Las Vegas – Boston Celtics Star Jaylen Brown He said he was “not surprised” that USA Basketball decided not to add him to the U.S. national team ahead of the Paris Olympics. Kawhi LeonardHe added that he believes Nike, USA Basketball’s major sponsor, had a hand in him not being selected for the national team.
“Absolutely,” Brown, the 2024 NBA Finals MVP, said Monday night in Las Vegas when asked if he thought the company influenced the decision. “There’s more to come. I don’t want to comment on that right now.”
Jaylen Brown on not being selected for the U.S. national team: “I wasn’t surprised, but I was happy with how D. White did. It’s great to have so many U.S. players on the team, so I was happy with how the guys did, but I wasn’t surprised.” pic.twitter.com/UcL9XAhhOr
— Jared Weiss (@JaredWeissNBA) July 16, 2024
Team USA announced last week that Brown’s Celtics teammate Derrick White will replace Leonardhas been battling chronic knee pain and inflammation for months.
Brown previously suggested on X that Nike had blocked him from joining the team. Brown is not a Nike-sponsored athlete, but White is.
A message sent to Nike on Monday night was not immediately responded to.
Brown, who attended the summer league game against the Celtics, Los Angeles Lakers Speaking in Las Vegas on Monday with Kisle Gondrejcic and former Chicago Sky teammate Angel Reese, White voiced his support for him.
“I wasn’t surprised,” Brown said of the U.S. team decision, “but I was happy he was selected. It’s great to have (so many of) our guys selected, so I was happy for the guys, but I wasn’t surprised.”
Brown has been a critic of Nike for years. X Posts November 2022 “Since when does Nike care about ethics?”
The post was in response to a report that Nike co-founder Phil Knight said: Kyrie Irving Irving “crossed a line” when he shared a link to an anti-Semitic film. Nike The company terminated its sponsorship contract with Irving.This is despite the fact that he owns one of the company’s most popular signature shoes.
Brown originally signed with Adidas. NBAHe then became a sneaker free agent and began wearing a variety of Nike shoes with the swoosh logo removed.
Brown’s complaints appear to be directed at Team USA and Nike, but he has not mentioned in previous posts or interviews that it was his teammates who were honored. Brown was asked Monday if he had reached out to White because White had not publicly congratulated his teammates.
“I called Derrick right away,” he said. “I just wanted to make sure there was no confusion and let him know my love for you and everything. He knew that. Me and D. White are good friends.”
Brown also said he’s focused on the Celtics’ upcoming season after they finish up with the 2024 NBA championship, saying, “When that burden is eased, it gives you more motivation to follow through.”
“For me, it’s back to basics,” Brown said. “In my mind, the championship is over. Now I have to get back to work.”
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Grant Hill, Managing Director of the U.S. Men’s National Team, said: I mentioned this decision earlier White joins a roster of Olympic team members that also includes the Celtics star. Jayson Tatum.
“The great thing about Derrick, especially with this team, is I feel like his role isn’t too different from what he was with the Celtics,” Hill said. “He’s playing with two great young guys in Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum (in Boston). … Having a guy that can come on to your team and compete with other guys, complement other guys, be an outstanding, strong defender and make shots, that makes a big difference in winning.”
Hill did not offer specifics on why White was chosen over Brown at the time, but said, “My responsibility is to assemble a team that complements each other, that gives us the best opportunity to be successful.”
“And, you know, whatever theories are out there, they’re just that — theories,” Hill said.
Brown is a three-time All-Star and was selected to the All-NBA Second Team in 2023. He and White were both members of the 2019 U.S. World Cup team.
White, the only Team USA player never to have been an All-Star, averaged 15.2 points and shot 40 percent from the 3-point line while earning second-team All-Defensive selection with the Celtics.
USA Men’s Team Wins Against Serbia, Three-Time NBA MVP Nikola Jokic The team will play in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday before wrapping up a pre-Olympic showcase in London. The U.S. team’s first game at the Paris Olympics will be against Serbia on July 28 in Lille, France.
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