Gilbert Arenas calls out Jaylen Brown for his alleged Bronny James criticism: "He was 5-26 in his first 3 games in summer league"
The smoke hasn’t settled yet regarding Jaylen Brown’s comments about Bronny James. On Monday, Brown watched the Boston Celtics’ game against the LA Lakers and gave his verdict on LeBron James’ son. The reigning NBA Finals MVP told his girlfriend Kysre Gondrezick that LA’s rookie isn’t a “pro.”
When Gondrezick responded that the younger James was surely going to the G-League, Brown disagreed. The All-Star guard added that the youngster’s name will give him a Lakers roster spot.
Former NBA player Gilbert Arenas reacted to Jaylen Brown’s comments. Here’s what the “Gil’s Arena” host had to say:
“Do you know what they said about him [Brown] in Summer League? He was the third pick in the [2016] NBA Draft, the third pick in the NBA draft. The first three games, just like Bronny, Bronny was 6-for-26? Jaylen Brown was 5-for-26 from the field in his first three games in the Summer League.
“No one bashed him and he was the third pick in the NBA draft!”
Arenas’ claims that Brown wasn’t “bashed” were inaccurate. The former Golden Bear was already booed on draft night by Boston Celtics fans during a watch party at TD Garden.
Celtics supporters had no unanimous choice for the third pick after Ben Simmons went to Philadelphia and Brandon Ingram landed in Los Angeles. Kris Dunn, Buddy Hield, Jamal Murray and even Marquese Chriss were more popular options than the raw 19-year-old Brown.
The lambasting was so bad that Wyc Grousbeck had to explain why the team drafted Jaylen Brown. Grousbeck said after the draft that the fans’ reactions were the “worst” in his tenure as the team governor.
Brown’s struggles in the Summer League only made the criticism more intense. He was raw but had the athleticism, size and motor skills to succeed if he developed his game. Then-Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge asked the fans to be patient. He asked them to boo him instead of Brown.
Jaylen Brown is a good example for Bronny James to follow
Criticism has followed Jaylen Brown even before he put on the Boston Celtics uniform. They only got louder as the seasons progressed. When the Cs lost to the Golden State Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals, Brown was relentlessly trolled. Warriors star Draymond Green revealed that their strategy to stop the athletic guard was to force him to his left.
The trolling only grew in 2023 when the Celtics lost in Game 7 to the Miami Heat. Celtics fans desperately wanted Brown to step up after Jayson Tatum injured his ankle in the first play of the game. Instead of answering the bell, Brown wilted under the bright lights.
This year, Jaylen Brown finally proved his worth. He won the NBA Finals MVP and was considered by many to be the best player over Tatum.
Bronny James has likely seen the viral clip of Brown’s comments about him. The LA Lakers rookie should take it in stride the way the Celtics star did early in his career. James Jr. could use Brown’s story as motivation to succeed in the NBA.