BEAST MODE
He’s only 12 years of age.
But for a youth basketball player, Christian Brown is a beast on the court.
To his credit, he certainly went into full beast mode during what was a memorable AAU game between Brown’s Murfreesboro, Tennessee-area Storm squad versus Eagleville.
In a game that will go down as arguably the most memorable one to date for Brown, his Storm team faced a 12-point deficit with inside of two minutes remaining.
That is when spectators witnessed flashes of greatness surrounding a kid who’s nearing 6-foot as a preteen.
Brown was the catalyst for a Storm team that stormed back in the waning moments, erasing a double-digit deficit and miraculously coming away with a 50-49 victory, having outscored the opposition, 18-3, the rest of the way.
In manufacturing 17 points in what was an AAU game for the ages, Brown managed some late heroics when he stole an in-bounds pass and was fouled as a result.
His two clutch free throws helped the Storm ease out to the final margin and, most importantly, his immeasurable display proved to be a microcosm of his resiliency for which he customarily exemplifies in close-game situations.
So remember the name, much sooner than later: Christian Brown.
Because if there’s one thing he’s proven, it’s that his best and brightest days are well ahead of him.
“I always tell him he’s destined for greatness and to always make the most of each day,” said Chelsea Brown, Christians’s mother, during interview with Making Headline News this week. “That day will be confirmation of what we speak into his life on a daily basis.”
If anyone can appropriately assess — and critique — Christian’s progress on and off the court, it’s his mother.
Chelsea Brown was a basketball standout in her own right, most notably in high school, where she starred for perennial power Memphis Whitehaven (from 1990 to 1992), which boasted a number of Division 1 recruits. Brown went on to star at SWAC member Southern University from 1992 to 1995, capping off what was stellar basketball tenure for the native Memphian.
RESPECT DA HAVEN
Given that her son seems on path to following in the footsteps of his parents – both his mother and father are former athletes — it’s safe to assume that, well, the apple didn’t fall very far from the tree (with all due respect).
“Of course, I will be overjoyed to see his dreams and aspirations come to fruition,” said Chelsea Brown how special would it be if her son is fortunate to sign a National Letter of Intent to play college basketball. “But most of all, I’m thankful for the opportunity for him to continue to grow as an athlete.”
Chances are, the 5-foot-10 Christian Brown will grow — literally and figuratively — in the foreseeable future as he looks ahead to next season as one of the marquee players for Rocky Fork Middle School in Smyrna, Tennessee.
A slim 113-pounder — yet with so much growing to do and weight to put on — Christian often rotates between playing the small forward and shooting guard positions.
In addition to his attractive length for a 12-year-old, he’s proven to hold his own and make his presence felt, particularly against bigger and more experienced players, a trend that shouldn’t merely come as a surprise, considering Christian began playing competitive basketball at five years of age for the Rutherford County basketball league.
“He beat everyone down the court and played good defense,” Chelsea Brown said. “And he was the tallest kid on the court most of the time.”
The possibility exist that will surely be the case when he transitions to the prep basketball ranks, an attribute that figures to garner the attention of scouts and recruiters.
“He never ceases to amaze me,” Chelsea said her son’s continuous progress. “I love watching him exceed my expectations through growth and development. He always plays to the end.”
He sure does.
Remember that recent game against Eagleville?
His mother sure does. There’s a good chance she won’t be forgetting it, either.
“I actually witnessed him lead his team to victory with two minutes on the clock and they were down by 12,” said Chelsea in pure wonderment. “I saw it in his eyes. He reads his opponents and went into (attack mode) and came out victorious.”
That, to his credit, figures to be a sign of things to come — much sooner than later.
“My parents always tell me that as long as I work hard, developing as a student-athlete, they will always provide an avenue for me to succeed,” said Christian, who recently was the beneficiary of the Athlete Academic Award, given to the student-athlete with the highest grade point average (he manufactured a 3.6 GPA), as well as being named Offensive Player of the Year in both football and basketball.
