Brewer Not Done Yet

FAYETTEVILLE — Ronnie Brewer might be considered an old man in some NBA circles.

No matter how he’s viewed, the former Fayetteville and Arkansas basketball star is confident he’s not done yet.

Brewer has spent seven seasons playing in the NBA. That alone puts him in rare company, as one of just 13 Razorbacks with 450 or more games played at the sport’s highest professional level. But with seven years and 478 games to his credit, Brewer also has the experience to know the NBA is also a business. This past season, that business side of the league taught him some valuable lessons.

“It was a lot different this year,” Brewer said. “This was the first year where it felt different. I started with and was a starter with the (New York) Knicks, and then I wasn’t playing a lot. Then I get traded to the (Oklahoma City) Thunder where I wasn’t playing a lot.

“So it was definitely a different year. But at the same time I learned this year that you can’t get down on yourself because of certain situations. You’ve got to continue to work hard to get better and just take it all in stride.”

Brewer, selected 14th overall in the 2006 NBA Draft by the Utaz Jazz, had been much more than just a reserve player for his first six seasons in the league. Then came last season where his role changed in a big way.

After signing a free agent contract with the New York Knicks last July, Brewer started 34 of 46 games before being traded to Oklahoma City. Having already seen his role diminish near the end of his Knicks tenure, he suddenly saw even fewer minutes in just 14 games with the Thunder.

Now Brewer is back where he was a year ago. A free agent, the 6-foot-7, 220-pound guard must use the summer to find his next NBA destination.

“You want to go to a place where you can win and compete at a high level, and obviously you want to pick a place where you have a chance to play and an opportunity to win,” Brewer said. “So it’s a process and it’s something that doesn’t need to be rushed.

“This is my career and I have to pick the right situation. So that’s why you have to be patient during this process and let the teams contact you so you can go over all your options before making the best decision.”

Brewer’s summer isn’t all abound free agency, though. This week, he returned to his hometown to host his annual Brew Crew Basketball Camp, held at the Donald W. Reynolds Boys and Girls Club for kids between first and 12th grade. For Brewer, hosting the camp is like a dream come true.

“To me it’s such a big deal because when I was a kid, my sister was a kid and all of our friends, we still talk about how much fun we had back in third, fourth and fifth grade being able to come to a camp and compete and have fun,” Brewer said. “And growing up being around someone who played in the NBA, that’s something a lot of us aspire to do, so it’s a great enjoyment for me to see the kids working everyday and learning the stuff to get better. That makes it all worth it and we have a really good time.

“I’ve really enjoyed doing it. The community has accepted me my entire life and I feel like being able to do this is something that is just meant to be.”

That someone with NBA experience who Brewer grew up around is, of course, his father. Ron ‘Boot’ Brewer played eight seasons in the NBA from 1979-86 and spent this week helping with the Brew Crew Camp.

The elder Brewer previously held his own youth basketball camp, known as ‘The Boot’ Camp. But when Ronnie reached the NBA, ‘Boot’ camp evolved into the Brew Crew Camp.

“(The Boot Camp) actually started in 1980 when I had just left Arkansas,” Ron Brewer said. “We had the first camp in Fort Smith.

“Then when Ronnie came aboard, he was able to give back in a very special way and it became the Brew Crew Camp.”

The Brewers weren’t the only ones offering valuable experience to campers this week. Former Razorbacks Courtney Fortson, Marcus Monk and Vincent Hunter were also there to assist with the camp, while Ronnie’s sister, Candice Graham — a college player herself at Tulsa — now helps with organizing the camp.

“Just look across the court,” Ronnie said. “(Wednesday) we had Courtney Fortson here. He’s a guy in the NBA Development League. We’ve got Vincent Hunter, who’s played overseas, myself and my dad who have played in the NBA. My sister is here, she played college ball. My brother played college basketball and is here, and we also have Marcus Monk who played overseas. And we got Jimmy Butler from the Chicago Bulls on (Friday).

“So we’ve all been there and done that and we’re taking the one-on-one time to teach and tutor the kids what we’ve learned and the skills we’ve learned over the years.

“A lot of people do this type of thing, but I feel like it’s the experience we have is what is the difference when they come to this camp.”

Brewer takes pride in his camp just as he does in his career. And despite what some critics might say, he’s not ready for either to finish anytime soon.

“Last year the (free agent) period opened July 1st but I took a couple of weeks to evaluate and see what teams were out there before choosing my best opportunity,” Ronnie said. “I expect it to be the same this year. I’m not going to jump on the first team that calls me. So we’ll see and I’m looking forward to it.”

No matter how many games he has left, Brewer has already made his mark in the NBA and still makes it in his hometown community. That is what matters the most, said his father.

“The thing I’m most proud of with Ronnie is how he’s always been a professional,” Ron Brewer said. “Playing seven years in the NBA, I’m proud of that and that’s a great accomplishment. But Ronnie has always been a professional in his career and he’s always given back to his community.

“That’s what’s most important and what we’re proud of the most.”