Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Strikes Back At Stephen A. Smith Over 'Egomaniac' Accusation
Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown publicly called out ESPN's Stephen A. Smith for accusing him of having a massive ego, seen as a major ‘red flag’ on the Boston star's profile.
Many pushed back on Smith's claim, considering Brown's character hardly draws a headline outside of ESPN segments.
Stephen A. and his fellow ESPN pundits started on a positive note for Brown when discussing the Celtics' two-way star, asking if he receives enough credit for keeping Boston upright this postseason.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - FEBRUARY 08: Sports television personality Stephen A. Smith is seen on Radio Row ahead of Super Bowl LVIII at the Mandalay Bay Convention Centeron February 08, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
Smith shifted the conversation on the ‘overlooked’ star player — sharing that inside NBA circles don't view Jaylen Brown as ‘marketable’ because of a holier-than-thou attitude.
"I wanted to read to y’all what an NBA source just sent me," Smith said on "First Take" recently.
Stephen A. Smith continued, "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."
Brown took to X and checked SAS, challenging the talking head to name his anonymous ‘source.'
"State your Source," Brown posted Sunday.
Stepping up to support Brown was Detroit Pistons icon Isiah Thomas, who also challenged SAS to out his sources if he was willing to drop such a damning assertion about Brown's temperament.
"I have been a friend, mentor and advisor to (Brown) since he was a student at UC Berkeley," Thomas said on X. "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."
Stephen A. barked back at Thomas.
"First off, that’s not happening. It’s journalism. Not revealing sources," SAS posted. "Secondly, if you continue to watch the segment, I completely disagreed with them — as did Kendrick Perkins. The point we were actually discussing is how under-appreciated you are and why that may be, which is why I read the quote. I even brought up how socially conscious you are, and how that may not be liked, knowing you’re a good brother. Also, that you’re a $300M man and you deserve it. But that doesn’t mean naysayers don’t get heard. That comes with the territory."
If it's about the stats, Jaylen Brown certainly makes an argument that he deserves to be a top player in the league.
Stephen A. said it's not a numbers issue but a character flaw that's holding Brown back.
Brown is a pillar of the Celtics' offense and is a defensive boon for the starting lineup.
His heroic game-tying 3-pointer in Game 1 helped Boston get an early edge over the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals. Brown followed his impressive Game 1 with a 40-pointer in Game 2. The three-time All-Star averages 30 points per game in this ECF series.
Boston primarily looks to former third-overall pick Jayson Tatum as their lead guy.
However, Jaylen Brown's impact has unequivocally matched Tatum's since Brown was drafted in 2016. Brown signed a five-year contract extension worth up to $304 million in 2023.
With plenty of on-court production to discuss regarding Brown, Stephen A.'s comments rang like seedy commentary. As ESPN has shown throughout the 2024 NBA playoffs, their takes aren't as focused on the product on the court but instead on outside noise.
(Was Stephen A. Smith in the wrong to call out Brown? Is there credence to his claim about Brown's marketability? Send us your thoughts: alejandro.avila@outkick.com)
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