When Team USA announced Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard withdrew from the Olympic squad on Wednesday morning, NBA fans began to wonder who would replace Leonard on the gold-medal favorites. While NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown seemed to be a logical wing replacement for Leonard, the Americans are choosing Brown's Boston Celtics teammate Derrick White instead, which seemingly sparked a reaction from Brown.
Following reports that White would become Leonard's replacement, Brown used no words but conveyed a pretty curious message nonetheless in a tweet: “🧐🧐🧐”
Brown, a Georgia native, has not competed as part of the U.S. senior national team during his career. His only international play experience came in 2014 when he and the U.S. won gold at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship. White has never played in the Olympics, but he was a part of the U.S. team that finished in seventh place at the 2019 FIBA World Cup.
Jaylen Brown snubbed for Team USA
If any player has a reason to complain about not being included on Team USA for the 2024 Olympics, it's Jaylen Brown. The 27-year-old wing is a three-time All-Star, 2023 All-NBA second-team player, and the reigning Finals MVP after averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5 assists per game during the Boston Celtics' 4-1 beatdown of the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals.
However, White is undoubtedly a valuable player to any team he is on. The 30-year-old Colorado native, who just signed a four-year contract extension with the C's, has made his impact most evident as part of the Celtics over the last two and a half seasons. In that time, White has risen from sixth or seventh man to a key part of the Celtics' starting lineup.
Either one of Brown or White is a reasonable replacement for Leonard on Team USA, although Brown's tweet, whether it is truly a reaction to White's selection or not, could be an example of why Brown was not chosen to join the star-studded American team.
NBA reporter Keith Smith laid out his theories as to why White was selected to replace Leonard.
“I have a feeling adding Derrick White to Team USA is mostly about two things,” Smith said, “[1] They need another defensive-minded guard. Team USA has been burned in the past by not being able to defend opposing guards. [2] White won't complain if he doesn't play much. That's big for chemistry.”
While Brown very easily may have accepted whatever role Steve Kerr and the Team USA coaching staff laid out for him had he been selected, cryptically tweeting after your own teammate is chosen over you does not seem like the right way to deal with that.
Regardless, it appears White, whose role grew this season after the Celtics traded Marcus Smart, will now be joining a stacked team that already includes Celtics teammates Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday, as well as NBA stars LeBron James, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, Kevin Durant, and Anthony Edwards, among others. White will likely be one of the last guards off of the bench for Team USA, which already has a backcourt of Curry, Edwards, Holiday, Devin Booker, and Tyrese Haliburton.
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