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(While I am on hiatus for the next month, I am leaving behind six articles--(July 1) Jamie Brandon, the former King basketball star, (July 2) a Q&A on Los Angeles Dodgers general manager Ned Colletti, who grew up in the Chicago area, (July 3) thoughts about the 2010-11 basketball season, (July 4) the impact of head injuries to high school football players, (July 5) the rise and fall of Quincy basketball and (July 6) the release of my fourth book, "Dusty, Deek, and Mr. Do-Right: High School Football In Illinois. Please archive past articles. And enjoy the summer)
Twenty years ago, when a gallon of gas cost $1.16 and "Cheers" surpassed "60 Minutes" as the most watched show on television, Jamie Brandon was the most celebrated high school basketball player in Illinois.
"He was the Derrick Rose of his time, only with a better jump shot," said a former teammate.
"He was the Michael Jordan of high school basketball," a rival player said.
Brandon, a 6-4, 200-pound guard, was the leading scorer and rebounder on King's 32-0 team that swept city, state and mythical national championships in 1990. He was the Sun-Times Player of the Year. A rare three-time All-State selection, he became one of only five players in state history to score more than 3,000 points in his career.
Anyone who saw him play--from the time a year earlier when he dribbled across mid-court at UIC Pavilion and drained a 40-footer at the buzzer to beat South Shore in the Public League semifinals--acknowledged that he was an NBA star in the making. He was the stuff of legends, the next Cazzie Russell, Mark Aguirre or Isiah Thomas.
"That was the time of my life," Brandon recalled. "I was one of the elite players in Illinois history. Later, I was told if I stayed in college for one more year, I'd be a definite first-round pick in the NBA draft."
Then he was gone, like LaMarr Thomas, Raymond McCoy or Glen Grunwald, a celebrated player who never made it to the next level, for one reason or another.
Brandon's dream was to play at Illinois. To qualify academically, he was enrolled in a special bridge program in the summer. Inexplicably, he dropped out with one week remaining and the university's admissions office informed Illini coach Lou Henson that the youngster couldn't be accepted.
"I should have stayed in Champaign. That's where I really wanted to be, where my heart was," Brandon said. "But I got bad advice. I listened to the wrong people. But I was young and I made a mistake."
Instead, Brandon was persuaded by then LSU coach Dale Brown to join his program, which featured a rising star in Shaquille O'Neal. Brandon was a scorer but he became a passer in Brown's system. He played for three years, then decided to leave school early and applied for the NBA draft. It was another bad decision.
"I had a lot of fun playing at LSU with Dale Brown and Shaq (O'Neal)," Brandon said. "But it didn't work out for me. It was a new system and everything revolved around Shaq. So I decided to go to the NBA. If I had it to do over again, I'd have stayed in school.
"Some scouts said I would be chosen in the first round. I talked to Marty Blake (the NBA's chief scout) and he said I should stay in school for my last year, that if I did I would be a definite first-round pick. But if I came out early, he said I'd be picked in the second round or not at all.
"I decided to leave early. I wasn't drafted. He (Blake) was right and I was wrong. But I was young. We all make mistakes. We have to move on. It was a decision I made for myself and I had to deal with it."
King coach Landon Cox insists Brandon was black-balled by the NBA. Brandon and his white girlfriend got into a domestic dispute. She yelled "rape" and Brandon was arrested. Later, she recanted. They married, then divorced. But Brandon's life was forever changed.
He played overseas in France, Croatia and Finland. He also played in Honduras. He attended camps and workouts for teams in the CBA. Privately, he realized that his basketball career was over. Publicly, he refused to talk about it.
Ten years ago, when a newspaper reporter requested an interview, his mother said: "That part of his life is over. He doesn't have anything to do with basketball anymore. He doesn't want to talk about it."
Since then, Brandon has matured. "Once I got older, I started to realize about things that happened to me in the past. It wasn't hard to realize basketball was over. It was difficult to realize I had to take another avenue in life. That's difficult to understand when you are young," he said.
"I realized it was just a game, not my whole life. There are other things you can do to occupy your life. There are more important things to do than dribble a basketball. Finally, it didn't hurt anymore."
Today, Brandon serves as a basketball official for Public League and suburban games. He also organizes basketball camps for kids. He counsels them, reminding them of his life experiences. And he has renewed friendships with his old high school teammates, including Fred Sculfield, Johnny Selvie and Ahmad Shareef.
"What do I tell the kids today?" he said. "The main thing is to get your books, get a good education and keep your GPA (grade-point average) up. Stay in school, stay out of the streets and listen to your family. Don't listen to people in the streets, to people who want to buy you a pair of shoes.
