After spending his first four years in the NBA with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Corey Brewer never experienced what being in the playoffs was like while his team consistently finished an the bottom half of the Western Conference.
Losing had a big effect on him and anyone in his situation would've wanted to be in a different environment. In 2011, Brewer got his wish when he was traded to the New York Knicks and was eventually waived by them. He then agreed to a three-year deal with the Dallas Mavericks who were perennial title contenders that time.
The 30-year old Florida product recently talked about his move to a winning franchise and what it meant to him at that stage of his career.
“Lucky for me, I got traded to New York and got a buyout where I could go to Dallas and that probably saved my career. Once I got to Dallas I learned what it was about to be an NBA player, I feel good now, I’m back to winning. Go from not making the playoffs to winning the championship.”
Brewer also discussed his excitement about playing with some of the best players in the league and what he has learned from them.
“I got to play with Dirk [Nowitzki] which was great. Jason Terry and Shawn Marion, those guys. I was working my butt off and it was starting to pay off playing with good players. I didn’t even play that much but I learned this is what it’s supposed to be like in the NBA. We won the world championship that year actually beating Miami,”
“Everybody was positive. Positive vibes in the locker room. Everybody comes in a does their job and knows their role. One goal, trying to win. You feel like, when you come in the game, when you get to the arena, you feel like you are going to win every game.”
Now in his 10th year in the league and his third with the Houston Rockets, Brewer looks to apply the biggest lesson he's learned during his days with the Mavericks to bring positivity and hard work every day.
“You got to come to work every day and you have to be positive. Everything is not going to go right, but you can’t get down on yourself. You are working for the team, it’s not about you, it’s about the team. One common goal, don’t be selfish.”
With James Harden leading the way and Brewer providing his veteran smarts, the Rockets have slowly become one of the favorites to possibly dethrone the Golden State Warriors in the Western Conference. If he continues to influence his teammates and share his knowledge from past experiences, especially about winning a title in 2011, it won't be surprising to see the Rockets contending for championships for multiple seasons.
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