Jaylen Brown publicly calls out Nike with 4-word message after Team USA snub for 2024 Paris OlympicsÂ
Jaylen Brown didn't hesitate to call out Nike after his Team USA snub for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Brown made the player pool but not the final list.
A spot opened up on Wednesday after Kawhi Leonard withdrew his selection because of a lingering knee issue. The reigning NBA Finals MVP was a leading candidate to bag the job alongside teammate Derrick White. However, the USA eventually chose White over Brown, prompting the latter to publicly call out Nike, the kit sponsor for the USA at the Paris Olympics.
The Celtics star tagged the brand on 'X,' formerly Twitter, saying:
"@nike this what we doing?"
Several Nike and Jordan athletes are on the team, including veterans LeBron James and Kevin Durant. However, the two biggest snubs, Brown and Kyrie Irving, are not signed to the brand.
The former teammates also happened to have their issues with the company. In 2022, Irving, a former Nike athlete who had his signature line as well, was dropped by the brand. The Mavericks guard lost his deal for promoting an antisemitic film on X, which Nike founder Phil Knight felt was 'over the line.'
Jaylen Brown stood with Irving in that situation. He quote tweeted a post revealing Knight's comments, saying:
"Since when did Nike care about ethics?"
Brown evidently seems frustrated over his snub and has blamed Nike for not being on the team despite being a viable candidate.
Jaylen Brown could have been a tremendous fit on Team USA for the Paris Olympics
Jaylen Brown lost his spot to teammate Derrick White, who is viewed as a great fit on the team. White is one of the two non-stars on the team alongside Celtics backcourt running mate Jrue Holiday. The two fit the mold of plug-and-play specialists who could do the dirty work alongside the stars.
However, Brown could've been a solid fit, too. He's as solid as they come defensively, while he would've contributed more on offense than White. The USA would've also maintained their star depth with Kawhi Leonard departing. Coming off an NBA Finals MVP run, Brown was in the form of his life, so he had a compelling case to make the team.
It would've also been his Olympic debut for the senior team. Brown has played for the USA once at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, where the team finished a lowly seventh. He was among the finalists to make the 2020 Tokyo Olympics but wasn't selected.