CLEVELAND, Ohio (92.3 The Fan) – During their 2016 NBA championship rally on a hot and steamy June afternoon, Cavaliers players parted like the red sea to make way for the original greatest of all time or GOAT – Jim Brown.
Brown walked slowly up to the front of the stage where LeBron James awaited his arrival. He carried with him the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Brown turned and handed the trophy to James who put his right arm around Brown and pulled the Hall of Fame running back close as they stood next to each other.
It was an indelible moment, a passing of the torch from Cleveland’s last champion in 1964 to its most recent in 2016, that will last in the memories of those that witnessed it for generations to come.
Prior to James’ arrival from just down I-71 in Akron, Ohio and the Cavaliers pulling off one of the most improbable, yet greatest comebacks in NBA history to end a 52-year championship drought, Brown was the original King of Cleveland.
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An unstoppable force on the field, Brown never missed a game in his nine-year career that saw him rush for at least 100 yards in 58 games and he is the only player in NFL history to average over 100 yards per game. He ran for 104.3 yards per game over 118 contests for the Cleveland Browns.
Brown passed away at the age of 87 Thursday night at his Los Angeles home his family said and he leaves behind a legacy that spans generations yet transcends the sport he became so famous for dominating.
Brown’s eight rushing titles have yet to be topped and he’s the only non-quarterback to win three league MVP awards in NFL history.
As of 2023, the NFL’s rushing title is now The Jim Brown Award.
Born James Nathaniel Brown in St. Simons Island, Georgia on February 17, 1936, Brown was a three-sport star – football, basketball and lacrosse at Syracuse University after he earned 13 varsity letters in five sports – football, lacrosse, baseball, basketball and track for Manhasset High School on Long Island.
Syracuse retired his No. 44. The Browns retired 32.
The Browns selected Brown sixth overall in 1957. Brown went on to lead the NFL in rushing during eight of his nine seasons and he carried the franchise to three championship games, winning one in 1964.
The nine-time Pro Bowler, Browns is a member of the 1960’s All-Decade team and he was selected as a member of the NFL 50th Anniversary All-Time Team, 75th Anniversary All-Time Team and 100th Anniversary All-Time Team.
Brown was enshrined in the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 1971, the National Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 1984 and the College Football Hall of Fame in 1995.
Brown marched to the beat of his own drum, and like every single one of us, Brown was flawed. His legacy is complicated.
Brown feuded with Browns coaches and owners on multiple occasions and at times was estranged from the organization. He retired from football in the prime of his career in 1965 from the set of “The Dirty Dozen” in England following a dispute with then owner Art Modell.
That movie launched his acting career as he went on to star in over 30 films including “Mars Attacks!” and the Oliver Stone blockbuster “Any Given Sunday.”
Brown supported Modell when Modell ripped the Browns from Cleveland and moved them to Baltimore in 1996.
Over four decades, Brown had multiple run-ins with law enforcement stemming from allegations of assault and abuse of several women, but he was never convicted until he was found guilty of vandalism after he smashed the windows of his wife’s car during a dispute in 1999. He spent three months of a six-month sentence in jail after refusing to comply with the original sentence handed down by the court.
Brown was a force away from football where he fought for what he felt was right as an activist.
In 1967, Brown organized a summit in Cleveland of prominent African American athletes including Bill Russell and Lew Alcindor, who later became Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, to support boxer Muhammad Ali’s protest against the war in Vietnam.
With gang violence on the rise in Los Angeles where Brown resided, he worked to help curb the violence and founded the Amer-I-Can program, which works to help underprivileged youth in schools, prisons and communities nationwide.
When Brown spoke, people listened, including presidents.
Most recently in 2018, Brown visited the White House and met with President Trump along with Kanye West to advocate for social programs to help those in underserved communities.
While with the Cavs, James did too. The four-time NBA champion credits Brown with showing him the responsibility to speak out on social justice issues.
Under the ownership of the Haslam Sports Group, Brown’s relationship with the franchise he spent his entire career with had been repaired.
Prior to the pandemic, Brown was seen often at team events, including the annual Browns Foundation charity golf outing, team practices and games.
In 2016, the Browns commissioned and unveiled a statue of Brown outside of Cleveland Browns Stadium, mere yards away from where he made bouncing off, stiff arming and trucking defenders his trademark.
Inscribed on the base of that statue are every one of Brown’s accomplishments on the field but he leaves behind a legacy off the field just as impactful.