“My dad is always there to support me, and his presence always motivates me to play hard.”
Interestingly, although he has plenty of basketball left to play before bolting the high prep ranks, Christian doesn’t shy away from the notion that’s he’s presently auditioning for a full-ride athletic scholarship.
As far as he’s concerned, there’s no time to waste, not when he’s closing in on 6-feet in height as a preteen and making his presence felt against more experienced players.
“I would like (scouts and recruiters) to know that I am a hard worker and coachable,” said Christian, who will attend a hoops camp at Duke University over the summer. “I am a team player and have experience, playing every position on the floor. Most of all, I’m always open to learning and using skills learned from camps and other resources.”
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EDITOR’S NOTE: If you have a child or team that is seeking exposure and would like an in-depth sports news story, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him for details under “Andre T. Johnson.”
Andre Johnson is the award-winning Founder and Publisher for Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former staff reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, send email to andre@makingheadlinenews.com or to memphisgraduate@yahoo.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
Amongst the reasons is that Graves, 47, the founder and chief executive officer of Natalie Graves Athletic Counseling, has worked tirelessly to help construct her practice to what it has become to this very day — one that is undoubtedly turning heads, particularly throughout the world of professional sports. 
Not only that, Natalie Graves Athletic Counseling is widely regarded as a credible venture, in large part because Graves specializes in working with athletes, most notably those who are hampered by an assortment of challenges on and off the field.
“The service I provide to athletes is unique in that not only do I focus on improving performance, my perspective also considers factors like family structure, social economic-status, ethnic and cultural diversity,” Graves explained. “I gain a complete profile of the person I am working with. As a clinical social worker, I view athletes in a holistically way. It is important to understand all aspects of the individual. This is even more important with athletes.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
“Our vision is to provide a seamless learning experience for veterans as they navigate the often frustrating and overwhelming benefits channel in order to determine eligibility regarding their earned benefits,” said a spokesperson for AVWA. “If you know someone who is no longer active in the United States Military and wonder whether or not they are receiving all to which they are entitled, then Active Veterans With Answers will help those veterans determine the answers to this question and more.”
For starters, Graves, the young mastermind behind Youth Activist and Author Christian Samir Graves, has joined forces with Active Veterans With Answers to give back to a host of veterans organizations in the greater Hampton Roads, Virginia-area.
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.
Andre Johnson is the Founder/Publisher And Editor-In-Chief of Making Headline News. A 2000 graduate of the University of Memphis School of Journalism and a former reporter of sports for the Memphis Commercial Appeal newspaper, Johnson covers the NBA Southwest Division from Dallas, Texas. To reach Johnson, call him at 901-690-6587 or send email to andre@makingheadlinenews.com. Also, follow him on Twitter @AJ_Journalist.
Even after having buried two children — first Destiny then Mark — Johnson, during an exclusive interview this week with Making Headline News, spoke at length about how she steadfastly had to rely of unyielding faith in God to press and navigate her way through arguably the most downtrodden times of her life.
To her distinctly unique credit, Johnson — with God, her Helper, leading the way — has gone above and beyond to be a voice and a beacon of light for those who have endured and, perhaps witnessed their lives cut short amid domestic violence.
“My personal mission for the work I do is to educate, regenerate, create, transform, and heal broken hearts, minds, and souls of those affected by domestic violence and other forms of abuse,” Johnson explained.
All things considered, Johnson consequently authored two books in the wake of arguably the darkest hours of her life: “From Rattled To Recovery: The Faces Of Domestic Violence Domestic Violence,” and “That Which Is Beyond Death.”
EDITOR’S NOTE: If you are an entrepreneur, business owner, producer, author, athlete, musician, barber, life coach, motivational speaker, cosmetologist, tax preparer, model, or pastor/minister who is seeking exposure and would like to share your story with an in-depth news feature, call Reporter Andre Johnson at 901-690-6587 or Facebook message him under “Andre T. Johnson” for details.