"Remember, your family will have your back, whether you make it or not. Get your college degree. It will take you a long way. If you don't have a degree, what will you have to fall back on? Believe me, I know how it feels. Yes, 1990 was the time of my life, a lot of fun, a lot of great experiences, a lot of awards. But it's over now. You have to move on with your life."
Cell Phone Alerts
JAMIE BRANDON WASN'T 6 FEET 4 INCHES TALL!
HE WAS A GREAT HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL PLAYER, HE PLAYED WITH MARCUS LIBERTY, MARCUS WAS A SENIOR AND JAMIE WAS A FRESHMAN, HE SORT OF FITS IN WITH AMARI SAWYER AND RONNIE FIELDS, THEY JUST COULD NOT GET OVER THE HUMP TO PLAY IN THE NBA!
TO THEIR CREDIT THEY DID PACK GYMS ALL OVER THE CITY OF CHICAGO, THEY WERE HIGH SCHOOL PHENOMS, AND PEOPLE PAID MONEY TO SEE THEM PLAY, THEY WERE WINNERS, THEY PUT ALOT OF TROPHIES IN THEIR SCHOOLS!
RONNIE FIELDS AND SAWYER STILL PLAY PROFESSIONAL BASKETBALL!
Those who don't know or don't want to know, Jamie Brandon was the real deal. I've been watching prep basketball in the state and Chicago area for the last 30 years and he is in my top 3 as the best high school basketball players I've seen from the state. Period!! The other two were Marcus Liberty and ben Wilson. A lot of other players get higher praise because of what they did in college like Isiah, Aguirre, Cummings, Rivers, etc. but these players were not better than Jamie Brandon in HIGH SCHOOL. I will say it again, in HIGH SCHOOL. How many players in the state has won a state title and score over 3,000 points? I believe Jon Scheyer is the only other player to match that accomplishment. Isiah, Aguirre, Cummings never won state titles, I could be wrong.
Garnett and Fields never won state titles. Jamie Brandon reminded me of Mitch Richmond. He had that kind of game.
I hope kids take Jamie's words to heart. Get your degree - basketball, fun, and games don't last forever....
ignoring the perpetual shouting by Phil Smith directed at the rest of us (caps lock dude, for the 578th time)
"But I got bad advice. I listened to the wrong people."
seems like this is a sentence that could be uttered by a lot of CPL kids over the past 20 or 30 years. no? but at least it sounds like he is slowly getting his act together.
In a recent conversation with Mr. Bell, I told him I was definitely going to weigh in on the blog dedicated to Jamie Brandon, despite promising my family I would not talk about work until after September 1st.
First, many people have talked about the upcoming future stardom of the kids "ranked" for 2010, '11 and '13. However, I'll say this, none of those kids will have as great of an impact on the history of the greatest high school players in Illinois history as Jamie Brandon had- a former King High star & schoolboy All-American.
First, the best high school basketball class produced on any level, whether in Chicago, Illinois or the Nation; as was showcased in 1979, period!
To me, since then, Jamie Brandon more so than even... Derrick Rose; is the one player who would hold his own as a player with the Class of '79.
Why?
In many ways, one could argue that Jamie was a slender version of Mark Aguirre, just with more winner's hardware, and without as good of a long range jump shot.
I was told by New York City native Kenny Anderson, a former schoolyard & high school legend, who dominated the college basketball landscape by leading Georgia Tech to a Final 4 appearance and finishing that year recognized as an unanimous "Freshman Player Of The Year" in 1989-90, said this about Jamie:
"If Jamie would have come to GT (Georgia Tech), he would have averaged at least 20 a game his freshman year. I felt he would have fit right in to our spread out, three-point shooting playing style, and I would have loved to play with him."
I know, deep down inside, Jamie wished things would have turn out differently for him, but; he has a lot to offer kids in the city and those who attend CPS schools. I am hoping to see him continue to do great things in giving back, such as; as continuing in running his own camps for youngsters.
He knows, I believe and know his story is not over... He'll use his legacy as a player to reach and teach kids in a very profound way, and; I look forward to being a part of it.
Jamie Brandon is one of the greatest of the "best-of-the-best" to play in Illinois, in any era.
Curtis K. Jackson Sr.
Jamie was a real treat to watch. he dominated as one of the first 4 year starters with a huge impact. In my opinion, the best combo guard in the history of the state of Illinois. 3 trips downstate when only one chicago team could go. The all time leading scorer in the history of the chicago public league. the chips didn't fall his way to go pro, but I respect him for saying all of the right things for youngsters. "Stay in school". He had all of the tools to be a pro. A real money player and a killer in crunch time.
I was able to watch Jamie Brandon play at King more than a few times. I grew up watching Oscar Robertson play for the University of Cincinnati and the Royals. I know it is not a like for like comparison, but Brandon always reminded me of Oscar.
