Jaylen Brown was playing with a heavy heart against the Golden State Warriors on Thursday, and it’s easy to understand why.
The Boston Celtics guard’s best childhood friend, Trevin Steede, died in Atlanta on Wednesday. Initially unsure whether he’d play Thursday, Brown ultimately elected to suit up and delivered an inspiring, 22-point performance in the Celtics’ 92-88 comeback win over the Warriors.
In October, Steede shared a video to his YouTube account of him and Brown playing 1-on-1 at the Celtics’ practice facility. The video, which showcases Brown’s all-around ability, takes on new significance in the wake of Steede’s death, as it shows just how close the friends were.
Check it out below:
(Warning: The video contains some NSFW language.)
After Brown’s huge game against the Warriors, he tweeted a screenshot from the video and dedicated his performance to Steede.
That one was for you bro !! #RIP pic.twitter.com/Rnvy54Wsh2
— Jaylen Brown (@FCHWPO) November 17, 2017
And here’s a clearly emotional Brown talking about how difficult it was to play after losing his best friend:
Emotional Jaylen Brown on playing after the loss of a friend. pic.twitter.com/wTooFBfKRE
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) November 17, 2017
The 21-year-old rising star made the game look easy Thursday night, but it clearly was difficult for him to even show up to TD Garden.
The cause of Steede’s death currently is unknown.
