Biography:Now in his fourth season with the Globetrotters, Hi Rise Brown awes fans worldwide with his seemingly limitless hops and rim-rattling dunks. Hi Rise” got his start with the team in part because of a meeting with former Globetrotter great Curley “Boo” Johnson, a Peoria native. “He saw me play and suggested I tryout,” says Hi Rise. “I was invited to a mini-camp with a few other players in Las Vegas, and the team liked what they saw, so I was invited to veterans’ training camp and made the team.”
His nickname is a tribute to former player and current coach Barry Hi Rise Hardy. “A lot of people in the organization felt my leaping ability reminded them of Barry,” says Hi Rise. “I feel honored, because I’ve heard many great things the past few years about what he has done for the team. I got to meet him for the first time last year, and now we are always kidding each other about who the real Hi Rise is.”
Does Hi Rise have a favorite dunk? “I like them all, but the crowd really seems to get excited when I do a 360 or when I do my ‘Spider-Man’ dunk. You’ll have to come out to a game to see what I mean.”
A Chicago area native, Hi Rise is the youngest of eight children in his family; he has five brothers and two sisters. All of his family still lives in the Chicago area, and Hi Rise resides in the suburb of Westchester, Ill., his hometown. His brother Randy won three NBA Championship rings with the Chicago Bulls. His brother Alan was also very supportive and influential in his amateur career. Alan is a sheriff in the Chicago area.
So who does Hi Rise think is the best athlete in the family? “Of course, I am the best athlete,” he laughs, “but if I were taken out of the equation, I would have to say Randy. Going one-on-one with Randy growing up was tough, because he was older and bigger than me…but he won’t take me on now.”
Rapper Jay-Z is one of Hi Rise’s favorite musical artists. “I think he speaks the truth, and his music is a big part of my basketball. I use music to help get myself geared up for a game. Jay-Z has a certain style that fits well with sports and entertainment and gets me ready to go.”
Hi Rise was part of an historic tour of the Middle East in December 2006, visiting 12 U.S. military bases in five countries, including Iraq. “Wow. I couldn’t really believe I was there, and to be there and play basketball made it even more surreal. That trip and going to Africa were my two favorite trips so far with the team. Being able to visit so many different parts of the world is one of my favorite things about being a Globetrotter.”
Following his playing days, Hi Rise would still like to be involved with the Globetrotters…maybe as a coach. Outside of basketball, he would be interested in starting his own clothing line someday. He would not want to change jobs with anyone, but if he had to? “It would be Bill Gates,” he says.
An all-conference player and graphic design major in college at Minnesota State, Hi Rise still enjoys drawing in his spare time.
Hi Rise offers these words of inspiration for youngsters: “If you’re trying to achieve, there will be roadblocks, but obstacles don’t have to stop you. If you run into a wall, don’t turn around and give up. Figure out how to climb it, go through it or work around it.”
