# Corey Brewer
**Corey Brewer** (born 1986) is an American former professional basketball player, a 6'9" guard-forward who was selected seventh overall by the [Minnesota Timberwolves](https://www.edgepedia.org/minnesota-timberwolves) in the 2007 NBA Draft, won an NCAA and an NBA championship, and is now an assistant coach for the [New Orleans Pelicans](https://www.edgepedia.org/new-orleans-pelicans).[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201147/usage) • [2](https://nbacoaches.com/corey-brewer/)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Born | 1986, Portland, Tennessee; 6'9" (2.06 m), 188 lb (85 kg)[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201147/usage) |
| Draft | 2007 NBA Draft, first round, seventh overall, by the Minnesota Timberwolves[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201147/usage) |
| College | University of Florida, two National Championships (2006 and 2007); NCAA Most Outstanding Player in 2007[3](https://www.nba.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-sign-corey-brewer-official-release) |
| NBA championship | 2011 with the Dallas Mavericks[4](https://big3.com/players/Corey-Brewer/) |
| Signature game | 51 points and 6 steals in a 112-110 win over Houston on April 11, 2014, tying the Timberwolves franchise record[5](https://statsdmz.nba.com/pdfs/20140411/20140411_HOUMIN.pdf) |
| Career averages | 8.8 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.24 steals in 23.2 minutes over 765 games (291 starts)[3](https://www.nba.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-sign-corey-brewer-official-release) |
| Coaching | New Orleans Pelicans player development coach 2020-2024; assistant coach from 2024[2](https://nbacoaches.com/corey-brewer/) |
## College career at Florida
Brewer attended the [University of Florida](https://www.edgepedia.org/university-of-florida) and played three years there, appearing in 108 games with 106 starts and averaging 11.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.63 steals in 27.2 minutes.[3](https://www.nba.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-sign-corey-brewer-official-release) He was part of the Florida teams that won back-to-back National Championships in 2006 and 2007 under coach [Billy Donovan](https://www.edgepedia.org/billy-donovan), alongside NBA-ready teammates such as [Joakim Noah](https://www.edgepedia.org/joakim-noah) and Al Horford.[3](https://www.nba.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-sign-corey-brewer-official-release) • [6](https://time.com/43099/final-four-march-madness-ncaa-tournament/) He was named NCAA Most Outstanding Player in 2007 and selected to the NCAA All-Tournament Team in both championship years.[3](https://www.nba.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-sign-corey-brewer-official-release)
## NBA playing career
The Timberwolves selected Brewer seventh overall in the 2007 draft.[1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201147/usage) Over a professional career of 13 NBA seasons by the count of Basketball-[Reference](https://www.edgepedia.org/reference) and the BIG3 (NBA.com lists 14 years of experience), he played for the Timberwolves from 2007-08 to 2010-11, the Mavericks in 2010-11, the Nuggets from 2011-12 to 2012-13, the Timberwolves again from 2013-14 to 2014-15, the Rockets from 2014-15 to 2016-17, the Lakers from 2016-17 to 2017-18, the Thunder in 2017-18, the 76ers in 2018-19, and the Kings from 2018-19 to 2019-20.[7](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/breweco01.html) • [8](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/what-teams-did-corey-brewer-play-for) • [1](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201147/usage) He won the 2011 NBA championship with Dallas.[4](https://big3.com/players/Corey-Brewer/)
**Defensive role.** Brewer's value rested on hustle and perimeter defense rather than scoring. When [Oklahoma City](https://www.edgepedia.org/oklahoma-city) signed him in March 2018, the team's release noted that he held the sixth-best steal-to-turnover ratio off the bench in NBA history (1.10) and ranked sixth among active players in steal percentage (2.68).[3](https://www.nba.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-sign-corey-brewer-official-release) The BIG3's player profile describes a 6'9" frame with a wingspan to match, extremely active hands, and constant movement that made him one of the fastest players on the court.[4](https://big3.com/players/Corey-Brewer/)
## The 51-point game
On April 11, 2014, Brewer scored a career-high 51 points and added six steals in the Timberwolves' 112-110 win over the [Houston Rockets](https://www.edgepedia.org/houston-rockets) at [Target Center](https://www.edgepedia.org/target-center), tying the franchise single-game scoring record.[5](https://statsdmz.nba.com/pdfs/20140411/20140411_HOUMIN.pdf) • [9](https://www.kait8.com/2026/09/17/ncaa-nba-champion-corey-brewer-added-arkansas-state-coaching-staff/) The performance was statistically improbable for a player whose season average was 12.3 points per game and whose previous career high was 29 points; the NBA drug-tested Brewer immediately afterward, a routine step after unusual scoring outbursts.[10](https://texassportsanalytics.wordpress.com/2016/10/16/unlikely-nba-scoring-performances-an-analytical-look-at-corey-brewers-51-point-game/)
