Interview – Anthony Brown: Very select few play in EuroLeague, but I’m not just happy to be here

Offseason routine and mindset

Anthony Brown, the Besiktas forward, is spending the offseason in California getting ready for new challenges. He spends the first days after a season reflecting on what went well and what needs work, then checks how his body feels before ramping up training. He works with the same trainer for about a decade, who helps him assess movement patterns and plan strength work.

Brown usually takes a short break after the season to recover and shake off jet lag—around a week to ten days—then eases into weight training and court work depending on how he’s feeling. Some years he comes back relatively fresh, other years he needs more time to recover from nagging issues; his approach changes with the season.

Like many American pros, he’ll sometimes play pro-am or one-on-one games in the summer, especially when younger or when his team’s season ended earlier. But five-on-five pickup depends on how his body feels and what his coach recommends—he’s careful not to overdo it.

Winning and finishing at his best remain his main drivers. Brown says he wants to give 100% every season so he can retire with no regrets. He loves competing and wants to maximize his potential, knowing basketball won’t last forever and that he needs to be ready for whatever comes next.

Mental health and guidance have also mattered in his long career. Having a father who coached in Long Beach and veterans who showed him the ropes helped a lot, and he also learned from watching older pros. Those influences, plus experience and sometimes tough lessons, shaped how he manages the ups and downs of a pro career.

Off the court Brown is low-key and relaxed, but on game night a different side shows up. He slides into a competitive zone and gives everything on both ends of the floor—he’s calm around life, but intense once the whistle blows.

Season review, coach influence and career reflections

Last season Besiktas made deep runs in multiple competitions, reaching the domestic league and cup finals as well as the EuroCup final, though they came up short in each. The team still earned a EuroLeague spot for the upcoming campaign, marking a return to Europe’s top competition after many years. For Brown, at 34, it will be his first chance to play on that stage.

He admits losing three finals stung, especially the EuroCup defeat, which took some time for the team to process. The league final was also painful because of injuries and the small moments—one or two possessions here or there—that ultimately made the difference. Brown believes pressure played a role in some games: when a team feels like favorites, that extra tension can hurt performance.

He singled out a dramatic finish in the domestic finals where a last-second assist led to a title-clinching shot. It hurt to lose, but he respected the play and the execution—great defense, a creative pass and a clutch shot are hard to fault.

Coach Dusan Alimpijevic has been a major reason for Besiktas’s climb. Brown had a short previous stint with him and appreciated his high standards and energy. Alimpijevic pushed him out of his comfort zone, helped tighten his defense, and focused on the intangibles that make a player more complete. Brown credits him with making the team tougher and believes he’s one of the best young coaches in Europe.

On the career side, Brown’s first European stop came at Partizan in 2018 but ended quickly due to a coaching change and a different roster fit. He calls it bad timing rather than anything bad personally; new coaches sometimes want different pieces and philosophies.

Before Europe he achieved a childhood dream when the Los Angeles Lakers selected him in the 2015 NBA Draft. Sharing a locker room with Kobe Bryant that rookie year left a mark—Brown still remembers Kobe’s relentless routine, early workouts, and strong emphasis on defense as part of what made him great.

Asked if he would change anything about his journey, Brown said he wouldn’t. The ups and downs, playing in different countries and situations, have prepared him for this next chapter. Maybe the EuroLeague could have come earlier, but he believes he’s ready now and wants to make the most of the opportunity rather than just being content to have arrived.