Jaylen Brown has been rumored to be unhappy with the Boston Celtics after a series of statements that may have hinted at some tension between him and other components of the team, including his co-star Jayson Tatum.Â
On ESPNâs First Take on Wednesday, Stephen A. Smith discussed the issues that sparked in Brownâs post-playoffs comments in his Twitch stream and the subsequent revelations made by NBA legend Tracy McGrady about Brownâs unhappiness with the Celtics.Â
Stephen A. then dropped an honest statement about Brown and Tatum, something that Brown may never get around.Â
âJayson Tatum is considerably more liked,â Stephen A. said, comparing him to Brown. âIâm talking about by corporate folks. Look at the commercials, the endorsements, look at all of that. Jayson Tatum compared to Jaylen Brown, they arenât even in the same stratosphere.â
Stephen A.âs co-host Brian Windhorst then cited Tatumâs shoe deals and his Team USA participations in international tournaments.Â
âJayson Tatum is beloved. I donât anybody that disliked Jayson Tatum,â Stephen A. emphasized.Â
The issue started when McGrady claimed that Brown had grown âdeeply frustratedâ about the Celtics organization, following Bostonâs first-round series loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, where the Celtics blew a 3-1 lead.
Many have also speculated that Brownâs post-Game 7 stream revealed some of his true feelings about the team. In his stream, Brown said that this year was one of his favorite seasons, despite being eliminated in the first round, which was seen by some as a subtle shot at Tatum, who spent most of the season rehabbing his Achilles injury.Â
This season, Brown became an MVP candidate and enjoyed an increased offensive role with the team.Â
Brown also said that he wished the Celtics âtrusted the style of playâ they built throughout the season, especially in the first round against the 76ers.Â
All of these on top of accusing the 76ersâ Joel Embiid of flopping throughout their series in Round 1.Â
Celtics President Addresses Jaylen Brown Tensions
GettyBoston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown drives the ball in a game against the 76ers. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens expressed his side of things, citing his conversations with Brown over the past few days.Â
âI talked to Jaylen Monday a little bit,â he said. âIt was nothing but positive. He has not expressed those frustrations to me.â
âWeâve been here 10 years together, and I do think thatâobviously I love JB, everybody around here loves JB,â Stevens said.Â
Stevens then said that his door will always be open to hear playersâ frustrations within the team.Â
âJust like any of our other guys, as we get to the end of the season, Iâll be here, and my door is always open if anybody ever wants to come in and talk about it,â he said. âTalk about the team, their place, whatever the case may be, Iâm all ears. … None of have been expressed to me (yet).â
Jaylen Brownâs Dominance This Season
GettyJaylen Brown had a great season.
Jaylen Brown had a breakout year with the Celtics this season. He averaged 28.7 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 5.1 assists in the regular season to lead the Celtics to the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with 56 wins.
Brown also had an impressive postseason, averaging 25.7 points, albeit in a loss.Â
If he remains with the Celtics next year, the Celtics will again have both a healthy version of Brown and Tatum at their disposal. The two led the Celtics to the 2024 NBA championship.Â
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