Fresh off an NBA title, three players on the Boston Celtics joined another group with winning aspirations: Team USA. However, reigning Finals MVP Jaylen Brown didn't make the stacked squad for the 2024 Paris Olympics, even after Los Angeles Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard left.
Instead, Celtics guard Derrick White got the call, reuniting with teammates Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday. Brown, a 2024 All-Star, has more than enough talent to represent the United States in the Olympics. He also said before the 2023-24 regular season how much it would mean to him to play in France this summer.
While some online onlookers speculated that Brown was upset with White after missing out on an invitation from Team USA, they clearly weren't paying attention to the Celtics' chemistry throughout their run to the 2024 title. White explained that despite all the outside noise, everything between him and the three-time All-Star was perfectly fine, per Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe.
“Jaylen gave me a call and I was like, ‘Yeah, you didn't need to call me. I know we're good,'” the first-time Olympian said. “He gave me a call and said he just wanted to clear things up and I told him we're all good. Never any problem or issue with us, for sure. He's a hell of a player and I've never had a bad thing to say about JB.”
Why didn't Celtics' Jaylen Brown make Team USA?
Brown has no beef with White, yet he probably has an issue with those in charge of forming the Olympic roster.
Following his snub, he posted a cryptic message on X that was seemingly a shot at Nike, one of the most popular athletic wear brands in the world.
Nike is one of Team USA's biggest sponsors for apparel and merchandise and the company's iconic “swoosh” logo is on the front of the basketball team's jerseys. Several NBA stars have their own Nike shoes, but Brown isn't one of them.
In fact, the 27-year-old has openly critiqued the extremely lucrative corporation on social media. When Nike cut ties with point guard Kyrie Irving in 2022, Brown stuck up for his former teammate and questioned the hypocrisy of the decision:
Due to this spotty history, Brown might be under the assumption that Nike's partnership with Team USA is the main reason why he's not donning the red, white, and blue right now.
Hall of Famer and USA Men's National Team managing director Grant Hill sees things differently, per “The Dan Patrick Show.”
“This idea that there's a conspiracy theory,” he said on Friday in reference to Brown's exclusion. “I always love a good conspiracy theory but it was really truly a basketball decision. And these are tough decisions.”
Hill is one of the key decision-makers when it comes to Team USA's final roster. During his Olympic playing days, he scrimmaged against the legendary “Dream Team” in 1992 and won a gold medal during the 1996 Summer Games in Atlanta.
His comments still weren't appreciated by Brown, as the Georgia native took offense to the use of the term “conspiracy theory.” He posted on X once again on Sunday to voice his displeasure.
When Brown says “VP,” he's referring to the fact that he became the youngest elected vice president of the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) in 2019. As a result, he understands what goes on behind the scenes and how sports, politics, and money all conflate.
To further support his claim of foul play, the California Berkley product reposted a lengthy thread explaining how sneaker politics has played a role in the Olympics. Four of the five posts directly mention Nike.
So far, the drama between Nike and Brown hasn't distracted Team USA on the court. The Americans won all five of their exhibition games and then kicked off group play with a 110-84 drubbing of Serbia and three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic.
Holiday was the third-leading scorer for Team USA with 15 points on 75% shooting from the field. White added two points, two steals, one rebound, and one block off the bench in 16 minutes of play.
Meanwhile, Tatum was one of just two Americans to not enter the opening contest. Although the five-time All-Star and 2024 NBA champion has quite the resume, head coach Steve Kerr couldn't find a way to fit him in the rotation on Sunday.
Brown's partner in crime should play Wednesday against South Sudan though, according to Kerr.
Controversy aside, Tatum will seek his second gold medal this summer while Brown will gear up for the 2024-25 regular season. As soon as the two take the court together again in October, the Celtics' quest for back-to-back championships officially begins.
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