Jaylen Brown has his eyes set on much more than just being named an Olympic finalist – he wants to win gold.
USA Basketball on Monday announced 44 finalists for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Men’s Basketball Team. The preliminary list features five Boston Celtics, including Brown, Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart, Kemba Walker, and Gordon Hayward.
Like any 23-year-old, it’s no surprise Brown was excited to hear the news. But, to him, it’s much more than just another opportunity to play basketball, or even represent Team USA.
It’s an opportunity to take care of some unfinished business.
Tatum, Brown, Smart, and Walker all represented Team USA in the 2019 FIBA World Cup in China last summer. Though, the team came up short in the quarterfinals, falling to France 79-89.
And Brown is determined to get back on the global stage and win, according to The Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach.
“Whether it’s this time or four years from now, I’ve got to avenge that loss that we took in China,” Brown said, per The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach. “So it’s a part of my journey now. It’s a part of my mindset. At some point, I’ve got to make up for that loss.”
Naturally, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens was proud to hear his team was tied with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most representatives.
“We’ve built our whole thing around these five, so it’s good to see that they’re continuing to be recognized,” Stevens said, Per Himmelsbach.
In the meantime, Brown should probably focus on getting back to full strength, considering he’s been plagued by back-to-back ankle injuries ahead of Tuesday night’s matchup against the Houston Rockets.
