Finals MVP Jaylen Brown indirectly throws major shade at Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler for skipping games
Jaylen Brown returned from a one-game absence on Monday night to help the Boston Celtics defeat the Miami Heat at the TD Garden. Brown seemingly threw some shade at Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler after the game while talking about players not playing in back-to-back games.
In his postgame interview, Brown was asked how he prepared for the game knowing he was coming off an illness. He explained that it's part of the journey to win a championship and he always wants to be available every game. He knows that every game is important, so not playing back-to-backs affects teams overall.
"We just had a mindset, try to have a mindset of that we come out and play good basketball," Brown said. "We put our best foot forward whoever's out there. ... As you are looking to do something special, these are the moments you accept. It’s hard for teams to be great if some of their best players never play back-to-backs." [51:32 - 52:04]
Some fans thought Jaylen Brown's comments were shots at Joel Embiid and Jimmy Butler, who are both prone to injuries and miss back-to-backs. Embiid made headlines this offseason after claiming he'll never play them for the rest of his career.
Butler missed Monday's game with a sore right knee, though it was the second game of a back-to-back. He had 17 points in 34 minutes on Sunday in the Miami Heat's loss to the Toronto Raptors.
However, others called out Jaylen Brown because he missed the first game of the Boston Celtics' back-to-back. The Celtics were in Cleveland on Sunday and lost a tight game against the Cavaliers.
The 2024 NBA Finals MVP was out with an illness and had to sit out one of the most important games of the campaign. He told reporters after Monday's game that he was still not 100 percent but played through it.
"Can't lose two in a row," Brown said, according to NBC Sports. "I'm not feeling my best, but just wanna come out there for my team and just help us get a win. A back-to-back can be tough, so wanted to make sure we came out with the right energy."
Jaylen Brown praises young teammates for stepping up against Miami
On Monday, the Boston Celtics were playing without four key players – Jrue Holiday, Kristaps Porzingis, Al Horford and Sam Hauser. It forced some of their young players such as Jordan Walsh, who started the game, to step up.
Luke Kornet, Drew Peterson, and Baylor Scheierman also received minutes, but Payton Pritchard stole the show. Pritchard finished with 25 points off the bench, solidifying his status as one of the favorites to win the Sixth Man of the Year.
"We've got some young stars," Jaylen Brown said, according to NBC Sports. "Shoutout to our development team. They come in and they get to work. They listen to our coaching staff and they're getting better and better. They're ready when their number is called."
The Celtics are back in action on Wednesday against the visiting Detroit Pistons before another set of back-to-backs on Dec. 7 and 8.