"He gets Finals MVP, and they pick 3 other players off his team - NBA legend left fuming after 'ridiculous' Jaylen Brown Olympics snub
Team USA’s seeming snub of Jaylen Brown for a spot on the roster for the 2024 Olympics has created a storm on social media. Following Kawhi Leonard’s withdrawal, the USAB picked Derrick White, Brown’s Boston Celtics teammate, to replace Leonard. Brown did not like the decision and implied in a social media post that Nike, the team’s sponsor, had something to do with it.
White had a superb season with the Celtics, helping the franchise to its 18th championship. “D-White” made several clutch plays in the playoffs and was on the All-Defensive second team. Brown, though, won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP and the NBA Finals MVP. His impact on both ends of the floor was invaluable.
NBA legend Eddie Johnson reacted to Team USA’s decision to leave off Jaylen Brown on SiriusXM Radio:
“He was the best player on his team in the entire playoff and he carried it to the finals and gets Finals MVP, and they pick 3 other players off his team to go to the Olympics. Listen, man, that’s ridiculous.
Jaylen Brown finally silenced his critics with an impressive playoff campaign that culminated with a championship. He couldn’t be labeled as only an offensive threat after making it his responsibility to guard Luka Doncic in the NBA Finals. The Celtics ruled the NBA again after 16 years because he lived up to the expectations of his massive contract.
Brown also seems to be a mirror image of Kawhi Leonard in size. He doesn’t have Leonard’s pedigree on the defensive end, but the Boston guard is athletic and is no slouch on that end. The debate about whether he should have been picked over Derrick White will not end anytime soon.
Eddie Johnson disagrees with Grant Hill’s decision to leave Jaylen Brown off Team USA
After Derrick White was announced as Kawhi Leonard’s replacement, Grant Hill spoke to reporters about the decision. He was in Las Vegas to give his thoughts about White’s selection:
"You have to build a team. And one of the hardest things is leaving people off the roster that I'm a fan of, that I look forward to watching throughout the season, throughout the playoffs.
"Guys who've been Finals MVP, guys who have been a part of the program, guys who've won gold medals. Guys who I respect, admire and enjoy watching. But the responsibility that I have is to put together a team and a team that complements each other."
Eddie Johnson had this to say about that statement:
“Grant Hill’s a very good friend, Steve Kerr’s a good friend, [but] I disagree with them here. … That’s not right and it’s a disappointment.”
Johnson added that he has nothing against Derrick White and called him “a hell of a player” who “deserves anything that he gets.” The 1988-89 Sixth Man of the Year winner, however, emphasized that Jaylen Brown was just that better player who had been shortchanged by Grant Hill’s decision.