Jaylen Brown and Nike controversy: Stephen A Smith and Grant Hill react to $300 million star’s snub from Team USA

Jaylen Brown does not have a shoe deal with any sports brand in the NBA as of yet.

Jaylen Brown and Nike controversy: Stephen A Smith and Grant Hill react to $300 million star’s snub from Team USA

Stephen A Smith, Jaylen Brown and Grant Hill

The Boston Celtics’ star man Jaylen Brown has been making the headlines recently after his recent tweets on X towards the sports brand, Nike. Elsewhere, Derrick White, a Celtics guard, replaced the Los Angeles Clippers’ injured Kawhi Leonard on the Senior Men’s National Team for the 2024 Paris Olympics.

As per reports, Nike seemed to have some pull regarding White joining Team USA instead of Brown. However, Brown took his fury a step higher with a cryptic post calling out Nike. Brown (who isn’t yet tied to a shoe brand) criticized Nike after USA Basketball chose White as Leonard’s successor, implying that Nike had some influence in the selection.

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@nike this what we doing ?
Jaylen Brown wrote on X

Brown has visibly seemed unhappy with this move as he earlier had revealed that it was “a dream and an honor” to play for his nation. In addition, many NBA fans around the world as well as experts and analysts raised this issue regarding Brown not being selected to play for Team USA in the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

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Stephen A. Smith comes in support of Jaylen Brown after Team USA snub

Stephen A. Smith is usually known for criticizing players in the NBA but was in support of the Boston Celtics’ Jaylen Brown this time around. Brown was not selected by Team USA and Smith was having none of it as he took to X to put forward his views on the ongoing situation. 

Do y’all believe me now? Yo @FCHWPO, do I need to reveal my sources now? Is it not obvious now? How in the hell is a $300M man — now a champion and an NBA Finals MVP— who’s clearly a top-two player on the @celtics and a Top-15 player in the world, NOT chosen for Team-USA? B/c his teammate NOT named Tatum is selected before him? Come on y’all!!!
Stephen A Smith wrote on X

It remains to be seen how this situation regarding Brown and Team USA unfolds in the next days/weeks. Brown will be hoping that he gets selected for his nation as it has been his dream to represent his nation in a major competition.

Grant Hill clears out all the misconception regarding Jaylen Brown and Nike

The USA basketball managing director, Grant Hill shared his views on Jaylen Brown’s theory of Nike having a pull in his fellow teammate Derrick White being selected ahead of him for Team USA. Hill seems to clear out Brown’s misconception in a recent interview. 

You can't, you know, get 12 spots and 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....um, so, you know, whatever theories that might be out there, um, you know, they, they're just that, but that's, that's my responsibility and it's tough, it's tough to, you know, have conversations, tell people that they're not on the team.
Grant Hill told the reporters

With the Team USA players all but selected, it will be intriguing to see if any further changes happen in the squad after Brown’s social media outburst. Nevertheless, Team USA will be focused on winning the gold medal at the upcoming 2024 Paris Olympics.

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