Arena Electric as 36ers Debutant RJ Brown Jr Hits Buzzer-Beater
Sixteen-year-old Adelaide 36ers point guard Raheim "RJ" Brown Jr hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer 73 seconds into his NBL debut, in a 28-point win over Illawarra. He called the arena electric, and his father said the whole of Adelaide felt it.
Adelaide 36ers point guard Raheim "RJ" Brown Jr, 16, hit a buzzer-beating three-pointer on his NBL debut against Illawarra at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, leaving the arena electric in a 28-point home win.
Brown Jr had been on court for just 73 seconds when the shot went in. He turned 16 a week before the game.
The 36ers have put together an epic three-year run of 46 consecutive sellout games. Few crowds in that stretch have been louder, with more than 10,000 inside.
'My ears were ringing'
"It was a crazy moment to hit the shot," Brown Jr told ABC Sport. "It was electric in the arena. My ears were ringing after. The fans were crazy."
The call-up caught him off guard. "It was totally a surprise. I was just waiting for my opportunity and when the coach put me in I tried to make the most of it," he said.
His parents, Coco and Raheim Brown Senior, watched from the stands. Brown Snr said the family had been at every game as fans and never knew when the moment would come, but "RJ was prepared for it".
"Once he got out there and hit the shot I was electrified like the whole of Adelaide was," Brown Snr said. "It was a really proud moment."
Youngest signing in 44 years
Brown Jr is a Year 10 student. He made headlines across the basketball world in September, when, aged 15, he became the youngest player signed by an NBL club in 44 years.
He now sits behind John Horder and Craig Viney among the league's youngest debutants. Both played at 15 years and 8 months old.
He came through the Adelaide 36ers High Performance Schools Program, which works across numerous metropolitan schools including Woodville High. He then moved into the NBL1, averaging 20 points per game for West Adelaide's senior reserves side. He appeared nine times for the Bearcats.
Learning from Cotton and Gleeson
At the 36ers he trains and learns alongside six-time MVP Bryce Cotton and five-time championship coach Trevor Gleeson.
"Pre-game warm ups, going through plays, they're all super locked in. They all take care of their body," Brown Jr said.
The jump in level has been obvious to him. "The biggest thing is the pace of the game. It's a lot faster than NBL1, or under-18s."
What next for Adelaide
The 36ers will be hoping the win becomes a catalyst for their season. They sit fifth with a 6-6 record.
Winger Flynn Cameron, who is injured, is likely to return for the next game against Melbourne United. New recruit Bul Kuol is due to be unveiled in December.
