Boston Celtics’ top basketball brain trust Brad Stevens comes in with defense for Jaylen Brown amid the controversy surrounding the star swingman.
Stevens made it known that as a franchise, they are tapping their players about the usage of their platforms. The head executive also acknowledged that Brown clarified that he does not hold any antisemitic beliefs.
“We regularly speak to the players about the responsibilities of their platforms,” Stevens told Dan Shaughnessy of the Boston Globe. “Jaylen has explicitly stated that he is against antisemitism and hate speech. Jaylen also has a strong history of using his platform to contribute positively to causes both local and national.
“Regarding the Kyrie Irving suspension, Jaylen has stated that he feels that in his role as vice president of the union he should protect and support players’ rights.”
Brown initially drew irk upon his reluctance to part ways yet from Ye’s Donda Academy, wherein the artist was under flak and stripped of business ties for his antisemitism. It took the Celtics swingman to receive public outcry to ultimately announce his departure from the agency with L.A. Rams’ Aaron Donald.
And upon the suspension of the Brooklyn Nets by Kyrie Irving, Brown has expressed his displeasure on the lengthy sanction that was imposed. He also criticized Nets team owner Joe Tsai and the Nike brand who removed their brand partnership with the controversial guard.
With Brown being an NBA star who also holds a high level of acknowledgment league-wide, his platform and voice truly speak volumes.
