Jaylen Brown Calls Out Stephen A. Smith For Saying An NBA Source Called Brown Unlikeable

Stephen A Smith had said this about Brown on First Take.

"I'm gonna throw this out to both of y'all and Jay, I'm gonna come to you first with this and you say what you want to say, whatever point you was gonna make, but I wanted to read to y'all what an NBA source just sent me, he said. Jaylen Brown, It's not so much that he's underrated, it's that he's just not liked because of his quote, 'I am better than you attitude.' He knows it. It's the same reason he is not as marketable as he should be. That's what an NBA source just sent me."

Even Isiah Thomas weighed in on the report, with Thomas blasting Stephen A. for sharing an anonymous report, asking him to reveal who made such claims or shut up.

"I have been a friend, mentor, and advisor to Jaylen Brown since he was a student at UC Berkeley. He is 100 percent marketable and before you slander his name, Stephen A. Smith, tell your source to put their name on it or don’t speak on it. Let it be known."

Brown has been coming up clutch for the Celtics in their 2024 Playoff run. He had some sensational performances in Games 1 and 2 to lead the Celtics to wins over the Indiana Pacers. 

He's averaging 24.7 points and 6.2 rebounds for the Playoffs and it had to be disappointing for him to see his name being brought up on national TV for an unnecessarily negative segment. 

Jaylen Brown's Comments About All-NBA Likely Led To Stephen A.'s Comments

Jaylen Brown was left off the All-NBA teams this season despite playing an integral role in the Celtics' 64-win season. Brown was pretty upset at the fact he didn't make the All-NBA team and made some fiery comments about the same.

”I watch guys get praised and anointed, I feel like, (that) are as half as talented as me on either side of the ball. But at this point in my life, I just embrace it. It comes with being who I am and what I stand for, and I ain’t really changing that. I just come out, and I’m grateful to step out on the court each and every night and put my best foot forward. I get better every single year and whether people appreciate it or not it is what it is.”

Brown's comments here would directly fit what Smith said about the Celtics' star having an 'I am better than you' attitude. However, the 'report' could have just come from an NBA source with a particular disdain for Brown. It's lazy reporting to just put whatever you want on the air without investigating the motive behind what someone said.

As a competitive athlete, Brown will feel upset at how the All-NBA teams played out. If his reaction to the same leads to insidious comments from anonymous sources and the biggest media personality in the sport broadcasting them, it would feel quite unfortunate.