Kevin Braswell

Kevin Levelle Braswell (January 23, 1979 – February 24, 2025) was an American professional basketball player and coach. He played four years of college basketball for the Georgetown Hoyas between 1998 and 2002 before playing professionally for 14 years. He most notably played in New Zealand, where he won a championship in the Australian National Basketball League with the New Zealand Breakers in 2011. That year, he won the NBL Best Sixth Man Award. He later played for the Southland Sharks in the New Zealand National Basketball League, where he won NZNBL championships in 2013 and 2015. He began his coaching career in 2016 and coached in New Zealand and Japan. He served as head coach of the Utsunomiya Brex in the Japanese B.League during the 2024–25 season.

Early life Braswell was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland, where he attended Lake Clifton Eastern High School. He then had a prep season at Maine Central Institute in Pittsfield, Maine. Braswell was also first at Georgetown in career assists (695) and steals (349). He was named Third Team All-Big East as a senior and Second Team as a junior, and was named to the Big East All-Rookie Team as a freshman.

Professional career Braswell began his professional career splitting the 2002–03 season in Belgium with Tournai Estaimpuis and in Poland with Spójnia Stargard Szczeciński. For the 2003–04 season, he moved to Italy to play for Cimberio Aironi Novara. He later signed with the Miami Heat on October 3, 2005, He subsequently returned to Europe and played seven games for Greek team Kolossos Rodou before leaving in December 2005.

For the 2006–07 season, Braswell moved to Russia to play for Standart Samara reg. Toliatti. Following the conclusion of the Breakers' season, Braswell returned to Europe and joined French team Limoges CSP.

After initially signing with Turkish team Aliağa Belediyesi SK for the 2010–11 season, Braswell instead returned to New Zealand and joined the Breakers for the NBL season. In April 2011, he helped the Breakers win the NBL championship. He was subsequently named the NBL Best Sixth Man.

In May 2011, Braswell joined the Southland Sharks for the 2011 New Zealand NBL season. However, just six games into the season, he suffered a season-ending Achilles injury which required surgery. He had never previously experienced a serious injury in his basketball career. However, on November 5, 2012, he was released by the Tigers after playing hurt over the first five games.

Braswell returned to the Southland Sharks for the 2013 New Zealand NBL season and helped lead them to the championship. He returned to the Sharks in 2014 and had a 45-point effort in his 50th game.

Returning to Southland for a fifth season in 2015, Braswell helped the Sharks win their second title in three years. He retired from professional basketball following the 2015 season, with the Sharks retiring his No. 12 jersey. In 78 career games for the Sharks, he averaged 19.5 points, 3.8 rebounds, 4.8 assists and 2.2 steals per game.

Coaching career On August 3, 2015, Braswell was appointed head coach of the Wellington Saints for the 2016 New Zealand NBL season. On April 15, 2016, he came out of retirement for a one-game stint, helping his depleted Saints in a 97–72 loss to the Canterbury Rams. He went on to guide the Saints to the championship in his first season as coach.

In 2017, Braswell guided the Saints to back-to-back titles behind an undefeated 20–0 campaign and New Zealand NBL Coach of the Year honours. He returned to Wellington for a third and final season in 2018, leading the Saints to a third straight grand final where they lost to the Southland Sharks.

On April 16, 2018, Braswell was appointed head coach of the New Zealand Breakers on a three-year deal. However, he was released from his contract in June 2019 after completing just one season.

In May 2020, Braswell was appointed head coach of the Auckland Huskies of the New Zealand NBL. He parted ways with the Huskies following the 2020 season.

On June 25, 2021, Braswell was appointed assistant coach of the Akita Northern Happinets in the Japanese B.League. In the 2022–23 season, he served as associate coach and acting head coach of the Happinets.

On July 4, 2023, Braswell was appointed associate coach of the Utsunomiya Brex for the 2023–24 season.

Personal life and death Braswell's immediate family included his mother, Millicent Boone, and his younger brother, James Boone.

Braswell underwent emergency heart surgery in Japan on January 17, 2025. He remained in a hospital in Utsunomiya, but died on February 24, at the age of 46.