SirValiant Brown

SirValiant Martin "Val" Brown
SirValiant Martin "Val" Brown
Born	December 21, 1980 (age 45); Washington, D.C., U.S.
Occupation	Professional basketball player (retired)
Years active	1999–2011
Known for	Collegiate basketball at George Washington University; professional career in NBA Development League and international leagues

Adapted from the English Wikipedia article SirValiant Brown, available under CC BY-SA 4.0Updated 28 November 2025

SirValiant Martin "Val" Brown (born December 21, 1980) is a retired American professional basketball athlete. He played his high school basketball at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, Virginia, before competing at the collegiate level with the George Washington Colonials in NCAA Division I. During his freshman year in 1999–2000, Brown ranked second in the nation in scoring with an average of 24.6 points per game, briefly holding the top spot. That season, he was honored as Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year and received an Honorable mention as an All-American. Following his sophomore year in 2001, Brown entered the 2001 NBA draft but was not selected, leading him to pursue a professional career largely within the NBA Development League. Throughout more than ten years, he competed professionally across various countries including Uruguay, Puerto Rico, Canada, and Germany.

High school career

Brown was born in Washington, D.C. to parents Robbie and Marcella Brown. His father chose the name SirValiant after the Arthurian knight Prince Valiant, while his brother was named SirLancelot, inspired by another knight of the Round Table. Known by the nickname "Val" during his time at Robert E. Lee High School in Springfield, Virginia, Brown quickly established himself as a standout varsity player. By the conclusion of his sophomore season, he averaged 19.9 points per contest and earned an Honorable mention All-Met distinction from the Washington Post, recognizing him as one of the premier talents in the Washington, D.C. region.

During his junior year, Brown briefly transferred to Mount Zion Christian Academy located in Durham, North Carolina, before completing that season at Notre Dame Academy in Middleburg, Virginia. In the summer of 1998, he participated in the esteemed ABCD Camp, an event showcasing elite U.S. high school prospects. Returning to Robert E. Lee for his senior season, Brown averaged 27 points, 5 assists, and 3 steals per game, earning All-State accolades from the Associated Press along with a second Honorable mention All-Met selection.

Freshman season (1999–00)

Although recruited by programs such as Kentucky, UCLA, and Xavier, Brown ultimately committed to George Washington University after Tom Penders—who had been recruiting him since age 15—was appointed head coach there. Brown’s decision was influenced by his admiration for Penders’ coaching style during his tenure at Texas.

Sporting jersey number 13, Brown stepped into the role previously held by Atlantic 10 Player of the Year Shawnta Rogers as the team’s leading scorer and earned substantial playing time. Standing 6'1" and weighing 158 lbs, he primarily played shooting guard but also took on point guard responsibilities on occasion.

Brown's collegiate debut came on November 19, 1999, when he scored 19 points against Indiana State. He followed this with performances of 18 points versus Oklahoma and 31 against Houston. He then recorded consecutive 33-point games against South Florida and Ohio. After scoring a combined total of 50 points over two contests against Seton Hall and Maryland during the BB&T Classic, he was named tournament MVP. Additionally, Brown set a scoring record at the Charles E. Smith Center with a 42-point effort against Siena.

By December, Brown had been awarded Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Week four times consecutively and attracted media coverage from outlets including The Washington Post and ESPN.com. Leading all freshmen nationwide in scoring, he ranked among NCAA Division I’s top scorers overall. Coach Penders drew comparisons between Brown and Allen Iverson.

In conference play, Brown achieved a season-high eight assists in a game against La Salle and posted several high-scoring outings: 36 points versus Duquesne; 33 against Dayton; 30 versus Rhode Island; and two separate games scoring 33 points each against UMass.

He completed the season as both the highest-scoring freshman nationally and second overall with an average of 24.6 points per game behind only Courtney Alexander. Brown led his squad in scoring average, free throw percentage, three-point field goals made, and minutes played. Over sixteen Atlantic 10 contests, he averaged 22.8 points per game and earned honors including Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, selections to both the All-Atlantic 10 Second Team and All-Rookie Team, as well as an Associated Press Honorable Mention All-American recognition.

Sophomore season (2000–01)

Brown continued at George Washington for his second collegiate year, beginning the season with an 11-point effort against Texas A&M on November 18, 2000, followed by a 32-point performance versus Old Dominion. On December 2, he again tallied 32 points against the #19-ranked St. John's, securing the BB&T Classic MVP award for the second year running with a combined total of 50 points in the tournament. After scoring 28 points against Richmond on December 9, Brown did not surpass 24 points in any subsequent game that season. He achieved the milestone of 1,000 career points on January 6, 2001, accomplishing this in his 44th game. Throughout the season, he notched 25 games scoring in double figures, including twelve contests with at least 20 points. Highlights included a 23-point outing against Dayton on February 17 and a 24-point game versus Temple on March 9.

Over the course of 31 appearances (starting in 26), Brown averaged 31.2 minutes per contest and amassed a total of 536 points, equating to an average of 17.3 points per game, ranking second on his squad behind Chris Monroe. He earned selection to the NABC All-District 4 Second Team.

In May 2001, Brown opted to enter the 2001 NBA draft as an early entrant, thereby concluding his collegiate tenure. He finished his college career with a total of 1,274 points—placing him nineteenth in program history—and set a new single-season scoring record by accumulating 738 points. His career average of 20.9 points per game stood as the second highest in school history, trailing only Joe Holup’s mark of 21.4.

College statistics

|- | align="left" | 1999–00 | align="left" | George Washington | 30 || 28 || 36.8 || .332 || .264 || .810 || 3.3 || 2.1 || 1.5 || 0.1 || 24.6 |- | align="left" | 2000–01 | align="left" | George Washington | 31 || 26 || 31.2 || .369 || .294 || .719 || 2.7 || 1.8 || 1.5 || 0.2 || 17.3 |- | align="left" | Career | align="left" | | 61 || 54 || 34.0 || .348 || .275 || .772 || 3.0 || 2.0 || 1.5 || 0.2 || 20.9 |-

Professional career

After deciding to leave college early, Brown declared for the 2001 NBA draft. At the NBA Draft Combine, his measurements without shoes were , weighing , with a wingspan recorded at . During Chicago's pre-draft camp, he transitioned from his usual shooting guard role to play as a point guard. Despite going undrafted, Brown participated with the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2001 Reebok Pro Summer League, though limited playing time resulted in no contract offer afterward. Subsequently, he competed with the One World All-Stars, an exhibition squad that toured various U.S. college campuses.

In September of 2002, Brown was assigned to the Roanoke Dazzle in the NBA Development League, appearing in eight games and posting modest statistics. The following year, he signed with Uruguay’s Club Trouville competing in the Liga Uruguaya de Basketball, remaining with them until early 2004. By November 2006, Brown had joined the Quad City Riverhawks of the ABA. After a stint with Puerto Rico’s top-tier team Gigantes de Carolina, he spent the entire 2007–08 campaign with the Butte Daredevils in the Continental Basketball Association, averaging 4.8 points across twelve games.

Brown inked a deal with Canada’s Halifax Rainmen of the Premier Basketball League in November 2008 but was released by January of the following year after averaging just 7.1 points in limited minutes. He then returned briefly to Puerto Rico to play for Leones de Ponce, before concluding the 2010–11 season with Germany’s MTV Wolfenbüttel.

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