Single parenting didn’t stop Malcolm Brown from giving Moses the best opportunities.
Highlights
- Malcolm Brown, Moses’s father, made significant sacrifices as a single parent, including quitting his job to support his son’s basketball career full-time after gaining sole custody when Moses was nine years old.
- The Brown family has basketball in their blood, with Malcolm playing center in junior college.
- They lived in the same Queens neighborhood as basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
- Despite facing housing challenges and personal losses (including the death of Moses’s grandmother), the strong family foundation helped Moses develop not just basketball skills but also the humility and work ethic that supported his journey from high school star to NBA player.
Moses Shirief-Lamar Brown, born on October 13, 1999, has established himself as a notable presence in professional basketball.
The American center, who stands at an impressive 7-foot-2-inch, most recently played for the Dallas Mavericks in the National Basketball Association (NBA).
Brown’s journey to the professional league began at UCLA, where he played college basketball for one season before declaring for the 2019 NBA draft.
Brown’s basketball prowess was evident early on, earning him the prestigious McDonald’s All-American honor as a high school senior in 2018.
During his brief but impactful college career, he secured a Pac-12 Conference All-Freshman Team spot.
Though going undrafted in 2019, Brown persevered, signing a two-way contract with the Portland Trail Blazers for his rookie season.
His NBA journey continued with the Oklahoma City Thunder, where he initially played on a two-way deal before earning a multi-year standard contract.
Brown’s career has taken him through multiple teams, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, and Indiana Pacers, showcasing his resilience and determination in professional basketball.
Moses’s Life Changed When His Parents Separated, And His Father Gained Sole Custody
The story of Moses Brown’s rise in basketball cannot be told without highlighting the profound influence of his parents, Malcolm Brown and Wanda Williams.
Born in New York City, Moses inherited not just his father’s impressive height but also a deep connection to basketball heritage.
Malcolm Brown, who stands 6 feet 7 inches tall, contributed his own basketball experience to his son’s development, having played as a center in junior college.
This firsthand knowledge of the game provided Moses with an invaluable foundation.
However, Malcolm’s contribution to his son’s life extends far beyond basketball fundamentals.
The father-son relationship took a significant turn when Malcolm gained sole custody of Moses when the boy was just nine years old.
This moment marked the beginning of an inseparable bond that would shape Moses’s character both on and off the court.
As a single parent, Malcolm faced numerous challenges but remained steadfastly committed to providing the best possible environment for his son. Malcolm recounted,
“After I got custody, someone illegally stole the house that we lived in. We moved to The Bronx, where the living conditions weren’t the best. Me being a carpenter, I did the best I could do. I hooked it up with Sheetrock and painted it, so that when the ACS people came, they would see that Moses had a decent place to stay.”
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Recognizing the need for better living conditions as Moses grew older, Malcolm made the significant decision to use his annuity money to relocate them to Queens, moving into a home previously owned by his father.
This move provided stability and allowed Malcolm’s mother to assist with raising Moses, who was already showing promise as a basketball prospect in his freshman year of high school.
Life presented another challenge in September 2016 when Malcolm’s mother passed away.
Faced with the prospect of raising Moses alone, Malcolm made perhaps his most selfless sacrifice – quitting his job to become a full-time parent. Malcolm explained,
“Cooking, cleaning, washing—I’m just making sure he’s 100 percent right when he steps out that door. It’s been hard and we’ve had to sacrifice a lot.”
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Moses acknowledges his father’s unwavering support:
“He’s always there and drives me everywhere.”
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The Brown family’s connection to basketball runs deeper than most realize.
They hail from the same Hollis, Queens neighborhood that produced basketball legend Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Malcolm revealed that their residence is approximately seven blocks from where Abdul-Jabbar lived, and they frequented many of the same parks growing up.
The father-son basketball connection manifested in frequent one-on-one games at a local park on Hollis Avenue, where they would sometimes play until 2 a.m.
These games continued until Moses’s sophomore year in high school when an unfortunate incident occurred during play. Malcolm shared,
“I got elbowed in the mouth and I told myself, ‘I can’t afford to miss more teeth.'”
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This lighthearted anecdote illuminates not just Moses’s growing physical prowess but also the close, playful relationship between father and son.
While less information is available about Moses’s mother, Wanda Williams, her contribution to his life remains an important part of his story.
Together with Malcolm, she brought into the world a young man who would grow not just in height but in character and athletic ability.
The values instilled by Moses’s grandmother also played a crucial role in his development.
Malcolm credits his mother with teaching Moses a strong work ethic. Malcolm recalled,
“My mom would cook and clean and wash clothes at the same time and every time she would leave the kitchen it would be spick-and-span, so he got it honest.”
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This family foundation – particularly his father’s sacrifices and devotion – helped keep Moses grounded despite his literal and figurative rise above his peers.
Even as he developed into a top-10 national recruit in the Class of 2018, Moses maintained perspective, understanding that success at one level is just a stepping stone.
Reflecting the humility and work ethic instilled by his family, Moses wisely noted,
“Just gotta keep working because at the end of the day, being a top-10 player in high school is not really going to matter at the next level.”
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Additional Information
- Moses Brown experienced a remarkable growth spurt, growing six inches to reach 6’10” during the summer between his sophomore and junior years in high school while recovering from a fractured growth plate in his left knee.
- During his college debut at UCLA, Brown recorded 19 points and 17 rebounds, becoming the first Bruin since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (then Lew Alcindor) to achieve these statistical figures in a debut performance.
- As a high school senior, Moses formed an exceptional basketball duo with Cole Anthony (son of former NBA first-round pick Greg Anthony), which was considered one of the top partnerships in high school basketball and in Archbishop Molloy’s history.
