No. 50 – Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka | |||||||||||||||
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Position | Power forward | ||||||||||||||
League | B.League | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Born | (1982-08-03) August 3, 1982 (age 42) Corsicana, Texas, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
Nationality | Japanese / American | ||||||||||||||
Listed height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | ||||||||||||||
Listed weight | 236 lb (107 kg) | ||||||||||||||
Career information | |||||||||||||||
High school | Willis (Willis, Texas) | ||||||||||||||
College |
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NBA draft | 2009: undrafted | ||||||||||||||
Playing career | 2009–present | ||||||||||||||
Career history | |||||||||||||||
2010 | Coras de Tepic | ||||||||||||||
2010–2011 | Asociación Española | ||||||||||||||
2011 | San Miguel Beermen | ||||||||||||||
2011 | Lagartos UAN de Tepic | ||||||||||||||
2011–2014 | Toyama Grouses | ||||||||||||||
2014–2017 | Sunrockers Shibuya | ||||||||||||||
2017–2019 | Ryukyu Golden Kings | ||||||||||||||
2019–2023 | Osaka Evessa | ||||||||||||||
2023–2024 | Chiba Jets Funabashi | ||||||||||||||
2024 | Hiroshima Dragonflies | ||||||||||||||
2024–present | Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka | ||||||||||||||
Career highlights and awards | |||||||||||||||
Medals
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Ira Brown | |
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Pitcher | |
Born: (1982-08-03) August 3, 1982 (age 42) Corsicana, Texas | |
Bats: RightThrows: Right | |
Ira Demon Brown (born August 3, 1982) is a Japanese-American professional basketball player for the Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka of the Japanese B.League. He had also spent three years with the Hirachi/Shibuya Sunrockers, as well as two years with the Toyama Grouses during his career in Japan.
Early life
Brown grew up in Corsicana, Texas, in a three-bedroom house along with "roughly 15 relatives." The house burned down in a fire, forcing him to relocate to another home, though he often stayed with friends. When he was 14 years old, Brown moved in with his former youth baseball coach, Earl Mitchell, in Conroe, Texas. He was eventually adopted by Mitchell.
College career
Brown began his college career at Phoenix College before transferring to Gonzaga in 2007.
Professional career
In 2010, Brown earned league all-star honors as a member of the Coras de Tepic of the Circuito de Baloncesto de la Costa del Pacífico (CIBACOPA).
On October 2, 2024, Brown signed with the Hiroshima Dragonflies of the B.League. On November 10, his contract was expired.
On November 14, 2024, Brown signed with the Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka.
The Basketball Tournament
Brown played for Team A Few Good Men in the 2018 edition of The Basketball Tournament. In two games, he averaged five points per game and 4.5 rebounds per game on 40 percent shooting. A Few Good Men made it to the Second Round before falling to Team Gael Force.
National team career
He became a Japanese citizen after extensive language testing and a waiting period which took two years. As of 2018, he resides in Okinawa.
He was a member of Japan's national basketball team at the 2016 FIBA Asia Challenge in Tehran, Iran, where he recorded the most rebounds, steals and blocks for his team.
He played 3x3 basketball for Japan in the 2021 Olympics.
Baseball career
Brown was drafted in 2001 by the Kansas City Royals, and played in the minors for five years.
Career statistics
GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
FG% | Field goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field goal percentage | FT% | Free throw percentage |
RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game | Bold | Career high |
Year | Team | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2011–12 | Toyama | 52 | 52 | 30.6 | .475 | .323 | .625 | 6.3 | 1.9 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 12.7 |
2012–13 | Toyama | 50 | 48 | 31.8 | .537 | .254 | .658 | 9.1 | 3.2 | 2.0 | 1.2 | 16.5 |
2013–14 | Toyama | 52 | 52 | 34.2 | .523 | .419 | .650 | 10.0 | 3.3 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 16.8 |
2014–15 | Hitachi | 54 | 45 | 27.8 | .503 | .364 | .651 | 7.9 | 2.1 | 0.9 | 1.0 | 13.7 |
2015–16 | Hitachi | 54 | 50 | 29.3 | .506 | .214 | .667 | 6.9 | 1.9 | 1.2 | 0.8 | 13.2 |
2016–17 | Shibuya | 57 | 44 | 29.3 | .517 | .358 | .597 | 8.3 | 2.5 | 1.3 | 0.9 | 13.7 |
2017–18 | Ryukyu | 60 | 58 | 28.7 | .490 | .409 | .614 | 7.0 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 11.2 |
References
- ^ Meehan, Jim. "Former Gonzaga forward Ira Brown charts unique path to Olympic Games". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- ^ "Meet the Texas native who beat the odds and is trying to help Japan's 3x3 basketball team do the same". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- "Circuito De Baloncesto De La Costa Del Pacifico (2010)". Latinbasket.com. Retrieved March 3, 2024.
- "#33 アイラ・ブラウン 選手契約合意(新規)のお知らせ". 広島ドラゴンフライズ. 2 October 2024. Retrieved 2 October 2024.
- "#7ワース・スミス選手 #33アイラ・ブラウン選手 退団のお知らせ". 広島ドラゴンフライズ. 11 November 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- "【新規】アイラ・ブラウン選手 契約締結のお知らせ". ライジングゼファー福岡. 14 November 2024. Retrieved 29 November 2024.
- "Former Zags excited to play in TBT during Hoopfest". krem.com. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- From Texas To Tokyo: How Ira Brown Found Family In Basketball Abigail Leonard (wbur.org), 10 March 2017. Accessed 8 May 2017.
- FIBA Asia Challenge 2016, FIBA.com, accessed 2 May 2017.
- "Ira Brown Stats & Scouting Report - Baseball America". baseballamerica.com. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
B.League Slam Dunk Contest winners | |
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External links
- Profile at Osaka Evessa
- FIBA Asia Challenge 2016 Profile
- Asia-basket.com Profile
- Gonzaga Bulldogs bio
- 1982 births
- Living people
- 3x3 basketball players at the 2020 Summer Olympics
- American expatriate basketball people in Argentina
- American expatriate basketball people in Japan
- American expatriate basketball people in Mexico
- American expatriate basketball people in the Philippines
- American men's 3x3 basketball players
- American men's basketball players
- Baseball players from Montgomery County, Texas
- Basketball players from Texas
- Burlington Bees players
- Edmonton Cracker-Cats players
- Chiba Jets players
- Gonzaga Bulldogs men's basketball players
- Gulf Coast Royals players
- Japanese men's basketball players
- Japanese people of African-American descent
- Japan national 3x3 basketball team players
- Olympic 3x3 basketball players for Japan
- Osaka Evessa players
- Sportspeople from Corsicana, Texas
- People from Willis, Texas
- Philippine Basketball Association imports
- Phoenix Bears men's basketball players
- Power forwards
- Ryukyu Golden Kings players
- San Miguel Beermen players
- Shreveport Sports players
- Spokane Indians players
- Sun Rockers Shibuya players
- Toyama Grouses players
- Naturalised basketball players
- 21st-century American sportsmen
- Hiroshima Dragonflies players
- Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka players