Jevon Brown is a 6’5″ guard who is currently signed to the Brampton Honey Badgers of the CEBL. While extremely talented on the court, Jevon is also blessed with talent in many different areas including education and music. He is a true example of how athletes can be multi-talented and are more than just basketball players. He is a firm believer in hard work, and keeps his faith strong and at the forefront, while always remaining grateful. He describes himself as willing, hard-working, and an “Onion” stating that with his many layers, he might cry in certain situations due to his genetic makeup, but also may be amazed at what he sees deep down inside.
His basketball top three are the late, great Kobe Bryant, Steve Nash and Paul George. His favourite ways to unwind after a game are enjoying a home-cooked meal and talking amongst close friends. He defines success as being able to be uncomfortable at times, having the ability to have tough conversations and the willingness to do the “dirty work” which gives you the upper hand as not everyone is willing to be uncomfortable for long periods of time to get to their end goal.
“I’m from Toronto but have been in America since high school,” said Brown. “I got the highest GPA when I graduated. I won a national championship in Chattanooga, TN with Southwest Christian Academy in Little Rock, AR. I then went to Texas for JUCO, all-conference honorable mention, all-academic, and got my associate’s degree. I was granted a Division 1 scholarship in New York and played at Binghamton University for a year. I won an OUA title in 2021 with Brock University (Badgers) when I transferred.”
“I tore my patella tendon, rehabbed, prayed. I went to the national tournament two out of the three years I have been at Brock University including this year, and had a great season, which has been a blessing. We knocked out Carleton (Ravens) and Ottawa (Gee-Gees) in the postseason, in the first round, which hasn’t been done since the early 2000s. I was a leading scorer on my team. I try to be the spark plug in any way I can, whether it’s energy or advice”
“I love my young boys on my team at Brock University. Straight grit and hunger along with skill, they truly are up next! The fact that I get to instill knowledge and things that I never knew at that age is really something special to me because I honestly want better for them, and for them not to make the same mistakes I did”
Many athletes have talents and interests outside of basketball that most people may not know, and Brown is no different. One of his many talents is music. Recently, he performed the national anthem at a Honey Badgers home game, which was well received as people enjoyed seeing one of the players from the team being able to open up the game with the national anthem and showcase another side of his talent.
“I perform at concerts with my brother, singing R&B covers and originals we make,” said Brown “Performing across the GTA, Brampton, Toronto and more. Musical people tend to represent better!”
Another thing that is very important to Brown and represents who he is, is his faith. He is a follower of Jesus Christ and always lets his faith shine through.
“I keep God close to my heart and understand that everything happens for a reason. That what is yours will be yours, and everything that you don’t get in life or miss out on, wasn’t yours. You know, because you’re in store for much greater things. You just have to keep working and stay in your own lane and not watch what others are doing and getting because that’s when you’ll eventually crash”
Apart from his many talents, Jevon stands out in his own right. Always displaying and making it clear how much basketball means to him and being ready and willing to put in the work
“What sets me apart from others is that I care,” said Brown, “I will genuinely do whatever it takes to win – playing injured, making the right pass, hitting a game-winner as I did against Guelph University this past season. I can’t really speak for others, but this is everything to me. This is all I ever wanted to do in life, is play basketball and set my family and me up for generations. This could be just fun for others, but this has been my unpaying job since I was 13 years old. I would like all my volunteer work by the grace of God to pay off, so I can continue to grow and inspire”
Brown also accomplished another major milestone when he was able to go pro right out of university and sign with Brampton.
“The load is a bit different compared to university basketball,” said Brown. “We aren’t on our feet as much, more situational stuff, more about understanding concepts rather than reps with contact. Reps are more apparent in our individuals, but being a part of the Honey Badgers organization has been eye opening. I’ve gained a lot of wisdom and have gone through a number of experiences that will help me a lot in life. The staff is amazing; the arena is amazing, I am just grateful to be a part of a professional league right after graduating from university”
While every hooper dreams of going pro, it also can come with a lot to prove and high expectations. It can also come with attention – good and bad, that can have a huge impact on an athlete if not channeled correctly.
“I try to remember that basketball is a game, and that it’s fun,” said Brown. “But also understanding that I have to take every possession seriously because of the level that I’m playing at and mostly because of my respect for the game. I put too many years into this. I didn’t spend all these years being constantly overlooked whereas in the present where I’ve trained hard enough, to now be able to put the ball on the floor to not take this game seriously. Continuing to prove people wrong by doing me unapologetically with God on my side”
“I understand that no matter what you do in life, good or bad, someone, somewhere will always have something negative to say. Which ultimately tells me to be myself no matter what in any given situation, in a professional way.”
With all of the work and dedication that Brown has put into this game that he loves so much, he continues to build a legacy for himself and his family and has a clear answer on how he wants his career to be remembered.
“Where I come from, I just want to be remembered, basketball-wise, as a Toronto legend,” said Brown. “I want to be remembered career-wise as someone who didn’t come up with a silver spoon, wasn’t handed anything, but was still able to keep his nose down, stay humble, and do all the right things. I did well in school, built, and maintained good relationships. By playing with a chip on my shoulder, I made it to the point where I was able to get my family out of the hood, being known as a good person”
“Learning from older people, being a sponge and constantly checking myself when I was in the wrong (which was 90% of the time). I want to be remembered as someone who didn’t ultimately care about making everyone happy, but instead stayed true, loved the game, made mistakes, and failed, but kept going and tried to do things in God’s favour and in his image. Hopefully, that will show kids in the future that anything is possible with God on their side” Joshua 1:9 “It also helps when you’re a bucket too!”
Brown has stayed on the grind his entire life playing the game that he loves. While he knows that it is a game, and it may be just that to others, but it’s also everything to him. It’s what he wants to do professionally for as long as he can for not just himself, but for those around him. He is dedicated, confident, God-fearing and talented in basketball and beyond, and in the words of Brown, “I wasn’t anyone special until I made everything I did special.”
