Boston Celtics star Jaylen Brown is an intellectual who is very aware of his community, issues surrounding race and the positive impact that Black unity and empowerment can have. In addition to all of that he is an NBA player who has a $300M contract and was once called “too smart for the league” by an anonymous NBA executive prior to the 2016 draft, according to reporter Marc J. Spears.
Boston Celtics Star Jaylen Brown Says LeBron James’ Brand Can’t Compare To Michael Jordan
During a recent episode of “Earn Your Leisure” podcast on YouTube, Brown shares his inspiring journey of rejecting the status quo, building Black Wall Street initiatives, and creating a blueprint for future athletes and leaders. The pod also credits itself with engaging in high level conversations that dive deep into empowering solutions for navigating complexities in today’s world.
So that’s right up Brown’s alley. And even when diving deep into the complexities of the world, there’s time to discuss the Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James GOAT debate. While the two GOAT candidates both dominated their eras, Brown says no brand can compare to the one Michael Jordan has built.
“Nobody’s surpassed Jordan since, not LeBron and we’re in a whole different era. It’s over 40 years ago. People you are seeing in all the commercials. People you’re seeing with these big deals and you think …they are using the machine to force them to be an undeniable star. Their talent is already there but now they’re being globalized. They are being pushed, and all of these (companies) are just monetizing off them. The deals they are getting are really not that lucrative.”
Boston Celtis Star Jaylen Brown Talks Rejecting Status Quo On “Earn Your Leisure” Podcast
Brown says these corporations push an illusion that they sell to the client and the public, while working in conjunction to elevate or dismiss any athlete who doesn’t feed into the hype of status quo and exploitative business practices.
“So they dangle the stardom, and they push you and offer you these deals and you getting a few million dollars, but all of these brands are generating so much more off you and they want to keep it like that,” Brown said. “And they want you to feel like we’re going to make you a star and once you get awake or figure it out maybe at the end of your career…Maybe some I can name have figured out midway through their career and start to speak about it. Then they assassinate your character and make your career feel like it wasn’t as impactful as it was all because you stood on a different side of the yellow brick road that they laid out.”
Brown has often been criticized for his refusal to go along with the status quo. Despite pushback against diversity in society he still addresses racial issues, is an advocate for financial literacy, improved education and career opportunity in underserved communities.
As a pro athlete he chooses to use his platform to engage in the community, more so than build a brand that is controlled by and sold to the corporate machine. Brown’s voice is no small voice. He was the NBA Finals MVP but was also snubbed from the Olympic team. When Kawhi Leonard was sent home because he was physically unable to perform in the Olympics, most basketball purists agreed that the obvious choice to replace him was Brown.
Jaylen Brown Olympic Snub
Instead, the Committee, led by NBA Hall of Famer Grant Hill, decided to choose a less-heralded but highly-valued teammate of Brown’s, Derrick White.
Plenty of folks had a problem with that move, and rumors surfaced that Brown’s reputation as a know-it all and his past criticism of Nike played a role in him being bypassed for White. Others suggested White was a better fit on the court.
Hill says that the driving force behind the snub was a “basketball decision.”
In an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show, Grant Hill set the record straight.
“I spoke to his agent. I don’t know if that was before or after things went out on Twitter, but yeah, I think this idea that there’s a conspiracy theory. I always love a good conspiracy theory, but it was really truly a basketball decision, and these are tough decisions. But having gone through this with the FIBA competition, you want to find the right balance and the right pieces on the court that we needed,” he said.
Brown, a vice president for the NBA Players’ Association since 2019, didn’t like Hill’s response but he said his peace and then let it ride.
“Grant Hill calling me a conspiracy theorist is disappointing. I’ve been a VP since I was 21 years old. I have a great understanding,” Brown wrote in a post on X.
Jaylen Brown Won’t Buy Into The Glamour Dangled By The Corporate Machine
Finding the right balance in life between staying grounded and focused on what’s important and getting lost in the celebrity shuffle is something Brown seems to have perfected. Even if he isn’t respected for it. Even if staying true to those values makes him unwanted in certain rooms.
“They dangle the glamour of trying to make you a star, like this is the package,” Brown said of the media and corporate conglomerates who claim to make and break stars. “They show you, we will put all the industry behind you to make you a star. From this brand to this brand to this brand they are all friends.”