The Texas Sports Analytics Group analysis explains how it happened. Brewer took 30 shot attempts, a volume usually reserved for stars, and scored 25 points off transition shots, building on a 2014-15 season in which he had the highest frequency of transition possessions among players averaging at least one per game. His six steals converted into 8 easy points, he had three and-one plays, and he set career highs in free throws made and attempted. He took almost two-thirds of his shots in the paint and converted 84.2% of them, aided by the absence of Minnesota's leading scorer [Kevin Love](https://www.edgepedia.org/kevin-love) and Houston's rim protector [Dwight Howard](https://www.edgepedia.org/dwight-howard). Using the Central Limit Theorem on his 2013-14 game-by-game scoring, the analysis put the probability of such a game at 0.00006, roughly once in 16,667 games.[10](https://texassportsanalytics.wordpress.com/2016/10/16/unlikely-nba-scoring-performances-an-analytical-look-at-corey-brewers-51-point-game/)
## Post-playing career
Brewer moved into coaching with New Orleans, serving as player development coach from 2020 to 2024 under [Stan Van Gundy](https://www.edgepedia.org/stan-van-gundy) and then [Willie Green](https://www.edgepedia.org/willie-green), and becoming an assistant coach under Green in 2024.[2](https://nbacoaches.com/corey-brewer/) During his two seasons as an assistant, New Orleans ranked inside the top 10 in the league for steals and blocks per game.[9](https://www.kait8.com/2026/09/17/ncaa-nba-champion-corey-brewer-added-arkansas-state-coaching-staff/) In September 2026 he was added to the Arkansas State coaching staff.[9](https://www.kait8.com/2026/09/17/ncaa-nba-champion-corey-brewer-added-arkansas-state-coaching-staff/)
He also returned to competition in the BIG3 three-on-three league as co-captain of Bivouac, joining for the 2022 season after coach [Gary Payton](https://www.edgepedia.org/gary-payton) sought a lockdown defender who could play multiple positions. In 2024 he won the BIG3 Defensive Player of the Year award and Bivouac won the championship.[4](https://big3.com/players/Corey-Brewer/)
## Playing style
Brewer fits the defensive-wing profile: a long, athletic forward whose contributions came from steals, transition offense, and energy rather than halfcourt scoring. His 2K26 classic-roster attributes reflect the same shape, with strong speed-with-ball (79), perimeter defense (74), and stamina (89) ratings against weak three-point shooting (65) and post control (46).[11](https://2kauction.com/mynba/2k26/players/corey-brewer?roster=classic_2016) A frequently quoted line from his coach [Rick Adelman](https://www.edgepedia.org/rick-adelman) captures the offensive limitation: "Corey is a great outside shooter, unfortunately we play indoors."
## References
1. [Corey Brewer, Guard-Forward, NBA.com stats profile](https://www.nba.com/stats/player/201147/usage)
2. [Corey Brewer, NBA Coaches Association](https://nbacoaches.com/corey-brewer/)
3. [Oklahoma City Thunder sign veteran Corey Brewer, NBA.com official release, March 3, 2018](https://www.nba.com/news/oklahoma-city-thunder-sign-corey-brewer-official-release)
4. [Corey Brewer, BIG3 player profile](https://big3.com/players/Corey-Brewer/)
5. [NBA official box score, Rockets at Timberwolves, April 11, 2014](https://statsdmz.nba.com/pdfs/20140411/20140411_HOUMIN.pdf)
6. [Four Things to Know About The Final Four, TIME](https://time.com/43099/final-four-march-madness-ncaa-tournament/)
7. [Corey Brewer Stats, Basketball-Reference](https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/b/breweco01.html)
8. [What Teams Did Corey Brewer Play For, StatMuse](https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/what-teams-did-corey-brewer-play-for)
9. [NCAA & NBA champion Corey Brewer added to Arkansas State coaching staff, KAIT8](https://www.kait8.com/2026/09/17/ncaa-nba-champion-corey-brewer-added-arkansas-state-coaching-staff/)
10. [Unlikely NBA Scoring Performances: An Analytical Look at Corey Brewer's 51-Point Game, Texas Sports Analytics Group](https://texassportsanalytics.wordpress.com/2016/10/16/unlikely-nba-scoring-performances-an-analytical-look-at-corey-brewers-51-point-game/)
11. [Corey Brewer NBA 2K26 Rating & Attributes, Era 2016, 2kAuction](https://2kauction.com/mynba/2k26/players/corey-brewer?roster=classic_2016)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Other team and ball sports › Basketball and court team sports › Basketball players and coaches (biographies) › NBA players, 2011–2018 › NBA forwards, 2011–2018*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 12, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license