The Team USA basketball squad is preparing for an exciting run in the 2024 Paris Olympics. However, a major roster change has fans and players buzzing. Kawhi Leonard departed the team to focus on his preparation for the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Clippers. As a result, Boston Celtics guard Derrick White took Leonard's spot which could have prompted this cryptic social media post toward Nike by Jaylen Brown.
Brown tagged Nike and commented, “Is this what we doing?”, as shown by his X account.
Brown's move comes shortly after another cryptic post following Derrick White's selection to replace Kawhi Leonard. Brown posted three emoji faces with monocles, which could suggest his skepticism about Team USA's move. Was Brown taking a shot at Nike with his latter post?
Jaylen Brown has been a vital member of the Celtics since the team drafted him in 2016. He earned his first All-NBA honor after the 2022-23 season and continued his strong performance in 2023-24. Despite his early accolades, Dallas Mavericks had coach Jason Kidd make a statement that some speculated created tension on Brown's status with Boston.
Kidd said Brown was the Celtics' “best player” during the 2024 NBA Finals. However, Brown asserted that Kidd's take did not bother him.
“I don't have no reaction,” Brown said bluntly, per ClutchPoints' Daniel Donabedian. “I don't know. It's a team game. We're trying to focus on that, and, you know, everybody has their own opinions.”
Brown performed admirably against the Mavericks and helped Boston win in five games. As a result, the 27-year-old won his first Finals MVP award. Still, Brown seems to be unsatisfied with something. It is not certain if his omission from the Olympics sparked his social media comments. Yet, he will keep working hard regardless.
Brown remains a valuable piece to NBA, Celtics
Brown understands the big picture of his role with Boston. While snubs may frustrate him temporarily, he knows that team success is the ultimate goal. He emphasized this in responding to Jason Kidd's “best player” comments.
“We've been just extremely focused on what our roles and our jobs are,” Brown explained. “We have all had to sacrifice. Jayson has had to do that at the highest of levels, right, and I respect him and tip his cap for it. Right now, at this point, it's whatever it takes to win and we can't let any outside interpretations try to get in between us.”
Jayson Tatum backed Brown up with his own take.
“This is a team sport, right. We understand that,” Tatum told the media. “We wouldn't be here if we didn't have JB on our team, and we can say that for a lot of guys, right. We have all played a part in getting to where we're at, and we understand that people try to drive a wedge between us. I guess it's a smart thing to do or try to do.”
With support like Tatum on his side, Brown has a good chance to remain content with the Celtics. It would have been nice to see him play with Team USA in the Olympics, but he knows his time is coming.
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