[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 99 (Tuesday, July 17, 2001)]
[Senate]
[Page S7802]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS

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    PRAISE FOR GEORGIA'S KWAME BROWN ON BEING NBA'S NUMBER ONE DRAFT

 Mr. MILLER. Mr. President, every one of us has a life story. 
Every person is a book, and I would like to tell you about one young 
man from the state of Georgia who is beginning a new chapter in his.
  Kwame Brown has known adversity since the age of 5, when his parents 
split up for good and he landed in a shelter with his mother and 
siblings for 10 months. With the help of relatives, Kwame and his 
family got out of that shelter and things got better--but not by much. 
Kwame's mother, Joyce, raised him and his seven siblings by herself in 
Brunswick, GA, supporting the family by cleaning hotel rooms. That job 
ended in 1993 when a back injury and other health problems left Ms. 
Brown unable to work. Since then, the family has scraped by on a 
monthly disability check and a few extra dollars from babysitting. 
Their mode of transportation: a bicycle. Such adversity would break 
most families, but not Kwame Brown's family.
  With the help of a church mentor, Kwame and his siblings became 
focused and set goals for themselves. Kwame decided he wanted to be a 
better student and a better basketball player. Through his faith and 
many hours of hard work, Kwame improved his grades so much that he 
landed on the honor roll at Brunswick's Glynn Academy. And now he has 
achieved something that no other person in this country ever has.
  On June 27, 2001, 19-year-old Kwame became the first high school 
player ever to be picked as the No. 1 draft in the NBA. This young man 
who once lived in a neighborhood so poor it was nicknamed ``The 
Bottom'' has pulled himself up to the very top.
  At 6-feet-11 inches tall and 240 pounds, Kwame averaged 20.1 points, 
13.3 rebounds and 5.8 blocked shots as a senior last year at Glynn 
Academy; he scored 1,539 career points. His exceptional talent has 
given rise to a number of awards. He was named to McDonald's All-
America Team and USA Today's All-USA First team. He was also Georgia's 
High School Player of the Year.
  Kwame Brown is not only a star on the court. His off-the-court life 
is just as exemplary. Even though he went against his mother's wishes 
in postponing plans to attend the University of Florida, Kwame believes 
that his decision to enter the NBA will allow him to give his family a 
better life than they have ever known. And he has promised his mother 
and himself that he will still get that college education. First, he 
wants to give his mother something she has never had: the keys to a 
brand new home.
  Basketball legend Michael Jordan, who is part-owner of the Wizards, 
called Kwame ``a confident kid who understands his surroundings . . . 
He comes from a family where nothing has been given to him. He has 
gotten this far with hard work and a little dreaming.''
  I am honored to recognize Kwame Brown, a young man who is not only a 
talented athlete, but also humble, wise and mature beyond his years. I 
look forward to this new chapter in Kwame's life with great 
anticipation. I know his will be a fascinating story with a wonderful 
ending.

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