Ira Brown
No. 50 – Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka | |||||||||||||||
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Position | Power forward | ||||||||||||||
League | B.League | ||||||||||||||
Personal information | |||||||||||||||
Born | Corsicana, Texas, U.S. | August 3, 1982||||||||||||||
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: Corsicana, Texas | August 3, 1982|
Bats: Right Throws: 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
[edit]Brown grew up in Corsicana, Texas, in a three-bedroom house along with "roughly 15 relatives."[1][2] The house burned down in a fire, forcing him to relocate to another home, though he often stayed with friends.[1] When he was 14 years old, Brown moved in with his former youth baseball coach, Earl Mitchell, in Conroe, Texas.[1] He was eventually adopted by Mitchell.[1]
College career
[edit]Brown began his college career at Phoenix College before transferring to Gonzaga in 2007.
Professional career
[edit]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).[3]
On October 2, 2024, Brown signed with the Hiroshima Dragonflies of the B.League.[4] On November 10, his contract was expired.[5]
On November 14, 2024, Brown signed with the Rizing Zephyr Fukuoka.[6]
The Basketball Tournament
[edit]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.[7]
National team career
[edit]He became a Japanese citizen after extensive language testing and a waiting period which took two years. As of 2018, he resides in Okinawa.[8]
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.[9]
He played 3x3 basketball for Japan in the 2021 Olympics.[1][2]
Baseball career
[edit]Brown was drafted in 2001 by the Kansas City Royals, and played in the minors for five years.[10]
Career statistics
[edit]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
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Meehan, Jim. "Former Gonzaga forward Ira Brown charts unique path to Olympic Games". The Spokesman-Review. Retrieved 2022-06-09.
- ^ a b "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.
External links
[edit]- 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