Jim Brewer

James Turner Brewer, born December 3, 1951, is an American former professional basketball player in the National Basketball Association. He was the first notable player to emerge from Proviso East High School, the site of one of the most successful high school basketball programs in Illinois. In 1969, playing center, he led the team to the first of four state championships. He was later followed at Proviso East by other future NBA players, including Doc Rivers, Michael Finley, Dee Brown, Shannon Brown, Sterling Brown, and Jevon Carter.

The 6'9", 210-pound forward attended the University of Minnesota, where one of his teammates was future Baseball Hall of Famer Dave Winfield. During his time there, he was involved in a 1972 game in Minneapolis in which Ohio State center Luke Witte was assaulted by Gophers Corky Taylor and Ron Behagen, with Brewer repeatedly striking Witte's teammate Dave Merchant.

Brewer played in the 1972 Summer Olympics, including the United States' controversial loss to the Soviet Union in the gold medal game, in which he was injured by Alexander Belov during a second-half free throw and was unable to continue.