‘Inside UVA’: NBA Great Malcolm Brogdon on Education, Clean Water and His Future
Audio: ‘Inside UVA’: NBA Great Malcolm Brogdon on Education, Clean Water and His Future(25:58)
Malcolm Brogdon talks about life in the NBA, bringing clean water to east Africa and plans for his post-basketball life.
In April, Malcolm Brogdon earned his second major individual award since joining the NBA in 2016.
He was named the league’s Sixth Man of the Year playing for the Boston Celtics, meaning he was the best player to come off the bench. In his first season in the NBA, he was named Rookie of the Year. Sunday, the Celtics traded Brogdon to the Portland Trail Blazers.
Of course, the former Cavalier, who was named the Atlantic Coast Conference Player of the Year for the 2015-16 season, is much more than that.
He recently talked with University of Virginia President Jim Ryan ahead of his trade to Trail Blazers about his other roles as an activist, philanthropist, leader and father on Ryan’s podcast, “Inside UVA.”
In the Season 3 opener, Brogdon told Ryan that education has been at the root of many of his pursuits, and his mother was the driving force. Even before Brogdon came to UVA, Jann Adams, the associate vice president for advancement and leadership initiatives at Morehouse College, made it clear to her son that while she fully supported his basketball career, he had to have a B average, “or, you know, you won’t be doing any of these other things,” Brogdon told Ryan.
Their conversation took them to many places. The 30-year-old guard talked about learning to come off the bench for the Celtics after starting in each of his previous 210 regular-season appearances. He talked about his decision to stay at UVA for a fifth year rather than trying to go pro too early. The pair also discussed the pluses and minuses of the transfer portal, Brogdon’s efforts to bring clean water to East Africa and his goals once his NBA career ends – which include moving to Europe with his wife, Victoria (also a UVA graduate) and two daughters.
To hear more, tune into “Inside UVA,” which is streamed on most podcast apps, including Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube Music.
Media Contact
University News Senior Associate Office of University Communications
jak4g@virginia.edu (434) 243-9935
Article Information
December 5, 2024