Brown III thrives under King's reign

Monday, November 3, 2025

John Brown III says South East Melbourne’s success comes from genuine team chemistry and a shared commitment to building something special together.

John Brown III was instrumental in South East Melbourne Phoenix’s fourth straight win, keeping Jo Lual-Acuil Jr quiet while thriving under Josh King, who he says understands him better than any coach he’s ever had.

Wherever he’s played, Brown III has been known for his physical defence and relentless energy on that end of the floor, which is why the Perth Wildcats were eager to sign him midway through NBL22.

In Sunday’s 94-89 win over Perth, Brown III finished with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 steals. His full impact was evident in his team-high +6 and in holding Lual-Acuil Jr to a season-low 13 points on 7 field goal attempts.

The man who once set a single season steals record in the EuroLeague approaches every defensive challenge with the same mindset.

“I just guard everybody the same, that’s all I do,” Brown III said. “In my head, everybody can shoot, everybody can dribble and everybody’s physical so you’ve got to show me.”

Josh King wants his South East Melbourne team to play full court, intense and physical defence for all 40 minutes. When building his roster, Brown III was his top priority.

Now, Brown might be leading the race for the Damian Martin Trophy and he’s found the perfect coach to bring out his best.

“No, no, no, unfortunately not,” he said when asked if he’s ever had a coach as closely aligned with him. “No disrespect to my previous coaches, but not at all. It makes it easier for me to just go out there and do what I do, and it makes everything flow.”

The other thing Brown III has found at the Phoenix is how connected the entire group is and how committed everyone is to the one cause, unlike anything else he’s experienced.

“When you have that type of chemistry together, it’s different you know, and I’ve been on a lot of teams with good chemistry too, but here it just feels more genuine,” Brown III said.

“It’s like no one is going out of their way to be nice to each other. This is what we want to do and this is what we want to build. It starts with us caring about each other, uplifting each other, and understanding that this is a long season.

“We’ll make mistakes and there’ll be ups and downs, but we want to stay level or go higher, and Rome wasn’t built in a day so we just have to go brick by brick.”