Rick Brunson, the former NBA player and assistant coach, spent the last three years as the head basketball coach of the Camden High School Panthers.
During his tenure, Brunson boasted a 73-4 record and ignited the Panthers’ resurgence on the national high school basketball scene.
That time is now over.
Brunson resigned and is finalizing a deal to become an assistant coach with the New York Knicks.
Regardless of his reasons for leaving, his departure is disappointing. Not because he left the wrong way, but because he was so right for Camden. The school district, Brunson’s assistants and his players all agree. While Brunson wasn’t from Camden, he embodied the city with his tenacity, toughness and acumen.
Two years ago, he almost walked away from the team before returning.
While Brunson’s future intentions were clear, it was my hope that he remained in Camden to cement his place in the rich history of Camden High School basketball.
Growing up, I heard about the famous players in the city’s history; players who attended both Camden High School and Woodrow Wilson High School.
But I was a kid and too young to attend games by myself.
That changed when I got to high school.
At Camden Catholic, I tasted the flavor of basketball in the city with my first trip to Camden High School to watch the famed Panthers play my school. The old Camden High gym was at capacity as everyone came for the same reason I did: to see standout guard, Dajuan Wagner.
Wagner was amazing.
His dribble penetration was unstoppable. He was powerful yet agile and was a marksman from the three-point line. We lost but it didn’t matter. I just watched the best basketball player I had ever seen in person.
And he was only a sophomore.
Watching Wagner connected the stories I heard over time; all of the history of Camden high basketball the elders spoke about with reverence and awe.
From Ron “Itchy” Smith and Golden “Sonny” Sunkett to Kevin Walls, Billy Thompson, Greg Barr, Bill Culbertson, Victor Carstarphen (who is now Camden’s mayor), and Milt Wagner—Dajuan Wagner’s father. And they all played under legendary coach Clarence Turner.
Dajuan Wagner added to that legacy a state championship, a tournament of champions title (the only in Camden High history), scoring 100 points in a game and becoming New Jersey’s all-time leading scorer with 3,462 points. The elders who watched his father play would reluctantly admit that he was better than his dad.
It was a pleasure to watch Dajuan Wagner play. His game had a magnetic energy that drew the people in. It was something I never thought I’d experience again.
Then Dajuan Wagner Jr. emerged.
The Rick Brunson Effect
While I watched Dajuan Wagner destroy South Jersey high school teams, Rick Brunson was already in the NBA.
At the time, he played with the New York Knicks squad that went to the NBA Finals in 1999, where they were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. I had heard of Brunson when he played at Temple University under legendary coach John Chaney, behind Camden Mayor Vic Carstarphen.
Brunson was a journeyman most of his career, but I remember him on that Knicks team.
Playing with Marcus Camby, Patrick Ewing, Latrell Sprewell and Larry Johnson meant he didn’t get the chance to light the league up, but Brunson was a solid backup to Chris Childs and Charlie Ward.
After retiring, he became an assistant coach with various NBA teams.
Brunson faded from my memory until his son Jalen became a standout guard with the Villanova Wildcats. Jalen was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks in 2018 and the very next year, Rick became head coach of the Camden High Panthers.
It came out of left field as far as I was concerned.
Maybe Brunson wanted to try his hand at high school coaching, to show that he could lead a program. Maybe he was convinced of the potential of players like Dajuan (DJ) Wagner Jr. by Wagner Sr. and his former Temple running mate, Carstarphen.
Or maybe it was because of allegations of misconduct towards women while he was an assistant with the Minnesota Timberwolves; allegations he was acquitted of.
Whatever the reason, when Brunson arrived at Camden High, the basketball team returned to prominence. The magnetic energy returned and so did the fans.
Affectionately called “The High,” Camden was a well-oiled machine. My friends and I returned to the school to watch them play my alma mater, and boy was it an exhibition of some of the finest high school basketball you’ll ever see.
The team was 10 players deep. Every one of them was fast, disciplined, and focused. They rotated in fast and furious, gassing their opponents while they remained fresh.
Steals, layups, and a barrage of threes from DJ Wagner. He was only a freshman, but he led all scorers with a 30-point performance.
Meanwhile, Brunson, who commissioned an assistant to gather the names of each referee, performed on the bench. He yelled at players, screamed at the refs and appeared demonstratively aggravated at his team’s performance.
The High was up by 30 at halftime, but you wouldn’t know it by watching Brunson.
