Mizzou star Kobe Brown selected in 1st round of 2023 NBA Draft. Here’s his new team

Matt Stahl
·2 min read
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Missouri basketball star Kobe Brown’s NBA dream is coming true. Brown was selected 30th overall in the first round of the 2023 NBA Draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.

Brown was Missouri’s first player off the board Thursday. As the draft rolls along, here’s what to know about the guard/forward...

What MU’s Kobe Brown brings the Clippers

During his final two seasons at Missouri, Brown showed off the ability to take over a game. Tigers head coach Dennis Gates once noted that the Huntsville, Alabama native couldn’t have a bad game if MU was going to win, and he was mostly right.

Brown developed a three-point shot in his final season that he hadn’t previously. At 6-8 and 250 pounds, he possesses a solid frame that’s allowed him to work the ball inside and contribute on the boards, in addition to the three-point shot.

He’s known as a high-character teammate and an excellent locker room leader.

Areas for improvement

At age 23, Brown is older than many of his fellow 2023 draftees. There’s also some concern over whether his newfound jump shot will stick.

Brown also was never one of the SEC’s elite rebounders, though that was an issue teamwide for the Tigers. He occasionally ran into foul trouble — sometimes due to the regular flow of the game but sometimes due to ill-advised plays far from the basket.

The bottom line

With the right fit, Brown has the maturity and the talent needed to sustain a productive NBA career, especially if he continues to improve.

Will the Clippers be the right spot? Time will tell.

D’Moi Hodge signs with Los Angeles ... Lakers

Mizzou’s D’Moi Hodge wasn’t selected in the 2023 NBA Draft, but he’ll still have his shot at making an NBA roster.

According to Dan Woike of the Los Angeles Times, Hodge is reportedly signing a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers. So he’ll be in the same town as his former teammate, just in a different uniform.

The Star has partnered with the Columbia Daily Tribune for coverage of Missouri Tigers athletics.