John Brown, the power forward of Monaco, spoke to Basketball Sphere about the course of the season so far in the EuroLeague, the rivalry with Olympiacos, the reasons for losing to that team in the Final Four a few months ago, and he also touched on the upcoming duel with Partizan.
All championship teams are generally built by clearly dividing the roles – it is known who can lead the game with points, who is there to make every shot difficult for the rival, who is the leader, who brings additional energy from the bench… Problems arise when individuals are not ready to subordinate themselves to the team for the sake of some higher goals, when they don’t want to accept that individual statistics “suffer” because of all that.
John Brown is not that case. Since he started playing basketball at a more serious level, he has been one of the main options in the offense for most of his career. From the University of High Point Panthers, where he was a dominant scorer for four years, to very successful episodes in Italy, the second division Virtus Roma and Treviso, the elite rank and Brindisi, all the way to UNICS, where he shone the most.
“John Brown effect” – Monaco forced it’s rivals to make the most turnovers
During all that time, Brown, along with excellent offensive games, was equally good on the other side of the court. He became known for his high number of steals. Later, in one of the interviews, he will call this ability art, and it is precisely this that will lead him to the situation where he is now fighting for the highest goals in Europe.
In UNICS, Brown averaged 2.8 steals in 25 games in addition to 10.3 points per game in the EuroLeague, before the Russian clubs were suspended due to the political situation. After a short period spent in Brescia, where he finished that season, it was clear that a big step forward in his career was waiting for him. Positioned as one of the best power forwards, Brown chose Monaco and signed a two-year contract with them in the summer of 2022.
It was clear to him that his role would have to change when it came to offensive performance. It was logical that the team with Mike James, Jordan Loyd and Elie Okobo needed a defensive addition due to the balance. One of those additions was Brown. Much more defense-oriented, he contributed to Monaco reaching the Final Four, and the fact that Sasa Obradovic’s team forced the rivals to make the most turnovers last season shows how well that side of the court worked.
,,Olympiacos? We were pis*ed off!”
![john brown](https://basketballsphere.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/john-brown.jpg)
This season, the situation is similar (fourth according to that parameter). After a slightly weaker start, the team from Fontvielle caught the rhythm and they are in third position with a score of 7-4. And again, Brown plays a notable role – with 7.5 points, four rebounds and 1.2 steals, he brings the necessary stability to the team, which faces a very demanding task against Partizan in the “Stark Arena” in the next round (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m.).
After losing to Valencia and Virtus in the first two rounds, things were not ideal. Then followed the win over Crvena Zvezda, so that in the last round, Obradovic’s team managed to get revenge on Olympiacos for the heavy defeat in last season’s semi-finals, when they allowed Monaco only two points in the third quarter. At the beginning of the conversation with Basketball Sphere, Brown described the course of the season so far, with reference to the last duel and the rivalry with Olympiacos.
“I wouldn’t say we are satisfied, it’s okay for now. After two consecutive defeats at the start, we were not too disappointed. We understand each other and it was only necessary to regroup. We entered the match against Olympiacos very determined. We changed, we were pi*sed off! Had a different mindset and were tougher, much more team-oriented. It’s a real rivalry indeed. We will see how deep it is, when we go to Piraeus, how the fans will welcome us. I’m looking forward to it,” said Brown.
![Facundo Campazzo](https://basketballsphere.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/yFdCdDId-1024x576.jpg)
“We got comfortable against the wrong team in the Final Four”
Monaco, step by step, has become one of the best teams in Europe, and Brown’s decision to strengthen that squad a year and a half ago was not a difficult one.
“Financially, I was not satisfied with other offers. That’s an aspect I took into account because I’m still young and it’s Monaco, so it wasn’t a negative decision.”
Reaching the Final Four was a historic success. This team is proof of how much the EuroLeague has changed in the last few seasons. Primarily, when it comes to competition, but also some other things.
