Potential Reason Behind Jaylen Brown’s Olympic Snub From Team USA Gets Revealed by Former NBA All-Star

Former NBA All-Star hints potential reason behind the Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown's snub from the Team USA's roster for 2024 Paris Olympics. Find out what he says:

Published on Jul 23, 2024  |  04:01 PM IST |  105.2K
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Jaylen Brown has been snubbed from the 2024 Paris Olympic roster after Kawhi Leonard opted out due to injury. Ever since Derrick White was included in the team, the NBA Finals MVP has shown his discontent with the alleged role of shoe manufacturing giant Nike. 

The scenario regarding Brown’s snub linked with Nike, which is evident now, has been coming from many. After calling out the brand on occasions, the Boston Celtics star now gets support from former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas on the matter.

Also Read: Skip Bayless Mocks LeBron James Despite Helping Team USA Narrowly Beat Germany in Final Olympics Warm-Up Game

Gilbert Arenas and Rashad McCants discuss the potential reason behind Jaylen Brown’s Olympics snub

The exclusion of Jaylen Brown from the USA Men’s Basketball team for the 2024 Olympics has sparked controversy and led to claims that shoe manufacturer Nike may have influenced the selection process. This revelation came to light when former NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas and his co-host Rashad McCants discussed the issue.

The duo had a conversation over the ongoing unrest on the Gil’s Arena show, shedding light on a potential reason behind Brown's snub from Team USA.

The controversy stems from Jaylen Brown’s public accusation that Nike was responsible for his exclusion from the Olympic roster. This accusation gained traction as many former players supported Brown’s sentiment, suggesting that Nike may have exerted direct or indirect influence to ensure that their players received precedence on the Paris Olympics roster. 

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Arenas went as far as calling Team USA a Nike event that actively sidelines non-Nike athletes, raising serious questions about the fairness of the selection process.

Addressing the potential reason behind Jaylen being sidelined from being considered an alternative for Kawhi, Arenas’ co-host, Rashad McCants, brought back the Kyrie Irving incident on the show.

He said, “Jaylen Brown sided with Kyrie Irving. He spoke out against Nike dropping Kyrie. Nike dropped Kyrie after the post, Jaylen Brown didn’t like that, I think he was the President of the Players’ Association at the time, he was obligated to speak out about what Nike did, why they did it, he didn’t like it. He was wearing Kobes at the time, so he started covering up his Kobes.”

Also Read: Gilbert Arenas Makes Xenophobic Remarks on South Sudan After Team USA Narrowly Escapes Defeat: ‘We Almost Lost to the Ahi Ahi Tribe’

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Bill Simmons criticizes Jaylen Brown for reacting to Olympics snub

Bill Simmons criticized Jaylen Brown for his reaction to the Olympic snub, emphasizing the potential negative impact of Brown's public criticism on team chemistry. Simmons pointed out that the unrest following a championship win can lead to a team falling flat in the next season, and he highlighted the importance of framing disappointment in a way that acknowledges the worthiness of the chosen player, in this case, Derrick White. 

This criticism stems from Simmons' belief that Brown's initial reaction, which seemed to blame Nike and question Team USA's selection process, risked undermining team unity and respect for his teammate who made the roster.

Simmons also stressed the need for Brown to express his displeasure in a manner that did not cast aspersions on the selection of Derrick White or imply favoritism towards certain brands, such as Nike. He suggested that Brown could have voiced his disappointment without creating the perception that he was undermining his teammate, who was selected over him. 

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By framing his response differently, Simmons implied that Brown could have expressed his frustration while still showing respect and support for Derrick White and the decision-making process.

Also Read: South Sudan’s Wenyen Gabriel Opens Up on Team’s Struggle After Nail-Biter Against Team USA: ‘We Are a Bunch of Refugees’

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About The Author

Nitish Singh is a Sports Content Writer at Pinkvilla and covers all things NBA. Apart from following

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