THE ITCH PERSISTS FOR RICKY BROWN
By Rich Mazon
PhilBoxing.com
Mon, 26 Mar 2012
Ricardo Brown.
Ricardo "Ricky" Brown is still a point man at his age of 54. Not for any basketball team but for the Ross Academy Middle School in Los Angeles County. The former MVP and Rookie of the year of Asia?s premier professional league, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) now directs the day to day activities of the said school as its principal.
Brown, went into teaching after his glory days as multi-awarded point guard in the PBA. While he was teaching, he made a decision to return to school and obtain his Master?s Degree in Educational Administration. He then went to earn is Educational Administrative credential which is a requirement to be able to work as a school administrator in the state of California. He has been Ross Academy?s school principal for the last four years. A job he describes as tiring but satisfying.
Brown had the opportunity to further his career in basketball upon returning from the Philippines in the 90?s but he chose to be an educator instead. Brown coached at the college level in the States as an assistant coach. ?The idea of recruiting young kids all over the country and being away from my family frequently was not appealing to me, although the itch to be involved in the sport I lived and loved all of my life was still very present,? he said.
That itch was the reason why Brown is grabbing the opportunity to meet his fans who resides in Los Angeles and its neighboring communities in a ?Meet and Greet Event? slated to be held at the Staples Center this coming Monday (March 26, 2012) at 7:30 in the evening. ?I am so excited to see the great fans of the PBA in this great event,? he expressed. ?This is an opportunity for me to reconnect with them,? added Brown.
Brown will take that step even further in a planned trip to Manila this summer. ?I will be returning to the Philippines on July 9 and will be there for just over a week, so it will be a whirlwind for sure. I wish I could stay longer, but I have commitments back here in Los Angeles that I have to attend to. However, I am hopeful I can make this an annual visit, and in the future, stay longer or perhaps even move back on a permanent basis.?
Brown plans to reconnect with his fans and supporters in the homeland when he makes that return this July. He is also looking forward to attending PBA and college games and see the present pace of Philippine basketball. ?I hope I will have the opportunity to embrace as many fans as possible on a personal level,? expressed Brown. ?I hope we will have a very special and memorable experience together.?
But the part that excites him the most is being able to ?share some time with some people who are very special in my life.? The former PBA icon would like to meet his colleagues in the PBA like his former boss, Eduardo ?Danding? Cojuanco and former coaches Baby Dalupan, Ron Jacobs and Norman Black. He also would want to get in touch with his former Great Taste and San Miguel teammates. Brown also would also like to see comedian, Dolphy. He made a movie with the legendary actor in 1987 titled ?Action is Missing: Crack Platoon.? An experience he treasures until now.
The player nicknamed ?The Quick Brown Fox? also intends to visit his league?s head office and pay courtesy to present commissioner, Chito Salud. ?I also plan to visit the PBA Commissioner and pay my respects, and let him know how much respect and admiration I had for his Dad, Rudy, who was Commissioner during my playing days,? mentioned Brown.
Brown is open to the idea of coming back to the sport that he excelled at. He is receptive to the possibility of one day being a consultant with the goal of being a GM of a team. ? A successful GM requires the knowledge and skills necessary to build a winning team that will be embraced by the great Filipino basketball fans. There are many pieces in building a winning team and organization that can be tricky, and while talent is vitally important, chemistry, a willingness to sacrifice individual glory for team success, and work ethic are also essential ingredients tin building a winning tradition the fans would embrace, support and be proud of,? explained the former Pepperdine University and Houston Rocket player.
Ricky Brown maybe absent from the sport in decades but there is no taking basketball, especially Philippine basketball out of Principal Ricky Brown.
You can email the author at rrmaze24@aol.com for reactions to this piece.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Rich Mazon .
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