The NBA champion took to social media to show his frustration
Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown during the 2024 NBA Finals
NBA fans were taken aback when Jaylen Brown, the NBA Finals MVP, was not announced as Kwahi Leonard’s replacement for Team USA’s squad for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
This surprise apparently extended to Brown himself, who expressed his discontent on social media.
Tatum Praises Brown After Championship Win
Brown hints at Nike’s involvement in Team USA’s decision
On Wednesday afternoon, Brown posted a messag on X of three emoji of a man raising an eyebrow and wearing a monocle, seemingly reacting to the announcement that his Celtics teammate Derrick White was chosen as an injury replacement for Kawhi Leonard.
Brown’s subsequent post, “@nike this what we doing?” intensified speculation about the reasons behind his exclusion.
Brown’s relationship with Nike and the sneaker industry has been contentious.
He has not signed with a sneaker company for over three years since his deal with Adidas expired.
Though he often wears Nike shoes, he sometimes removes the swoosh, and he wore Anta shoes at the All-Star Game.
This makes him one of the most prominent players without a current shoe deal.
Grant Hill on Jaylen Brown’s posts suggesting Nike was behind his Olympic snub:
“For a good portion of my career, I wore FILA. That was supposed to be a joke. We’re proud of our partners at USA Basketball. This is about putting together a team… Whatever theories might be out… pic.twitter.com/BC3clySvqv
— BasketballNews.com (@basketbllnews) July 11, 2024
Jaylen Brown’s ongoing battle with Nike
Brown’s discontent with Nike isn’t new.
In 2022, he criticized the company, questioning their ethics following Nike founder Phil Knight’s comments about Kyrie Irving’s response to sharing an antisemitic documentary.
Nike had dropped Irving, stating their condemnation of hate speech.
Brown defended Irving, calling his suspension by the Nets”inappropriate” and a “violation of our CBA.”
The connection between Brown’s lack of a sneaker deal and his exclusion from Team USA became a topic of speculation.
Nike is a significant sponsor of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee and USA Basketball, and Derrick White wears Nike shoes.
Grant Hill, director of USA Basketball, addressed the rumors on Wednesday.
“For a good portion of my career, I wore Fila,” Hill joked, “That was supposed to be a joke. We’re proud of our partners, obviously.”
Hill denied that shoe politics influenced the decision, stating, “And, so, whatever theories that might be out there, they’re just that. But that’s my responsibility. And it’s tough. It’s tough to have conversations, tell people that they’re not on the team. I’m trying to win and I’m trying to put together the right pieces that fit and give us a chance to win.”
News
Jujutsu Kaisen Mahito Cosplay Is Scary With How Anime Accurate It Is
Jujutsu Kaisen’s villains are some of the most frightening in anime, and Mahito is one of the worst of the bunch. With his powerful Idle Transfiguration technique and his callous…
Luffy Was Shonen Jump’s Most Original Hero In Years… Until The Timeskip Changed Him For The Worse
One Piece is undoubtedly one of the most popular manga series ever created, and while much of its appeal stems from the anticipation of uncovering the mystery…
My Hero Academia Just Brought Back Two Villains, & They Finally Settle a Controversial Fan Debate
My Hero Academia‘s latest episode has just seen two villains joining the fight who had previously been on the sidelines, but just which side they’ve come to…
My Hero Academia Shigaraki Cosplay Is Absolutely Horrifying In The Best Way Possible
Few anime villains have quite the reputation of terror as My Hero Academia’s Tomura Shigaraki. With a horrifically nightmarish Decay Quirk that allows him to disintegrate everything…
One Series Is Still the King of Sports Manga, Even After Three Decades
A good manga series, like Netflix’s Hajime no Ippo, continues to impact, influence, and entertain readers indefinitely long after its heyday has passed. After its debut, Hajime no Ippo was widely…
One Piece’s Massive Imu Reveal Went Exactly As Expected
One Piece episode #1118 was one of the most hotly-anticipated episodes in weeks for one reason: it was set to be the first time Imu would speak in…
End of content
No more pages to load