Brown III becomes NBL’s ultimate “cornerback”

Three-time NBA champion JaVale McGee has piled praise on South East Melbourne’s defensive dynamo, John Brown III.

McGee had a first-hand view of Brown III’s impact on Thursday night, as the 33-year-old was brilliant on both ends of the court.

The Phoenix star pulled down an incredible 10 offensive rebounds, earning the label of a “warrior” from coach Josh King.

“He (Brown III) is a very unique player,” McGee said.

“On the offensive end, the way he grabs offensive rebounds, he moves like an NFL cornerback. He comes full speed to the offensive end and then tries to shake you. By the time you are trying to decide whether to box him out, you already need to turn and rebound. He is a hard guard in that aspect, because he is always moving.

“On the defensive end he does not like to let you get a clean post. He is a great player and a great energy guy for sure.”

King said Brown sets the standard for his teammates, helping the Phoenix to a 9–5 record so far this season.

“He's a huge part of what we do and he's a high-level player, and what he does is play with such a crazy tenacity," King said.

"It raises the level, and he was a huge part of our spurt coming back from 20 points down, and he raised his level up another notch. The guys followed, and that’s usually what teams do - they follow their veterans and best players."

Brown and the Phoenix take on Melbourne United in a massive Throwdown, live on ESPN and 10 from 2.30pm AEDT.