to his next stage, which I would say would be NCAA to have a good practice there and to really position him to be the best, but he's got a very high ceiling.”

As for whether Sixers fans could see Brown Jnr suiting up with the side any time soon, potentially as soon as Sunday’s first home game of the season against Cairns, Weston wasn’t able to say.

“That'll be Trev's (Gleeson’s) call,” he smiled.

“He’s coach, but Trev's very good at nurturing talent.

“Wouldn't it be something special if he ran out onto the Adelaide Entertainment Centre and played some minutes?

“You know, we haven't had a hometown hero like that in a while, so it's really good to be able to build it.”

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