Nowadays, Brook Lopez is known as one of the best stretch-fives of this generation and a quality starter for contending teams. But, back when he entered the NBA in 2008 with the New Jersey Nets, "Splash Mountain" was a low-block presence not afraid of going at other big men.
One such instance was Brook embarrassing former #1 pick Kwame Brown for trash-talking him, as his twin brother Robing Lopez shared the story in a 2010 edition of SLAM Magazine.
"Kwame Brown was talking about him. He gave him some crap or something. Brook came back at him with a dunk and a block and said, 'What are you talking about? You're one of the biggest busts ever!' He's going to go at anybody, no matter who it is," Robin shared a story about how fearless his brother was early on.
Rising star in NJ
Poor Kwame just can't catch a break. Aside from being one of the biggest busts in NBA history, stories about him being punked or just lousy on the court continue to flow even in 2024. Lopez is simply the latest to get the best out of the Brown.
Brook, a 7'1'' monster, was a presence since his days at Stanford. The mix of size, strength, and touch made the 10th overall pick of the 2008 Draft tough to handle in the paint, even during his first seasons in the Association.
Brook spent the majority of his career with the Nets, playing there for nine seasons and averaging 18.6 ppg and 7.1 rpg per game. Even though New Jersey/Brooklyn was up and down, never really assembling a contending squad, Lopez was still a fan favorite, even making the 2013 All-Star Game.
"These kids come up to me and say, 'You're my favorite player!' I'm like, do you know who I am? I play in New Jersey. That's one of the lower markets," he said.
Brook would eventually move on to play for the Los Angeles Lakers and Milwaukee Bucks, becoming a champion in 2021 and one of the most useful and underrated starting centers in the NBA.
Related: "You can't really cuss them out in front of everybody" - Anthony Edwards explains why he doesn't agree with Jordan and Kobe's leadership style
Even Shaq loved the young Brook
The potential of the young Lopez was so evident at the time that even one of the greatest NBA centers of all time, Shaquille O'Neal , gave Brook a pretty flattering comparison .
"He (Lopez) don't have a lot of flash, a la Tim Duncan, but he can play. If you put him with a nice team around him, you can get a lot from this big man," Shaq remarked, per New York Daily News .
Brook may never have been a player of Tim Duncan's caliber, but he still had a very respectable career. Maybe he will add a couple more achievements to his legacy as he continues to be a vital cog for the Bucks, even at 36 years old.
Related: Gilbert Arenas recalls when Kwame Brown wanted to fight Michael Jordan in a bar: "The name Oakley reversed that s**t"
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