There has been a lot of talk about Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown being left off of the All-NBA teams, and Stephen A. Smith received some criticism for stating that he has heard from an ‘NBA source' that Brown is not liked during a segment on ESPN's First Take.

“Jaylen Brown, it's not so much that he's underrated, it's that he's just not liked,” Stephen A. Smith said on ESPN. “Because of his ‘I am better than you' attitude. He knows it. It's the same reason he is not as marketable as he should be. That's what an NBA source just sent me.”

Jaylen Brown has now commented on the matter as well, saying “State your source” in response to the viral clip on X, formerly known as Twitter. Clearly, Brown feels that statement is not true as he goes through the playoffs with the Celtics, who are currently up 3-0 on the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals with a chance to clinch a spot in the NBA Finals with a win on Monday night in Game 4.

It must be frustrating for this type of thing to come up for Brown during a playoff run in which the expectation is nothing short of a championship. Brown likely feels that he has the support from his teammates, and that is what matters. After not making an All-NBA team, Payton Pritchard made a declaration that Brown was snubbed.

Jaylen Brown and Celtics look to advance to NBA Finals

With Game 4 coming up on Monday against the Pacers, the Celtics could set themselves up to have a lot of rest before the NBA Finals start. That does not mean that Boston has not had to battle in these three games against Indiana, with Brown playing a big role.

In Game 1, Brown scored 26 on 10-20 shooting, hitting a vital three-point shot in the corner to tie it and force overtime, where the Celtics eventually won 133-128. That was his one three-point shot made in that game. In Game 2, the Celtics were led by Brown, who scored 40 on 14-27 shooting. Boston won that 126-110.

In Game 3, the Celtics were in trouble late but came back to win, and Jayson Tatum led the way with 36 points, but Brown was the second leading scorer with an efficient 24 points. He shot 10-18 from the field in that game, as the Celtics came away with a 114-111 win.

The Celtics had a historic regular season, but only an NBA Championship will satisfy the fanbase. This group has come close before, even making the finals in 2022, and now the expectation is to take that last step to become champions. Whether Brown is liked or not, he will look to help his team get to the finals and win it this time around.