Jaylen Brown Sends Controversial LeBron James Message

In an interview on the Earn Your Leisure YouTube channel, Brown was asked about the less glamorous side of brand deals and why major endorsements aren’t always as beneficial as they appear.

“These people you see with all these commercials, the people with these big deals—you think they’re using the machine to force them to be like an undeniable star," Brown said. "Their talent is already there, but now they’re being globalized, now they’re being pushed. All these brands are monetizing off of them, but the deal they’re actually getting is not that lucrative.”

To illustrate his point, Brown referenced the ongoing debate over the greatest basketball player of all time.

“Jordan was one of one. Nobody’s surpassed Jordan since—not LeBron—and we’re in a whole different era,” Brown stated. “That was over 40 years ago. So they’re dangling the stardom. They push you, they offer you these deals, you’re getting a few million dollars, but they’re generating so much more off of you.”

The four-time All-Star continued, calling attention to the imbalance in how brands profit from athletes.

“All these brands are generating so much more off of you, and they want to keep it like that. They want you to feel like, ‘We’re going to make you into a star.’”

This isn’t the first time Brown has criticized brands for exploiting players. In 2022, he publicly called out Nike after the company severed ties with Kyrie Irving.

Despite the controversy surrounding his comments, Brown remains focused on delivering for the Celtics. The 28-year-old is averaging 22.5 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 4.6 assists through 57 games this season and will look to lead Boston to another championship run in June.