Charlamagne Tha God apologizes to Kwame Brown for ‘causing pain’
“Since I unintentionally caused trauma, I need to be intentional about causing healing,” said Charlamagne
Charlamagne Tha God is taking the high road after making comments about former NBA player Kwame Brown.
The radio host gave himself his infamous “Donkey of the Day” award on Monday for making comments about Brown’s family, per Complex.
“Since I unintentionally caused trauma, I need to be intentional about causing healing,” said Charlamagne.
On a recent episode of “All The Smoke” podcast associated with Charlamagne’s Black Effect Network, comments were made about Brown by co-hosts Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes. In the retired player’s defense, Charlamagne spread rumors about Brown’s family.
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“I’m saying all that to say, leave Kwame alone. That man has been quiet for twenty years, he don’t bother nobody,” said Charlamagne. “Clearly all that ‘he’s a bust up’ gets to him. You don’t know what people are going through or have been through.”
The 42-year-old host said Brown’s father attacked his girlfriend with an ax handle, buried her alive, and is currently serving life in prison for it. He also said Brown’s brother attempted suicide after shooting the mother of his child several times. He added another one of Brown’s siblings is also serving time for murder.
Once Brown caught wind of the comments, he allegedly started to resurface rumors of rape allegations against Charlamagne. The host reportedly sent a cease and desist letter to Brown.
“I’m sure I caused pain for not only Kwame Brown but for his family—‘specially, his family in my hometown of Moncks Corner, South Carolina. You know how I know? Because I spoke to a few of them,” said the radio host on Monday. “I was apologizing for triggering them.”
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Brown, 39, was drafted at #1 out of high school in 2001, playing 12 overall seasons for the NBA, for seven teams including the Wizards and the Los Angeles Lakers ending his career with the Philadelphia 76’ers in 2013. He was the first overall #1 player drafted right out of high school.
After former Wizards player Gilbert Arenas referenced Brown as a ”show pony” on the “All the Smoke” podcast, Brown went on his various social media platforms to unleash a profane clap back to all involved.
He also objected to how he was characterized on the show’s platform when Lakers owner Jeanie Buss was on the show. Given that all three former players are well known for shenanigans on and off the court, it may be one of the reasons why Brown got fed up.
Some history: In 2009, Arenas and his teammate Javaris Crittenton faced off in the locker room over a gambling debt. Both displayed guns though Arenas’ were unloaded.
Crittenton, though, drew a loaded handgun on Arenas. That led to both being suspended for the entirety of the 2010 season as well as being charged on firearms violations. Crittenton never played another NBA game and has been serving a 23-year sentence for manslaughter since 2015.
Barnes, as you may remember, confronted his former teammate Derek Fisher about dealing with his estranged wife, former reality show star Gloria Govan. A scuffle ensued. Gloria and Derek remain engaged after COVID postponed their 2020 wedding.
Jackson was one of the main participants in the infamous ‘Malice in the Palace’ incident when a game between the Indiana Pacers and the Detroit Pistons turned into a benches-clearing brawl that involved the crowd. So it’s possible that Brown didn’t take kindly to being the subject of criticism from other former players with their own checkered histories.
Additional reporting by Tonya Pendleton
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