Jaime had skills galore offensively, he was as close to unstoppable as I have seen in high school basketball, he completely dominated games, great feel for the game, great understanding of the game, would take over a game anytime, made his team mates better players. In all the Public league hype over the 28 years I have lived in Chicago, Brandon was one of the few who was better than the hype.
Jamie Brandon is another example of former King Coach Landon Cox's - he was overhyped, overrated, underskilled for a major college guard, with no solid "skills", just a physical scorer with no real jump shot. This is the King legacy from '82 until Cox retired.When he could not cheat and bend the transfer rules, Cox couldn't win and his players for the most part failed as a whole.
jchaney
Jamie was NOT OVERRATED. He would dominate on both ends and make it look EASY at the same time.
I remember watching King demolish Collins in the public league playoffs. Jamie was a man amongst boys.
His senior year he shot 45 3pters and make 33 of them. And he had NO problem passing (even though Landon Cox yelled at him for passing the ball).
He could have played in ANY era and been the same dominant force. Paired with Selvie, Shareff and R. Griffith (Rashard was a freshie), they were plain and simply unstoppable.
That year, Philadelphia's SIMON GRATZ had a good squad led by Rasheed Griffith that was ranked #1. King had already beat CHRIST The KING from New York that had 2 North Carolina recruits (D. Phelps and I can't remember the other) and King walked over them. I mention this because Christ the KING played Simon gratz to a standstill, and Gratz won in the last seconds.
King, AND Jamie Brandon, are legends - period. If you knew Chicago Basketball back then, and you say anything different, you are a miserable hater.
And I didn't even go to King.
Jamie is the best combo guard in the history of the Chicago Public League. Christ the King had Khalid Reeves and Derrick Phelps (both went pro from Kentucky and North Carolina) that year. I remember the game when Jamie took over as Chicago King beat them. He has more points than anyone in CPS history, but could also play D. Enough said!
i saw jamie brandon play in springfield at the prairie capitol convention center against my school calvery acadamy with our all state phenom in rennie clemons..i remember it being a great game but calvary was way over matched. king had such a great team that year in 89'...it was a very hyped game with the #1 player in the contry,brandon, against the sixth best player in rennie clemons..with brandon and clemons pictured to be teamates all illinois...man those were the days..
he was used just as all the other players at king and simeon
Jamie Brandon was good, real good, the best guard i saw the last 25 years that I have watched basketball. He would have showed the doubters how good he was providing he had the right opportunity. He was young and made the wrong college choice. That choice can make or break a youngster, and it did. But how many of us know the right and wrong school at 17. Anyone who knows basketball knows Jamie Brandon was a great talent and belonged playing at the highest level. Steven Bardo once described Jamie Brandon as "a man among boys". Lets not forget that Jamie Brandon played pick up ball with the illini basketball team of the late 80's. How many people get a call from Michael Jordan to come play ball with him?
The best high school guard I have seen in person I played against him at the bc camp in Indiana 1988-89
I first seen Jamie Brandon his freshman year at King, and he had the best shooting touch I've seen in high school basketball ,but the best I can not say as for player Ben Wilson was the complete package. I feel Brandon was the benefit of the first Chicago schools super team so the fact that he won so many state championships maybe a little curved his way with 5 D1 players on his team, Brandon weakness was his speed and quickness, I always felt because of his size in high school and ball handling with that deadly jumpshot it cover up the biggest adjustment players have to succeed in the next level and that's speed and length, and though he said he became a passer in college, when I went to see him play against Kentucy the length and speed from the Wildcats affected his point production. Ben Wilson was a the total package, Tim Hardaway has no help, even tho he still dropped 30 on Ben Wilson and Tim Bankston's soon to be Simeon 1st state champs, also Roosevelt high the late Chuck Taylor with no help this guy average 40 points a game "85". Ronnie Fields was good I think his Basketball IQ was the only set back, and Hersey Hawkins of Westinghouse was also a better player but didn't have the support as Brandon, and I can't forget Donnie Boyce of Proviso West if he'd stayed healthy,remember Mike Finley was a teammate of his, who later won the high school one on one competition. So was Brand the Greatest Chicago High School Basketball Player, I say no but maybe the best shooter.
Are you kidding me? Jamie was the best High School player hands down. He had all the tools. HE started at King right after his eigth grade graduation which is no cape walk considering Marcus Liberty and a host of others had just won the state title a year before. Each year he got better and better. He could have easily been MR.Basketball in Illinois three years straight. It was times where he literly played one on five. I watched all of this first hand from the bench. I was a jaguar from 89-91 when we went 32-0 and won the national title we all knew it was because of #23 J.B.By the way I also watched him beat Ronnie Fields in a one on one when Ronnie was the uprise and Jamie was in the decline. Yo boy Marc Winters a.k.a Chinny West.
