While Jaylen Brown has had a stellar playoff run as the Celtics are one win away from the NBA Finals, he did get some unexpected criticism recently. ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith recently had a source take a shot at Brown during an appearance on “First Take.”
“I wanted to read to y’all what an NBA source just sent me,” Smith said. “He said, ‘Jaylen Brown, it’s not so much that he’s underrated, it’s that he’s just not liked 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.”
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While Smith didn’t say he necessarily agreed with the take, that was certainly a shot at Brown from someone within the league. But NBA legend and two-time champion Isiah Thomas took an issue with Smith’s source. Thomas took to social media to defend Brown as the two have had a relationship for years.
“I have been a friend, mentor and advisor to (Brown) since he was a student at UC Berkeley,” Thomas said in a post. “He is 100 percent marketable and before you slander his name (Smith) tell your source to put their name on it or don’t speak on it. Let it be known.”
The panel discussed whether Brown was one of the most underrated players in the league, which Smith agreed with. Brown missed out on an All-NBA team despite a career season and the Celtics as the clear best team throughout the regular season. His teammates went to bat for him, though Brown was generally mum on the snub.
While there will be plenty of debate about Brown, it doesn’t change his stellar performance throughout the playoffs. He’s had some big scoring nights, like his 40-point night in Game 2. The Celtics are now just one win away from the NBA Finals, so they’ll focus their attention there. Game 4 of the East Finals against the Pacers is set for 8 p.m. Monday in Indiana.
