Stephen A. Smith Rips Jaylen Brown’s Joel Embiid Comments With Blunt Take After Celtics’ Collapse

The fallout from the Boston Celtics’ early playoff exit is still loud, and this time it’s not just coming from inside the locker room. After their first-round loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, the conversation has shifted from breakdowns on the floor to blunt takes off it. Jaylen Brown’s comments on Joel Embiid sparked a full-on media storm.

Brown had criticized Embiid’s physical style and flopping allegations after a Game 7 loss where the 76ers star dropped 34 points. The debate around officiating and free throws quickly snowballed, especially as Boston’s season ended after blowing a 3-1 lead. That frustration became fuel for national TV reaction.

Per ESPN’s “Get Up,” former NBA guard Stephen A. Smith called out Brown’s timing and framing the loss as a bigger issue than officiating.

“Here’s why it’s an awful look for him. You getting paid over $300M. You were a MVP candidate. You were up 3-1 in this series. Did you say anything when you were up 3-1? No you didn’t…. That is not why the Celtics lost. They lost because they live and die by the 3 and they play dumb basketball down the stretch”