<div class="quote_poster">Quote:</div><div class="quote_post">Former No. 1 pick out of high school says he is thrilled to be out of Washington and eager to fulfill his potential with the Lakers. By Mike Bresnahan, Times Staff Writer Four turbulent seasons with the Washington Wizards were discarded in a matter of minutes, at least temporarily, as Kwame Brown clutched a new Laker jersey, smiled for the assembled media and pledged to deliver the opposite of the unfulfilled promise that had accompanied him since being the top pick in the 2001 draft. The latest example of owner Jerry Buss' high-risk, high-reward strategy, Brown was introduced Wednesday as the Lakers' newest post player at the team's El Segundo facility. Brown, 23, was acquired with swingman Laron Profit for Caron Butler and Chucky Atkins in a trade finalized three weeks ago but formally announced this week. Brown, who rebelled against Michael Jordan's severe demands as a rookie and was suspended for insubordination during last season's playoffs, acknowledged the need for a climate change and understood the concept of a second chance. "I just thank God that I'm out of Washington and looking forward to getting here and turning things around for myself and my family," he said. "This is the Lakers. This is the biggest stage. You turn it around here, you get this city behind you, and everybody's behind you." Enigmatic and erratic as a pro, Brown has career averages of 7.7 points and 5.5 rebounds but he has also offered pockets of promise, following up a 30-point, 19-rebound effort against the Sacramento Kings with a 27-point, 11-rebound game against the Atlanta Hawks in March 2004. The Lakers, tilting toward optimism, hope for more of the latter. "You don't get the opportunity to get many players with his God-given talent," General Manager Mitch Kupchak said. "It just doesn't come around very often. "One thing we do know, big players develop later. They just do. You see the most growth in a big player between the ages of 25 and 27. And he's only 23."</div> Source
