Roger Brown remains 1 of the best basketball players to never play a single game in the NBA. During his 8-year career in the ABA he appeared in 4 All-Star games, set a Pacers franchise record with 46 points in a single game in 1969, and was named 1970 ABA Playoffs MVP after averaging 28.5 PPG while leading his team to a win over the Los Angeles Stars in the Finals. He later won 2 more titles with the Pacers, was unanimously selected to the ABA All-Time Team in 1997, and was posthumously inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 2013. Roger passed away in 1997 but HoopsHD’s Jon Teitel got to chat with producer Ted Green about the subject of his documentary film “Undefeated: The Roger Brown Story”. Today marks the 52nd anniversary of Roger winning his 1st ABA title on May 25, 1970, so we take this time to honor his life/legacy.
In 1960 Brown signed to play at Dayton but was banned from both the NCAA/NBA after it was revealed that he previously met with a gambler who was involved in illegal point-shaving (Jack Molinas): why was he banned even though he was never actually accused of shaving points himself? He was accused of serving as an intermediary between gamblers and college players. Under immense pressure and with no lawyer, Roger admitted that he facilitated introductions. Later on (under oath) he admitted making it all up because he was just trying to get out of the interrogation. No game was ever affected by anything he did, but everyone was so freaked out by the earlier CCNY scandal that even the hint of gambling was enough to result in a ban.
After playing in some semi-pro leagues for a few years he signed with the Indiana Pacers: do you think that he would have ever played pro basketball if the ABA had not been formed in 1967? No: I do not know what avenue he could have possibly had so I suspect that he would never have a chance if not for the ABA.
Take me through the magical 1970 ABA Finals:
In Game 4 he scored an ABA-playoff-record 53 PTS (including 7 3-PT shots) in a road win over the LA Stars: what was his secret for being a great scorer? He was an unbelievable 1-on-1 player, which is what guys like Kareem Abdul-Jabbar/Oscar Robertson said. He had a great hesitation fake and could shift his weight in the opposite direction of where his defender was going. He was not a selfish player by any means but had unbelievable range if you sagged off him on defense. That year he was at the peak of his powers and just put on a clinic. Stars coach/Hall of Famer Bill Sharman said that he never saw anyone so unstoppable.
In Game 6 he scored 45 PTS on the road to clinch the series: what did it mean to him to win a title and be named playoff MVP? From everything I have heard, I do not think being MVP meant that much to him but winning a title meant everything. He was a high school star a decade earlier before his world was shattered, and he went through a lot of hard times both on and off the court before shining against the best in the ABA.
In November of 1971 he was elected to the Indianapolis City Council and ended up serving the local citizens for 4 years: why did he run for office, and how on earth did he balance being a councilman with his day job?! He was approached by an assistant to then-Mayor Richard Lugar, as they were looking for diversity on the Republican ticket. Roger was 1 of the most popular guys in town and he saw it as a neat opportunity to have an impact on things. He made it to most of the council meetings and was very involved in inner-city safety issues.
In Game 6 of the 1972 Finals he scored a game-high 32 PTS in a 3-PT road win over the New York Nets to clinch yet another title: how was he able to play his best away from home when it mattered the most? I do not know if that was just Roger or if it was a reflection of an amazing Pacers team. He always liked a challenge such as playing in front of a hostile road crowd. Bill Bradley once talked some smack about Indianapolis…and Roger went out and took it right at Bradley!
In the 1973 Finals the Pacers had a 7-PT road win over Kentucky to secure their 3rd title in a 4-year span: how big a deal was the “I-65 Series”, and were the Pacers considered to be a dynasty at that point? I do not think the word “dynasty” was thrown around a lot back then…but they were clearly the team to beat in the early-1970s. It was a big deal to play Kentucky: they were 1 of the most stable franchises in the league. They have a high school all-star series each year and the Hoosiers-Wildcats series remains fierce. If you ask the Pacers who they enjoyed beating the most it would be Kentucky or the Stars.
He still holds the ABA shooting record by making 21 consecutive FG over a 3-game stretch: was it just 1 of those scenarios where every shot he put up that week seemed to go in because he was “in the zone”? I do not know how else to put it: that streak includes 1 game of 14-14 FG! His teammates talk about how he amazed them in ways that no other player had. Before Dr. J came around a lot of people felt that Roger was the best player in the league.
His 312 career 3-PT shots remains #7 in ABA history: what was his secret for making shots from behind the arc? It dated from his playground days in New York. Guys like Donnie Walsh/Larry Brown talk about him having unreal range. He was a big-time dunker in high school, but by the time he got to the pros he had developed some incredible 1-on-1 moves and was still able to make shots from the 3-PT line.
In 1997 he was 1 of 7 players unanimously selected to the All-Time ABA team (along with Louie Dampier/Mel Daniels/Julius Erving/George Gervin/Artis Gilmore/Dan Issel): where do you think he ranks among the best ABA players ever? It is tough to compare guys who played different positions, but I would put Roger and Julius side-by-side just a shade above Mel Daniels. Not a lot of people remember George McGinnis’ brief career but he was also unstoppable.
In 2013 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame a half-century after being banned by the NBA: when people look back on his career, how do you think that he should be remembered the most? He is a guy who got a raw deal, fought for a chance to play, and then shined against the best players in the world. It is nothing short of a triumph, but the real shame is that he did not live to experience that great honor. Now everyone finally knows that he was 1 of the best.
*To learn more about Ted’s documentary on Roger please go to: http://tedgreenfilms.com/Film4.html