Ronnie Fields and Amari Sawyer were not even close to being in the same class of player as Jamie Brandon! He was Ben Wilson, and Nick Anderson talented. Derrick Rose was not nearly as good as Brandon was at that stage. Leaving Illinois and going down south doomed his career. Everyone knows the Southern women like to feed their men and the Brandon that stepped on the court for LSU was not the Brandon that left Chicago or U of I for that matter. He was at least 20lbs heavier and it was not muscle. I barely recognized him. He could no longer do the athletic things he did in high school. All of Chicago hurt when he left that bridge program in Champaign. I remember him saying that he would score more points than Shaq and he was not bragging, he had the goods to do it. If Ronnie Fields was any good (or had a jump shot) he and Kevin Garnett would have won a state title. He had KG, who for some strange reason kept giving him the ball and he bricked them right out of a championship. I remember Mr. Brandon, and he could jump out of the gym like Fields but he had a deadly NBA range jump shot in high school! He was about 6'1" and played like he was 6'4". If only Chicago High School players would go to U of I again. We would win National Championships every other year. Keep teaching the kids Mr. Brandon. That is what it is all about.
Jamie was an unreal basketball player, naturally gifted beyond his years.
We called him "Tick" because he got so much playing time on the court as a high-school freshman.
I recall once in a while he would be in the gym before the team practice, as the last gym class was finishing for the the day, us scrubs would stay a try to get a glimpse of the team. Jamie would always show up early, and this day he starting shooting jumpers before Cox could kick out anyone who wasn't on the team.
As he started putting them up, first from the 3 pt line all you could hear was swish, swish, swish, swish, one after another. I said to him, you too close, he looked at me with the boyish smile, stepped out bounds to side left of the court and swish, swish, swish, over and over again.
I was like dang, this dude is un-real.
In games "Tick" did what ever he wanted to, Cox would yell out "Red, Red, Red" and Jamie would either create a shot or hit Liberty or Selvie for an easy bucket.
As much as King was well known in the state and nationally, they were looked at the "evil empire" of HS Basketball at the time, and this scar may have effected Jamie as much as any thing else.
The teams he played on were stacked, but that just tells you how good he really was, because he competed with the best everyday in practice, so the games sort of became a let down, he again could do anything he wanted on the court without any HS players outside of the ones he played with having a chance to stop him.
Simeon was the darling of the city and rightfully so, but they stood no chance with the power-house King had built. Which led to resentments from other teams and coaches, again somewhat justified.
Jamie's wanted to follow Liberty to Illinois and when Liberty's relationship didn't go as charted, Jamie became suspect. IMO, Lou wanted to make sure the program would stay top ten and to make sure Jamie would not leave early for the NBA. Already academically on the hinge, Jamie made a tough call, that at the time would have been ok, had he not shown up at LSU around the same time as this kid named "Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf" AKA Chris Jackson who was simply lights out even compared to Jamie.
Jackson set an NCAA freshman scoring record, averaging 30.2 points per game.
We love you Jamie, you provided so many great memories in Illinois HS Basketball, not many better in the history of the state.
Who can ever forget the shot to win City at the Buzzer, priceless?
God Bless, and keep up the good work.
Lil tick...
I remember jamie Brandon,he went to LSU,where they had Chris Jackson and Shack.He was a score,on a team with Shack and Roberts,two seven footers,the funny thing is,King High School also had two sevenn footers,Griffith and Thomas. Brandon was given thr wrong advice,and got jungle fever.Two bad concepts,he forgot where he was.
jamie was the best i had ever seen in high school basketball in chicago. He was a man among boys because he made it look as though it was easy everytime he took the court. He is truly the best that many never saw play in the pros.
Jamie Brandon was Mr. Illinois in my opinion you can't mention high school basketball in this state without saying his name. I grew up in the same hood with Ahmad Shareef and Fred Sculfield so basketball was all i knew their King squad was very dominant. Jamie should have went to Illinois and like someone else said if our talent stays here we would be like the Duke BlueDevils every year. That Johnny Selvie had one of the best post games i had ever seen and Ahmad Shareef was very smooth and a great Pitt standout. I remember Thomas Hamilton and Richard Williams playing against Simeon with Ben Topee that was a great game. Man i miss the 90's......
Jamie was the man in Chicago H.S. basketball in the late 80's early 90's. So gifted and talented, a primetime performer who embraced the spotlight. Unfortunately we all make mistakes and must be held accountable.
I know for a fact he could have made it to the next level and succeeded. He wasn't just a great player, he had the confidence that he knew he was the best on the floor! I wish him well in his future endeavors, and keep sharing your experiences with the kids (each one needs to teach one!)