Brunson said that he coached like John Chaney, yet the style of play was more like Nolan Richardson’s 40 minutes of hell.
THEN COVID HAPPENED
I heard the whispers that the South Jersey sectional championship game would be the last of the season.
It was early March of 2020 and COVID shutdowns were on the horizon. No one knew what to expect with this new viral threat, but all of us in attendance in the jammed-packed Woodrow Wilson High School gym were resolute to enjoy this game.
Camden High dominated and won convincingly over Haddonfield High School. Under normal circumstances, this team would have played for the state group championship and moved on to the Tournament of Champions, which I have no doubt they would have won. I felt cheated but life mattered more than basketball.
The next season, Camden High had a reduced schedule with no playoffs.
Brunson returned most of the cast from the previous season and they remained the best team in the state. Their games began being televised on YouTube and it was more of the same; Brunson screaming, Camden winning and the development of DJ Wagner.
Wagner was clearly a cut above the rest.
His father’s game was brute strength from the guard position. There was a ferocity to Dajuan Sr.’s game, but he could also shoot from anywhere on the court. One of the reasons why I was never mind-blown by Steph Curry’s range (but certainly impressed), is because I’ve seen Dajuan Sr. pull up and hit from half-court with ease.
DJ’s game is different.
While he isn’t as built as his dad, he can get to the basket whenever he wants, with finesse. He has an even smoother shooting stroke than his dad and shares the same passion and fire on the court.
A DREAM FOREVER DEFERRED
This past season was a return to normalcy in New Jersey with a return to playoffs and the Tournament of Champions. Sadly, however, it would be the last season for the Tournament of Champions. That meant that this year was the only chance for Camden High to achieve what they came to do.
Minus a few hiccups on the national scene, Camden High steamrolled through the regular season and playoffs, arriving at the Tournament of Champions final against a team they beat in the first game of the season: Roselle Catholic.
Despite DJ’s 23 points, they lost in OT, 61-58.
Although disappointed, the squad had nothing to be ashamed about. Under Brunson, Camden High won its 12th state title, only lost 4 games in the state of New Jersey, and solidified itself as a national powerhouse.
But none of it comes without scrutiny.
According to NJ.com, it is alleged that Camden High School cheated its way to a state championship. After a six-month investigation by New Jersey Advance Media, Camden High reportedly assembled an all-state roster of players from six towns spread across five counties, with out-of-district students paying tuition of only $1,500 to attend district schools, whereas the per-pupil costs for a Camden student is $28K. The implication is that out-of-district students are receiving de-facto scholarships to play basketball in a cash-strapped school district.
The report was an exposé designed to sully the accomplishments of the team, the Wagner family name and Brunson’s reputation. The author enlisted imagery of urban decay that’s more racist than honest about the systemic nature of how cities like Camden evolve as they do. Also, details about Dajuan Wagner (Sr.) past and family history that has nothing to do with the Panthers on the court accomplishments.
With that said, the hit piece can’t diminish Brunson’s accomplishments on the court or with his players.
Brunson’s brand of tough coaching and tough love brought the best out of the players, fans and Camden City. His is basketball acumen was responsible for players wanting to play for him, his development of the skills of his players and the growth of DJ Wagner, ESPN’s number 1 player in the class of 2023.
A BITTERSWEET ENDING
It can be reasonably assumed that Brunson walked away due to aspirations of becoming an NBA coach.
It could be because the Knicks are a target spot for Brunson’s son Jalen, who is a free agent this summer.
Or It could be because if the NJ.com report gains any traction, punishments loom for the Camden basketball program.
What is true is that Brunson’s presence will be missed both on and off the court.
Brunson also served as a substitute at Camden High School. His presence as a Black male educator is important in any education context; especially at a school where Black students are the majority. Research shows that a Black male educator can improve the academic outcomes for Black students.
As a Black educator, I know Brunson made an impact.
Had Brunson stayed at Camden, I have no doubt he would have become a New Jersey high school coaching legend for he established a bond with his players, their parents, and the city of Camden.
For those reasons, he’s a legend in Camden who has a place in Camden basketball history. His presence will be sorely missed.
This story is brought to you by First and Pen in collaboration with Vanderbilt Sports & Society Initiative. The Vanderbilt Sports & Society Initiative was founded in 2018 by the late Vanderbilt Athletic Director David Williams to study the intersection of sports, race, gender, and politics. Follow the Initiative on Twitter @SportsSocietyVU and subscribe to the weekly e-newsletter by emailing Andrew.J.Maraniss@
