Jaylen Brown doubles down on accusations of Nike favoritism in Team USA selection
Jaylen Brown is not backing down from his claims that Nike was responsible for Team USA's decision to snub him in favor of Derrick White. Brown doubled down on his theory that the shoe giants are the reason why he didn't replace Kawhi Leonard.
The reigning NBA Finals MVP was in Las Vegas on Monday night to watch the Boston Celtics take on the LA Lakers in the Summer League. He met with several reporters and was asked about his comments that Nike was behind the Team USA snub.
"I do for sure (Nike influenced Team USA's decision). There will be more stuff to come with that. As of now, I'm not gonna comment on it," Brown said.
Jaylen Brown also cleared the air that there's no tension between him and teammate Derrick White, who was chosen instead of him to replace Kawhi Leonard. Brown has nothing but love for White and even called him after Team USA made the announcement.
"I wasn’t surprised, but my reaction was that I was happy for him. It's dope to have so (many) of our guys on there, so I was happy for those guys. But I wasn't surprised. ... I called Derrick right away. Just to make sure there's no confusion, my love for you and all of that. He knew that. Me and D-White are good," Brown said. [H/T The Athletic]
Many were surprised when Team USA announced that Kawhi Leonard's replacement would be Derrick White and not Jaylen Brown. The reigning NBA Finals MVP had a similar player profile with Leonard as a two-way player. He can also play forward, while White is just a guard, which means the team will be undersized.
Grant Hill explains Team USA's decision to not pick Jaylen Brown
Team USA managing director Grant Hill was asked by reporters last week about Jaylen Brown's snub from the roster. Some people felt that Brown deserved the call since he was the best player for the Boston Celtics during their championship run.
Hill explained that it was purely a basketball decision and dispelled the conspiracy that Nike had an influence. They just went with the best fit with the current roster, which they hoped would take home another gold medal.
"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," Hill said. [H/T Chris Forsberg of NBC Sports Boston]