Roger Brown
Encyclopedia
Roger William Brown nicknamed "The Rajah", was an American
professional basketball
player.
and signed to play for the University of Dayton
in 1960, but he was banned from the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA) and National Basketball Association
(NBA) when it was revealed that while still in High School and along with fellow Brooklyn star Connie Hawkins
, he had been introduced to a gambler, Jack Molinas
, who was involved in illegal point shaving
. Brown was never accused of point shaving and his only crime was associating with Molinas. With the NCAA and NBA ban in place, he continued to play basketball in Dayton's amateur leagues, and in 1967 signed with the American Basketball Association
(ABA)'s Indiana Pacers
. During his eight-year (1967–1975) ABA career, spent with the Pacers, Memphis Sounds
, and Utah Stars
, Brown scored 10,498 points, appeared in four All-Star games, and earned three Championship rings.
Brown was one of seven players unanimously selected to the ABA All-Time Team in 1997. He is one of four players (the others are Reggie Miller
, George McGinnis
, and Mel Daniels
) to have his jersey (#35) retired by the Pacers.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
professional basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player.
Career
A 6'5" forward/guard, Brown starred at Brooklyn's George W. Wingate High SchoolGeorge W. Wingate High School
George W. Wingate High School is a defunct comprehensive high school in the Prospect-Lefferts Gardens neighborhood of Brooklyn, New York. It was closed down in June 2000 due to poor academic performance. The school was then divided into four small schools. The school was named for George Wood...
and signed to play for the University of Dayton
University of Dayton
The University of Dayton is a private Roman Catholic university operated by the Society of Mary located in Dayton, Ohio...
in 1960, but he was banned from the National Collegiate Athletic Association
National Collegiate Athletic Association
The National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
(NCAA) and National Basketball Association
National Basketball Association
The National Basketball Association is the pre-eminent men's professional basketball league in North America. It consists of thirty franchised member clubs, of which twenty-nine are located in the United States and one in Canada...
(NBA) when it was revealed that while still in High School and along with fellow Brooklyn star Connie Hawkins
Connie Hawkins
Cornelius L. Hawkins is a former National Basketball Association and American Basketball Association player, Harlem Globetrotter and New York City playground legend...
, he had been introduced to a gambler, Jack Molinas
Jack Molinas
Jacob "Jack" L. Molinas was an American professional basketball player and one of the key figures in the point shaving scandal that almost destroyed NCAA basketball...
, who was involved in illegal point shaving
Point shaving
In organized sports, point shaving is a type of match fixing where the perpetrators try to prevent a team from covering a published point spread. Unlike other forms of match fixing, sports betting invariably motivates point shaving. A point shaving scheme generally involves a sports gambler and one...
. Brown was never accused of point shaving and his only crime was associating with Molinas. With the NCAA and NBA ban in place, he continued to play basketball in Dayton's amateur leagues, and in 1967 signed with the American Basketball Association
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
(ABA)'s Indiana Pacers
Indiana Pacers
The Indiana Pacers are a professional basketball team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the Central Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association...
. During his eight-year (1967–1975) ABA career, spent with the Pacers, Memphis Sounds
Memphis Sounds
Memphis Sounds was the final name of a franchise in the American Basketball Association. The team had begun as the New Orleans Buccaneers, and after three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where it had occasionally played some home games in the past to reasonable crowds...
, and Utah Stars
Utah Stars
The Utah Stars was an American Basketball Association team based in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.Under head coach Bill Sharman the Stars were the first major professional basketball team to use a pre-game shootaround.-History:...
, Brown scored 10,498 points, appeared in four All-Star games, and earned three Championship rings.
Brown was one of seven players unanimously selected to the ABA All-Time Team in 1997. He is one of four players (the others are Reggie Miller
Reggie Miller
Reginald Wayne "Reggie" Miller is a retired American professional basketball player who played his entire 18-year National Basketball Association career with the Indiana Pacers...
, George McGinnis
George McGinnis
George F. McGinnis is a retired American professional basketball player, most notably with the Indiana Pacers of the American Basketball Association . He was drafted into the ABA from Indiana University in 1971...
, and Mel Daniels
Mel Daniels
Melvin Joe Daniels is a retired American professional basketball player.A 6' 9" center, he played for the University of New Mexico Lobo men's basketball team from 1964-67...
) to have his jersey (#35) retired by the Pacers.
External links
- Career Stats @ basketball-reference.com
- Roger Brown @ Find A Grave