Miscellaneous
Joel Brown, the 2019 Canadian National Player of the Year and a member of the Cal Men’s Basketball team, sits down with Andrew Cooper in Berkeley, CA to discuss his story, the impact of Kobe Bryant & LeBron James, and the death of his brother. Though a freshman in college, Brown holds wisdom beyond his years as he learned how to embrace the adversity of death to preserve and grow. Brown, a Toronto native, spent his entire high school basketball career away from home to chase his dreams. He started his freshman year of high school in Phoenix until the program moved to Kansas, at which point he transferred to Brewster Academy in New Hampshire.Entering his Junior year at Brewster, his team was ranked #1 in the country. Midway through the season, as the team prepared to play their rival, Brown’s brother passes away suddenly. Brown and his team go on to win the national championship. Following the victory, Brown was awarded the 2019 Canadian National Player of the Year award, which was presented by RJ Barrett (the previous recipient of the award). Joel’s motivation is rooted in serving others. When he thinks about his brother or other loved one’s he’s lost, he hopes that his resilience through the adversity will inspire others to keep believing in themselves and their dreams while encouraging them to reach out and ask for help.