“The game is much tougher, there are many equal teams. It seems that everyone is “hungrier”, more determined. Everyone has something to prove to themselves.”
Monaco proved last season that they can handle the giants of European basketball, even though they are a relatively young project. They were within reach of the finals of the EuroLeague, after 20 minutes of play they led 41:29 against Olympiacos in the semi-finals, only for the already described scenario to follow.
“We had a big lead at halftime, and we got comfortable against the wrong team. They had MVP Sasha Vezenkov, Kostas Sloukas, players who can play defense and make shots at the same time. I hope something like that will not happen to us. We learned that we never won until we won (laughs).”
“I haven’t met anyone who I thought ‘man, he’s kicking my a*s'”
Monaco sees in Brown one of the most important parts of the team, which defensively should contribute to the new fight for the highest ranking, and the power forward really enjoys that role.
“It’s something I want to do. It doesn’t matter to me if I score one point or 11, as long as I’m up to par defensively, I’m fine. Of course, you have to anticipate things, you have to study the game, you have to improve how quickly you can react. I try to look three, or four steps ahead. When we’re watching a video, I’m committed to the details. You need to train your focus and mind to do it at a high level and constantly. After all, I get paid for it. If I didn’t do that, I’d be out of a job (laughs).”
For Monaco’s player, no scorer represents an unsolvable problem.
“I haven’t met him yet. I’ve never met someone who I thought ‘man, he’s kicking my a*s’. I’d like that to happen, I always tell my teammates that I’m looking for that type of guy. Did I see someone who was causing me problems from possession to possession? I didn’t. I play against everyone the same. If you’re not a shooter, I’ll defend you like you are, like you can do anything. I’m not burdened by the fact that someone can do this or that, it’s the same with everyone”.
“The fans are the biggest strength of Partizan”
![](https://basketballsphere.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/john-brown-1.jpg)
Brown will now have the opportunity to face one of the best offensive teams in the elite competition, which includes players like Kevin Punter, Zach LeDay, James Nunnally, P. J. Dozier…
“I have never beaten Partizan. From the EuroCup, the EuroLeague… It’s really hard for me. I hope to fulfill that personal goal. Man, that atmosphere… It just brings something out of me. I enjoy playing there. I had great fans in Italy, but it was my second year in Europe. I can only imagine the energy and strength that comes from Partizan fans. For us, who are on the other side, it all takes away energy.”
After that, the power forward highlighted what makes Partizan quality.
“The fans are their greatest strength, they push them over the limit, which sometimes even the players don’t think they can reach. Having fans like that really helps a lot. Of course, they also have excellent scorers, many solid players, mobile. Collectively, it’s a good team. It’s not just a single player thing. Of course, Punter is top-notch, but watching their games, I can tell that they stick together even when the going gets tough.”
“I don’t think about the Defensive Player of the Year anymore”
Historically, Monaco does not have a good record with black and white. They played only twice last season and both times the team of Zeljko Obradovic was better. The second clash and win away was especially significant for Partizan, which secured their place in the playoffs. Brown stated what should be changed for his team to have more chances to win.
“When we go to Belgrade, we worry about too many things that we cannot control – about the fans, the referee’s criteria, whether it will be fair. That’s our problem. We have to think that whatever happens, happens. We don’t need to pay attention to the fans and referees. We just have to think about the game. That’s the key”
Brown’s team and personal goals coincide and complement each other.
“We want to progress. We’ve been to the Final Four, now we’re aiming for the Finals. We are trying to get better as a team. We kept everything from last season, so the atmosphere is very good. I was chasing the Defensive Player of the Year award at the start of the season, but I don’t know what’s going on behind it all.
When you’re watching a game, that’s one thing. However, when you look at blocks and steals, I may not be among the best in that category. What is it, there it is. I don’t think about it now. Some things are not seen in the statistics. It’s okay if I win the award, it’s okay if I don’t,” John Brown concluded the conversation with Basketball Sphere.